Review of GM’s Survival Guide

I've grumbled in past reviews about a trend in L5R RPG supplements to be long on background stories and general 'chrome', but short on usable material. I've also felt that some were put out by a firm which realised it had hooked its target market, with an excellent system and, above all, splendid gameworld, and perhaps could afford to pad out a bit and let a few standards (ideas, writing, proofreading) slip. It's wonderful to see my concerns about the GM's Survival Guide come to naught: this is back to L5R RPG as it should be: inventive, dense with both ideas and background flavour, and suffused with the sort of 'sense of wonder' Rokugan can and should provide.

It advertises itself as 'over 1001 tips, hints, answers and options'. I'm not (quite) so sad as to stop and count, but I can well believe it. Inside the book is everything from direct game information (such as a handy compilation of all the skills, including ones from the Clan books) through to background information (what do people eat? and how do people address each other?). There are also GM's tips, which can so often be worthy but routine, yet in this case are much more clearly linked to Rokugan and the distinctive style of L5R. In what will also probably be another crowd-pleaser, there is a section of using the CCG in the RPG, whether as an adventure generator or as a visual aid in play. Even the random encounter/motivation/etc tables, something I usually despise, are often unusual (one to determine what NPCs are doing when encountered, for example) and/or full of interesting ideas (how about gifts your daimyo may give you?).

In fact, there is so much here that this review is going to be perversely short. Frankly, I either go through every in and out of this rich and varied book, or else I just stick to the basic point: this is a positive treasury of goodies for the L5R GM, the connoisseur of Rokugan or just a roleplayer who wants to read something different and interesting. You don't have to use everything here – AEG are not One True Wayers, a point Jim Pinto emphasises, and you probably couldn't use everything here in less than years of play. But you won't fail to learn from and enjoy it.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)