Hello, everyone! It seems like a very long time since the last installment of the column, but switching to a monthly format will probably do that to you, I guess. It’s a very busy time right now, with lots of deadlines looming and a tremendous number of irons in the fire, so let’s get right to the discussion, shall we?

It’s become pretty evident as time has gone on that this is not merely a column about designing an RPG, but about the process of putting them out as a whole. It’s a bit of a look behind the curtain, if you will. With that in mind, I wanted to let you know that Imperial Histories is out on the stands and should be available as a PDF very soon. As the first product to really be highlighted in this column, I’d like to think that the good sales we’re having are a result of us sharing conversations and giving you a better appreciation of what your money is buying. If this process helps you better understand the nature of the products you’re getting, then that’s great!

Likewise, the Book of Air has been laid out, proofread, and will be going on press very soon. Even more so than the Imperial Histories, the Book of Air was shaped by the discussions and conversations that grew out of this column. Even if you’re not one of those readers who posted or emailed me about things that appeared, the very act of creating the column and writing about the design philosophy behind the book helped shape its contents, so merely by existing out there in cyberspace, you have helped improve the quality of your products. Thanks so much for that! Maybe next time jump in and have a conversation with us, eh? ☺

But enough of my meandering, right? I’m sure most of you are here to get more information on the new boxed set that I promised last time. Well, let’s get into that, shall we?

The Second City

As I revealed on the AEG forums a short time after our last announcement here, the subject of the boxed set will in fact be the Second City, a major new settlement from the current storyline of the L5R CCG. Yes, I know, that flies in the face of our timeline neutrality policy, but as far as I am concerned, you have to make exceptions if you have the potential for an amazing new product, and that’s what I think we have on our hands here.

For those of you who do not keep up with the canon storyline, here’s the short version: in the year 1173, the Empire concludes a terrible and very costly war with an invading gaijin force. During the course of the war, it was discovered that before the Destroyers came to Rokugan, they devastated the Ivory Kingdoms, a vast nation somewhere southwest of the Empire. In desperate need of supplies to rebuild her country, the Divine Empress commands her clans to take control of the former Kingdoms, creating a region known as the Colonies. And the capital of the Colonies, the seat of Imperial power in that distant land, is the sprawling settlement known as the Second City.

The gist of the boxed set is that it is equal parts sourcebook and campaign, with three separate books detailing the city and its denizens, among other things. (There are also a ton of added peripherals, but I’m not going to talk about those until they’ve gone to press so I can be sure of exactly what’s going to be in the final version of the box!) The first book, which we have been calling the City Book in-house (creative, eh?), is all about the city itself. It discusses the six districts of the city, the things you find in each district, and some of the people who you’ll find there. There’s a bit appendix that’s all about the Colonies, another that is a bestiary of new and dangerous creatures from that region, and a third that’s loaded with new mechanics, including a variety of Advantages and Disadvantages as well as at least one Alternate Path for each Great Clan.

The second of the three books is called the Court Book (man those labels are just so evocative, aren’t they?). It details the court of the Imperial Governor in the Second City, the most prestigious court in the Colonies. There are delegations from all the different clans, including their own agendas and conflicts, and lots of ideas on how to set them up so that characters can be dragged into all manner of selfish and selfless intrigue to keep them busy for years without even having to draw their katana. Delicious, delicious drama!

The third and final book is the one we’re most pleased with. We call it the Campaign Book (what could be in it, oh I just don’t know). As I think I mentioned previously, the goal of this book is to provide GMs with a ready-built campaign. We’re talking about fully fleshed out adventures, lots of optional encounters, ideas for directions to take it other than the one specifically mapped out in the book… everything. And I mean everything. The best part? It was headed up by Robert “Heroes of Rokugan” Hobart. No one knows campaigns like the Hobart!

“But Shawn!”

I can hear the wailing now. “You’ve gotten your CCG in my timeline neutrality!” some folks will cry. And to be fair, it is a valid objection! But fear not, for we have not abandoned you. The entirety of the City and Court books are designed from the ground up to be as portable as possible. What are we if not versatile and modifiable? Let me give you an example of a minor NPC from the City Book. Please keep in mind that this is from the unedited manuscript, so don’t tear me a new one if there are problems with it. It is as of yet before the Hobarting!

