Naked Steel

Before we look at things in the pipeline, let me share some unfortunate news with you. This will be the final installment of Naked Steel. There are a lot of reasons that this is the case, the time constraints under which I frequently find myself being one of the most pressing, but the single most significant one is this: I no longer have the degree of involvement in the L5R RPG that I once did. For years I have been intrinsically involved in every aspect of the process, but that simply isn’t the case any longer. My duties within the company have changed and, to be truthful, my own independent publishing endeavors have eaten into the time that I once spent designing L5R.

It’s a difficult decision to make, more so than you know. I have been working on L5R since something like 1998, and the 4th Edition of the core book is something that I worked on from the ground up, alongside with my friends Rob Hobart and Brian Yoon. Leaving it behind is painful, and I hope that I can continue to aid Rob in his capacity as the Lead Designer / Producer for the line. But for now, I can not in good conscience continue a column whose purpose it is to give you insights into the design process when I myself have only a minimal involvement in said process. It seems… dishonest? I’m not sure that’s the word I should use, but that’s what I’m going with for now.

That’s heavy, isn’t it? Let’s look at something more entertaining.

The Book of the Void is the next book coming up, and it’s one I actually got to work on, which is a nice change of pace for me. I’ve shared information about the chapter I worked on in the past, though, so I thought that this time I’d give you some insight into one of the parts of the book that I found the most interesting. No surprise here, but it was written by Rob, so I think you’ll really dig it. It’s one of the things we get asked about most frequently, and one of the things that has, in past editions, provoked the most conversation and debate. Let’s have a look at… multi-elemental spells.

Casting Multi-Element Spells
Any Multi-Element spell will list which Elements it uses (typically two). A shugenja who casts a Multi-Element spell makes a Spell-Casting Roll as normal, but the following constraints apply:

• The shugenja always uses the lowest Ring Rank of the Elements within the spell.
• The casting time for the spell is increased by one Complex Action over the normal casting time for a spell of that Mastery Level.
• The shugenja does not gain any benefit from having an Affinity with any of the Elements in the spell. However, any penalty for Deficiency still applies.
• The spell expends a Spell Slot in each of its Elements. Thus, a spell which is Air/Fire will expend both an Air slot and a Fire slot each time it is cast.

The Six Universal Multi-Element Spells
These spells were devised by the Agasha and then shared with all eight of the Great Clans. They can be found in the libraries of all the major shugenja families, although some of the clans do not see them as much more than curiosities (the Crab and Lion have seen little value in pursuing further Multi-Element magic.

Air and Earth
Ring/Mastery: Air/Earth 3
Range: Self
Areas of Effect: 5’ radius around caster
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Area of Effect (+5’ radius per Raise), Damage (+1k0 per Raise)
This spell causes a ferocious wind to whirl around the caster, ripping up pieces of earth that join the miniature hurricane. The caster must be standing on a natural earth surface (e.g. not in a building or on a ship) in order to cast this spell. Anyone other than the caster within the area of effect takes 2k2 Wounds (this damage is considered Jade for the purpose of harming supernatural creatures) and must make a Contested Earth roll against the caster or be knocked Prone and Dazed.

Advanced Multi-Element Spells
These spells have been developed by specific shugenja families, and in general should only be available to characters from those families/clans, and only as special rewards for notable service. The GM can make exceptions if it fits the story, of course, but in general such spells should never be acquired as normal “ranking up” effects.

Cleansing the Body
Ring/Mastery: Earth/Water 3
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: 1 target person (can be the caster)
Duration: Instantaneous/24 hours (see description)
Raises: Area of Effect (+1 person per two Raises)

The only known Multi-Element spell created by the Kuni family, this spell calls on both the simple cleansing of Water and the spiritual purity of Earth to help protect against both physical and spiritual pollution. A person targeted with this spell is instantly cleansed of all dirt and filth, and gains a +2k1 bonus to any roll made within the next 24 hours to resist or recover from disease, poison, or infection. Moreover, if the target does not have the Shadowlands Taint, the spell grants a +1k1 bonus to any rolls made to resist getting the Taint within that same 24 hour period. (This benefit does not work on a target who already has at least one Rank of Taint.) This spell cannot be “stacked” – that is, a single person can only benefit from one casting of the spell within a 24-hour period.

It’s been a lot of fun, having conversations with you guys about this. I’ve learned a lot during the course of this column, and I want to thank you all for that. It’s made my job easier and more interesting, and I hope that in the future I can find another way to have more similar conversations with the rest of you, whether it’s about L5R, Thunderscape, or some other endeavor.

May the Divine Empress smile on your journeys.

Shawn Carman
L5R Lead Writer