The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Come in, brethren, come in. The Church Of Righteous Reviewing is about to convene for another sermon from the Reviewing Reverend Mao Chapman. Gather round and take a pew, he is about to begin….

Welcome, my graceful audience. So good of you to come today, for truly the time has come for the Good Light of Reviewing to he shed on the latest collection of supplements for Legend of the Five Rings. This review of The Winter Court is the first of a series of reviews of recent L5R source material.

Legend of the Five Rings is in my opinion one of the best RPGs on the market today. Far be it from me to plug the game again, but I thought I'd state my position from the outset of my sermon. I urge all unenlightened parishioners who have not got this game to go out and get it after leaving the Church today. Set in Rokugan, a setting superficially like feudal Japan, it buzzes with potential for a campaign that is filled with both action and intrigue, while remaining accessible enough for this to be a relatively easy prospect for GMs.

That said, however, have not let my love of this game distract me from my Holy Duty of bringing the Torch of Criticism to the supplements. I am always very cautious when approaching supplements for games, as they often have the nasty habit of not living up to their potential (see my review for the adventure Tomb of Iuchiban). It was with an openly objective eye that I purchased The Winter Court.

The Winter Court is a sourcebook that contains a lot more detail about Rokugan's custom's, society, the Imperial House, and at the same time introducing GMs to upcoming storylines and events that may be developed in later supplements. I was suspicious when I discovered this. One of the criticisms that is often levelled at White Wolf's lines is the constant updating and setting-changes that force players to buy more books to keep up. I don't yet know whether Alderac has the same plans for Rokugan but because The Winter Court is beginning of the process, it details the situation as it is now and therefore it enriches, not changes the setting.

Physically the book is of good quality, like most other L5R products. The inside layout is simple black-and-white but a healthy smattering of attractive artwork and heading make it easy to read and understand. The cover, while nicely laminated and in colour, is graced by a rather dreadful piece of cover art. I appreciate the artist was attempting to paint Japanese-type figures while possibly being unused to doing so, but I feel if I was Japanese I might be insulted by the attempt.

Still, I know the brethren wouldn't be put off a product by such things, so the Sermon now moves to the meat of the book. One of the things players and GMs alike often complain about is that L5R puts so much emphasis on the political intrigues and strict Rokugani rules of behaviour without providing enough information on the subject. The Winter Court addresses that balance. With information on everything from the names of different political ranks, to how a Samurai-ko is treated depending on what she is wearing, to details on bathing etiquette, to different festivals of the year, I found this sourcebook provided me with a wealth of valuable information. While initially being a little bit daunting, all this information will leave both GMs and players alike with a much greater understanding of how to role-play a character properly in Rokugan and the confidence to do so with greater panache.

The book also details the four families that make up the Imperial house; the Seppun, the Otomo, the Miya, and of course the Hantei. These, aside from the Hantei, are presented like the families in the clanbooks and can be played as characters. Only briefly mentioned until now, the actual details of the Emperor's rule is now presented. I thought the information was interesting, but that game balance might be upset if these families were allowed as PCs in a campaign. Otomo courtiers in particular have a few techniques in their school that not only put Crane Doji courtiers to shame but are verging on the obscene in terms of power. Obviously the balance will be less marked in a campaign not purely set within the Imperial Court but I would have reservations about letting players take Otomo Courtiers in my campaign. I urge the brothers and sisters of the Flock to think as carefully.

Lastly the book gives a number of points of information about individuals in the Imperial Court, and possible events. Along with this information com a number of NPCs which can be used to immediately enrich a court campaign without effort. The characters are up to the standard presented in other boos, with a refreshing emphasis on goals and ambitions as well as stats and abilities which is so often lacking in RPGs.

All in all, I found The Winter Court to be an extremely welcome addition to my L5R collection. Well-written and enjoyable, it provides a wealth of information that is not only useful to use in a game but just plain interesting. L5R aside for a moment, I would have no hesitation about recommending this book to anyone setting a campaign in feudal Japan-type setting. I recommend it to everyone who has even a passing interest in L5R. On a slightly more cynical note, I suspect that this book will become a mainstay of the L5R game line which will be referred to in future supplements. Avoid this excellent piece of work at your peril, brothers.

So concludes my sermon for now. Be sure to re-convene in the Church of Righteous Reviewing for my coverage of The Merchant's Guide to Rokugan and Way of Shadow. For anyone (publishers and magazine owners included) wish to contribute to my collection plate in any way, my address is available through RPGnet.

