The Inside Scoop on Gaming

By the gods, folks! You'd think that such a vital sourcebook would have more attention paid to it. If you believe it, then I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

The first problem is that, as with many L5R books, the history here contradicts earlier books. (Later books, in turn, contradict this book's information.) For example, the Unicorn account of their one battle against the Crab is not what the Crab book says. This can be a very cool device, but only when handled properly, and this book did not handle it properly.

"Trinity" and "Aberrant", for example, take all of the subjective information--the conflicting histories of L5R, for example--and put it into a segregated section of the book that's clearly marked as very different. AEG goes the route of "The Blair Witch Project", and makes no attempt whatsoever to seperate truth from lies in the text. The result, as many on the L5R RPG list know, is inevitable confusion that prompts endless posts from helpless players that can't or won't discern between the two. While Mr. Wick (among others) champion this approach with tireless zeal, the fact is that it's a dismal critical failure- and one of the most common complaints.

The second problem is that this "optional" book is as optional as lungs for an air-breather; you can do without, but only if you'd like to be a corpse. The new rules in here are too damned important to the game to be considered "optional"; you can't tell me in good faith that no one will use the Ide, Moto, Otaku schools, the gaijin gear, the Item Quality rules, or the new spells. They will be used, and that makes this book a must-buy no matter how bad the book is.

And just how bad is it? First, as with many things L5R, there some wonky bits. Somehow, despite spend the better part of a millenium running around a desert filled with alien hostiles of all sorts and suffering horrendous losses all the while, they retain a strong female warrior tradition. I have a hard enough time of this with the Matsu of the Lion Clan, as they tend to die like wheat to a thresher, but after nearly getting wiped out once (and forced to adopt the Moto tribe) you'd think the Clan would think of the future and take all necessary steps to secure it- including taking the Otaku out of combat. Instead, due to Designer Fiat, this isn't necessary. I am not impressed.

Another wonky bit concerns the rest of Unicorn culture. They're heavy on the Mongol influence, right down to the "born on a horse" style of living. They merge this with the samurai horseman ideal, and they still get wonky. Suppossedly, the daikyu is a gaijin weapon- all Rokugani used yumi until the Unicorn returned. (Ditto with the use of cavalry in warfare.) Yeah, this means that a bunch of Mongol clones came up with something purely Japanese in style and use- and not the *actual* bow (or archery) that they used; there is nothing in the Moto information (or LBS) to indicate anything that supports the L5R assertion.

The clan is suppossedly very conservative, and they keep their women away from combat (save for the Otaku, who keep the men out) because they want to protect their future. Why the rest of the clan would do this, and still tolerate the Otaku--especially after the Moto proved to be much better shock troops--is beyond believability. You'd have to be a fool or a politician to swallow it without choking on your own common sense; in a historical culture, this would not happen without some sort of political or religious sanction- and a dead founder (no matter how divine) isn't enough.

Is there anything good about this book? Yes, but most of it has to do with the toys. The Moto and the Otaku schools aren't bad, and neither is the Ide school. Avoid the heritage table, use the new items, and pay attention to the new skills. Remember that all Unicorn PCs learn Archery or Horse Archery, not Kyujutsu, and that all Unicorn should have Horsemanship (especially the shugenja, since they are the only ones who ride and cast spells at the same time).

The writing style isn't bad, but it could be better. The content, and not the style, is my big beef with this book. Either it should be an extention of the core, or be truly optional- not a half-assed compromise. You must have this to play with or against the Unicorn, or to use Item Quality appropriately, and that makes it a corebook by default.

I eagerly await a revision, preferably by overseen by a developer who knows what they're doing.

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 3 (Average)

The Way of the Clans, Book Two: The Way of the Unicorn
Author: Edward Bolme and Andrew Heckt Category: game Company/Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group Line: Legend of the Five Rings Cost: $14.95 (US) Page count: 128 pages ISBN: n/a SKU: AEG 3005 Playtest Review by Bradford C. Walker on 07/21/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Asian/Far_East	By the gods, folks! You'd think that such a vital sourcebook would have more attention paid to it. If you believe it, then I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. The first problem is that, as with many L5R books, the history here contradicts earlier books. (Later books, in turn, contradict this book's information.) For example, the Unicorn account of their one battle against the Crab is not what the Crab book says. This can be a very cool device, but only when handled properly, and this book did not handle it properly. "Trinity" and "Aberrant", for example, take all of the subjective information--the conflicting histories of L5R, for example--and put it into a segregated section of the book that's clearly marked as very different. AEG goes the route of "The Blair Witch Project", and makes no attempt whatsoever to seperate truth from lies in the text. The result, as many on the L5R RPG list know, is inevitable confusion that prompts endless posts from helpless players that can't or won't discern between the two. While Mr. Wick (among others) champion this approach with tireless zeal, the fact is that it's a dismal critical failure- and one of the most common complaints. The second problem is that this "optional" book is as optional as lungs for an air-breather; you can do without, but only if you'd like to be a corpse. The new rules in here are too damned important to the game to be considered "optional"; you can't tell me in good faith that no one will use the Ide, Moto, Otaku schools, the gaijin gear, the Item Quality rules, or the new spells. They will be used, and that makes this book a must-buy no matter how bad the book is. And just how bad is it? First, as with many things L5R, there some wonky bits. Somehow, despite spend the better part of a millenium running around a desert filled with alien hostiles of all sorts and suffering horrendous losses all the while, they retain a strong female warrior tradition. I have a hard enough time of this with the Matsu of the Lion Clan, as they tend to die like wheat to a thresher, but after nearly getting wiped out once (and forced to adopt the Moto tribe) you'd think the Clan would think of the future and take all necessary steps to secure it- including taking the Otaku out of combat. Instead, due to Designer Fiat, this isn't necessary. I am not impressed. Another wonky bit concerns the rest of Unicorn culture. They're heavy on the Mongol influence, right down to the "born on a horse" style of living. They merge this with the samurai horseman ideal, and they still get wonky. Suppossedly, the daikyu is a gaijin weapon- all Rokugani used yumi until the Unicorn returned. (Ditto with the use of cavalry in warfare.) Yeah, this means that a bunch of Mongol clones came up with something purely Japanese in style and use- and not the actual bow (or archery) that they used; there is nothing in the Moto information (or LBS) to indicate anything that supports the L5R assertion. The clan is suppossedly very conservative, and they keep their women away from combat (save for the Otaku, who keep the men out) because they want to protect their future. Why the rest of the clan would do this, and still tolerate the Otaku--especially after the Moto proved to be much better shock troops--is beyond believability. You'd have to be a fool or a politician to swallow it without choking on your own common sense; in a historical culture, this would not happen without some sort of political or religious sanction- and a dead founder (no matter how divine) isn't enough. Is there anything good about this book? Yes, but most of it has to do with the toys. The Moto and the Otaku schools aren't bad, and neither is the Ide school. Avoid the heritage table, use the new items, and pay attention to the new skills. Remember that all Unicorn PCs learn Archery or Horse Archery, not Kyujutsu, and that all Unicorn should have Horsemanship (especially the shugenja, since they are the only ones who ride and cast spells at the same time). The writing style isn't bad, but it could be better. The content, and not the style, is my big beef with this book. Either it should be an extention of the core, or be truly optional- not a half-assed compromise. You must have this to play with or against the Unicorn, or to use Item Quality appropriately, and that makes it a corebook by default. I eagerly await a revision, preferably by overseen by a developer who knows what they're doing. Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 3 (Average)

The Way of the Clans, Book Two: The Way of the Unicorn