Seppun Toriko, Mistress of the Gates
Air: 3, Earth: 3, Fire: 4, Water: 2, Void: 3
Stamina 4 , Strength 3

Honor: 5.1
Status: 4.3
Glory: 3.6
School/Rank: Seppun Guardsman 3
Skills: Athletics 2, Battle 2, Courtier 4, Defense 5, Etiquette (Bureaucracy) 4, Horsemanship 1, Iaijutsu 4, Investigation (Notice) 3, Kenjutsu (Katana) 5, Kyujutsu 2, Sincerity (Deceit) 3
Advantages: Allies (Second City Guardsmen), Balance, Wary
Disadvantages: Dark Secret, Obligation

Given the emphasis placed upon the security of the Imperial District, it comes as no surprise to most that passage into and out of the district, while not prohibited, is strictly monitored at all times. This has been the case since the district was enclosed by the Military District early in its inception, but was treated largely as a bureaucratic necessity and not any significant task. The assassination of the first Imperial Governor by as yet unknown parties changed this, however, and the head of the Second City Guardsmen, Akodo Tsudoken, was enraged when he reviewed the haphazard records maintained by the various gate guardians. He dismissed the entire staff after accepting the seppuku of the samurai responsible for their oversight, then placed much more rigid policies in place to ensure that anyone entering the Imperial District could be accounted for, and therefore held responsible for any actions taken during their stay there.

Seppun Toriko is the current Mistress of the Gates, and has held that position since Tsudoken revised the policies regarding its duties. She and her hand-picked staff oversee the formal gates that connect the Imperial District to the Temple, Merchant, Artisan, and Peasant districts. The Military District is a force unto itself and is responsible for policing its own movements into and out of the district; although both Tsudoken and Toriko would prefer to place such travel under her command, neither of them possess the authority to enact such a policy, and the new Imperial Governor seems content to continue restricting them in this manner.

Toriko is well aware that her status as Mistress of the Gates is due exclusively to her status as a member of the Imperial families. As such, she cannot be accused of bias for any clan, or be expected to offer exceptions to any clan due to prior obligations. Ironically, however, Toriko finds herself in exactly that position. A wealthy Otomo who makes his home in the Imperial District, and coincidentally a man to whom her father owes a considerable debt of honor, is obsessed with cultural artifacts from the Ivory Kingdoms, and has numerous contacts in the Temple and Merchant districts who acquire new specimens for him. Because these items have not undergone the required inspection to ensure that there is no danger to the people of the Second City, he has them brought into the Imperial District discreetly, and only through a gate when Toriko is personally overseeing it. Toriko’s distress over this arrangement has increased of late, and Tsudoken has begun to suspect that she is suffering from some significant health malady as a result. In truth, she is simply torn between her duty and the obligation she feels to the man who spared her father a significant disgrace during his youth. She would give a great deal to find a way to reconcile these problems, but as of yet has no means of doing so.

The question is, what is there about this character that we cannot make use of regardless? Her stats make her suitable as an NPC Seppun guardsman in any situation you can use, but likewise her position as a samurai compromised by duty and obligation can easily be used to spice up an existing game in any setting, canon or not. Can you see a character like this in the Imperial City? Or during the Time of Famine from Imperial Histories? Of course you can! We designed the entire thing to work that way. It’s like a big jigsaw puzzle that fits together perfectly, but each individual piece has its own picture on it and can be used for other things as necessary. Viva la toolbox!

The Future

I am currently in the process of mapping out the RPG release schedule for 2013, and what I want more than anything is the input of the fans. What do you guys want to see from the line in the future? We already have the Book of Fire and Book of Water on the schedule, but there’s room for two more sourcebooks and I want to make sure that we’re meeting the needs of the fans. I’m considering the possibility of another installment of Imperial Histories, this time with even more fan-generated content, to see how we can stretch the genre into new and exciting shapes, but I don’t know if that’s something that people are interested in seeing.

So… what are you interested in seeing? Let me know!