Good bye, brethren, good bye. Think long on what you have heard and act on your heart. The Reverend Mao Chapman thanks you for your time and will welcome you back next time you choose to visit the Church of Righteous Reviewing.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

The Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun
Author: Ree Soesbee Category: game Company/Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group Line: Legend of the Five Rings Cost: $ 19.95 Page count: 120 Pages Capsule Review by Mao Chapman on 05/10/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Historical Asian/Far_East	Come in, brethren, come in. The Church Of Righteous Reviewing is about to convene for another sermon from the Reviewing Reverend Mao Chapman. Gather round and take a pew, he is about to begin…. Welcome, my graceful audience. So good of you to come today, for truly the time has come for the Good Light of Reviewing to he shed on the latest collection of supplements for Legend of the Five Rings. This review of The Winter Court is the first of a series of reviews of recent L5R source material. Legend of the Five Rings is in my opinion one of the best RPGs on the market today. Far be it from me to plug the game again, but I thought I'd state my position from the outset of my sermon. I urge all unenlightened parishioners who have not got this game to go out and get it after leaving the Church today. Set in Rokugan, a setting superficially like feudal Japan, it buzzes with potential for a campaign that is filled with both action and intrigue, while remaining accessible enough for this to be a relatively easy prospect for GMs. That said, however, have not let my love of this game distract me from my Holy Duty of bringing the Torch of Criticism to the supplements. I am always very cautious when approaching supplements for games, as they often have the nasty habit of not living up to their potential (see my review for the adventure Tomb of Iuchiban). It was with an openly objective eye that I purchased The Winter Court. The Winter Court is a sourcebook that contains a lot more detail about Rokugan's custom's, society, the Imperial House, and at the same time introducing GMs to upcoming storylines and events that may be developed in later supplements. I was suspicious when I discovered this. One of the criticisms that is often levelled at White Wolf's lines is the constant updating and setting-changes that force players to buy more books to keep up. I don't yet know whether Alderac has the same plans for Rokugan but because The Winter Court is beginning of the process, it details the situation as it is now and therefore it enriches, not changes the setting. Physically the book is of good quality, like most other L5R products. The inside layout is simple black-and-white but a healthy smattering of attractive artwork and heading make it easy to read and understand. The cover, while nicely laminated and in colour, is graced by a rather dreadful piece of cover art. I appreciate the artist was attempting to paint Japanese-type figures while possibly being unused to doing so, but I feel if I was Japanese I might be insulted by the attempt. Still, I know the brethren wouldn't be put off a product by such things, so the Sermon now moves to the meat of the book. One of the things players and GMs alike often complain about is that L5R puts so much emphasis on the political intrigues and strict Rokugani rules of behaviour without providing enough information on the subject. The Winter Court addresses that balance. With information on everything from the names of different political ranks, to how a Samurai-ko is treated depending on what she is wearing, to details on bathing etiquette, to different festivals of the year, I found this sourcebook provided me with a wealth of valuable information. While initially being a little bit daunting, all this information will leave both GMs and players alike with a much greater understanding of how to role-play a character properly in Rokugan and the confidence to do so with greater panache. The book also details the four families that make up the Imperial house; the Seppun, the Otomo, the Miya, and of course the Hantei. These, aside from the Hantei, are presented like the families in the clanbooks and can be played as characters. Only briefly mentioned until now, the actual details of the Emperor's rule is now presented. I thought the information was interesting, but that game balance might be upset if these families were allowed as PCs in a campaign. Otomo courtiers in particular have a few techniques in their school that not only put Crane Doji courtiers to shame but are verging on the obscene in terms of power. Obviously the balance will be less marked in a campaign not purely set within the Imperial Court but I would have reservations about letting players take Otomo Courtiers in my campaign. I urge the brothers and sisters of the Flock to think as carefully. Lastly the book gives a number of points of information about individuals in the Imperial Court, and possible events. Along with this information com a number of NPCs which can be used to immediately enrich a court campaign without effort. The characters are up to the standard presented in other boos, with a refreshing emphasis on goals and ambitions as well as stats and abilities which is so often lacking in RPGs. All in all, I found The Winter Court to be an extremely welcome addition to my L5R collection. Well-written and enjoyable, it provides a wealth of information that is not only useful to use in a game but just plain interesting. L5R aside for a moment, I would have no hesitation about recommending this book to anyone setting a campaign in feudal Japan-type setting. I recommend it to everyone who has even a passing interest in L5R. On a slightly more cynical note, I suspect that this book will become a mainstay of the L5R game line which will be referred to in future supplements. Avoid this excellent piece of work at your peril, brothers. So concludes my sermon for now. Be sure to re-convene in the Church of Righteous Reviewing for my coverage of The Merchant's Guide to Rokugan and Way of Shadow. For anyone (publishers and magazine owners included) wish to contribute to my collection plate in any way, my address is available through RPGnet. Good bye, brethren, good bye. Think long on what you have heard and act on your heart. The Reverend Mao Chapman thanks you for your time and will welcome you back next time you choose to visit the Church of Righteous Reviewing. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

The Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun