The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Having been a player of the Legend of the Five Rings RPG since a short while after its original release, a relatively new CCG player, and about to become involved in another ongoing game in the lands of Rokugan, it was with some trepidation that I purchased the new edition. Many rumors about this edition were circulating and it seemed an inauspicious beginning. But I have to admit that all the fears about ruining a good thing were quickly put away.

The layout of the book is similar to the first edition with it being divided up into books based on the five Rokugani elements. It again works out well, and eases the reader into the complex game. Each Element section deals with an aspect of the RPG such as game mechanics, char-gen, and spells. Most are well written with only few minor problems and editorial mistakes.

The Book of Earth details the lands of Rokugan and its culture. It is fairly detailed and a must read for the first time player. Those familiar to the game will not see many changes but the writing is fairly even and comprehensive. My only qualm was the fact that the Clan briefs are repeated, once in small form and again much longer towards the end. The first style was space better served elsewhere for more setting information or maps.

The Book of Water lays out the character generation system and includes the customary glossy color pages for each Clan, Ronin, and Naga. The new system is different in that players have more points, 30, to spend on customization of skills and traits, but costs have been increased by a large margin (New Trait level x 3 for example). The playing field has been evened significantly by this and players of the old edition may find themselves wondering where all their points went quickly. Also each Clan of Rokugan has gained a new school and some of the existing schools have been modified. All of them are interesting in my opinion, with the exception of the Unicorn Shinjo Scout School which seemed like an afterthought. Also there are some errors in the section such as misprinting of the cost of Void. But still overall a good section.

The Book of Fire covers the mechanics of the L5R RPG. And this is where the book diverges most from the previous edition. Now players roll dice equal their Skill rating and keep as many dice (usually the highest rolled, 10's reroll and add) as they have in a Trait. All this is compared against a GM prepared Target Number or opposing Player's roll. This dramatically reduces the success ratio of the previous edition to a more "realistic" level (Roll Skill+Trait keep Trait). In addition initiative and duels systems have changed slightly. The changes to the game system are what overall makes the Second Edition a worthwhile purchase. More equity among characters and schools alongside a reasonable mechanic should make for a good combination.

The Book of Air focuses on Magic and Shugenja (Priests) in the game. There is a good deal of background which every aspiring player should read about how Shugenja are not spell throwing machines but keepers of a faith. The revised magic rules are better than in the previous edition where non-shugenja often claimed that their characters felt overshadowed by the titanic power of the Shugenja PC and their spells. Now it seems more a partnership where Bushi (Warrior), Courtier (Diplomat), and Shugenja require one another. It will be interesting to see what spell combinations rise up from these new rules.

The last section is the Appendix, which corresponds to the element of Void. And much like its namesake it blends the other sections together. It includes some fiction, tables from other books, and one of the best things I think about this book. There is a single page about each Clan and their Way of book from the first edition. They include some stats but leave enough unsaid so that those who spent $300.00 on the books aren't left holding the bag.

In summary I thought that the Second Edition was worth it. Of course there will be some who dislike the meta-plot in the game where the timeline has advanced and certain changes have occured. However I think that all the pieces necessary to ignore the changes are present and give a GM the flexibility to use what he needs and continue an ongoing campaign from the previous edition. I will probably run with this edition over the old one in any future L5R game I play.

Scott Coutcher
AKA Kakita Toshiro, Crane Clan Kenshinzen, awaiting the Test of the Emerald Champion

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

Legend of the Five Rings Player's Guide (Second Edition)
Author: Ree Soesbee Category: game Company/Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group Line: Legend of the Five Rings Cost: 29.95 Page count: 257 ISBN: 1-887953-18-3 SKU: AEG 3101 Capsule Review by Scott Coutcher on 12/21/00. Genre tags: Fantasy Asian/Far East	Having been a player of the Legend of the Five Rings RPG since a short while after its original release, a relatively new CCG player, and about to become involved in another ongoing game in the lands of Rokugan, it was with some trepidation that I purchased the new edition. Many rumors about this edition were circulating and it seemed an inauspicious beginning. But I have to admit that all the fears about ruining a good thing were quickly put away. The layout of the book is similar to the first edition with it being divided up into books based on the five Rokugani elements. It again works out well, and eases the reader into the complex game. Each Element section deals with an aspect of the RPG such as game mechanics, char-gen, and spells. Most are well written with only few minor problems and editorial mistakes. The Book of Earth details the lands of Rokugan and its culture. It is fairly detailed and a must read for the first time player. Those familiar to the game will not see many changes but the writing is fairly even and comprehensive. My only qualm was the fact that the Clan briefs are repeated, once in small form and again much longer towards the end. The first style was space better served elsewhere for more setting information or maps. The Book of Water lays out the character generation system and includes the customary glossy color pages for each Clan, Ronin, and Naga. The new system is different in that players have more points, 30, to spend on customization of skills and traits, but costs have been increased by a large margin (New Trait level x 3 for example). The playing field has been evened significantly by this and players of the old edition may find themselves wondering where all their points went quickly. Also each Clan of Rokugan has gained a new school and some of the existing schools have been modified. All of them are interesting in my opinion, with the exception of the Unicorn Shinjo Scout School which seemed like an afterthought. Also there are some errors in the section such as misprinting of the cost of Void. But still overall a good section. The Book of Fire covers the mechanics of the L5R RPG. And this is where the book diverges most from the previous edition. Now players roll dice equal their Skill rating and keep as many dice (usually the highest rolled, 10's reroll and add) as they have in a Trait. All this is compared against a GM prepared Target Number or opposing Player's roll. This dramatically reduces the success ratio of the previous edition to a more "realistic" level (Roll Skill+Trait keep Trait). In addition initiative and duels systems have changed slightly. The changes to the game system are what overall makes the Second Edition a worthwhile purchase. More equity among characters and schools alongside a reasonable mechanic should make for a good combination. The Book of Air focuses on Magic and Shugenja (Priests) in the game. There is a good deal of background which every aspiring player should read about how Shugenja are not spell throwing machines but keepers of a faith. The revised magic rules are better than in the previous edition where non-shugenja often claimed that their characters felt overshadowed by the titanic power of the Shugenja PC and their spells. Now it seems more a partnership where Bushi (Warrior), Courtier (Diplomat), and Shugenja require one another. It will be interesting to see what spell combinations rise up from these new rules. The last section is the Appendix, which corresponds to the element of Void. And much like its namesake it blends the other sections together. It includes some fiction, tables from other books, and one of the best things I think about this book. There is a single page about each Clan and their Way of book from the first edition. They include some stats but leave enough unsaid so that those who spent $300.00 on the books aren't left holding the bag. In summary I thought that the Second Edition was worth it. Of course there will be some who dislike the meta-plot in the game where the timeline has advanced and certain changes have occured. However I think that all the pieces necessary to ignore the changes are present and give a GM the flexibility to use what he needs and continue an ongoing campaign from the previous edition. I will probably run with this edition over the old one in any future L5R game I play. Scott Coutcher AKA Kakita Toshiro, Crane Clan Kenshinzen, awaiting the Test of the Emerald Champion Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Legend of the Five Rings Player's Guide (Second Edition)