Source book "Emerald Empire" preview

[Kai Kazegami 9]

"To serve the Tao is to serve the Empire. The one cannot be parted from the other, no more than the sea can be parted from the land."
   – The Tao of Shinsei

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/11/6/those-who-serve/

Edited November 6, 2018 by kai_kazegami
Fixing title

[Lorne 2,021]

Sendayo shite okane o toru!

[sndwurks 1,257]

Updated the index to reflect the newly spoiled school names.

[KveldUlfr 75]

I need that Kitsune info. I have a player for whom that will work perfectly.

[Horvagab 67]

Innnteresting about the Kitsune.

 

Also hoping to find some Cat clan info and rules, alongside other clans.

 

Curious what differentiates the two Miya schools, on the surface I don't see why both activities can't be done by one.

[Hida Jitenno 587]

The Otomo... Schemers.

Well, not everyone gets a cool school name, I suppose.

The hype is real though. I'm very much looking forward to this, especially the new titles.

[Tonbo Karasu 2,621]

I wonder what the 9th school is?

[Ultimatecalibur 597]

28 minutes ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

I wonder what the 9th school is?

I suspect that the 2nd Otomo school was accidentally deleted by an editing mistake.

[Tonbo Karasu 2,621]

2 minutes ago, Ultimatecalibur said:

I suspect that the 2nd Otomo school was accidentally deleted by an editing mistake.

What would it be?  The only thought that springs to mind is some sort of Imperial Magistrate school.

[UnitOmega 2,819]

FFG doesn't usually detail everything in a preview - it's probably not shocking or anything, just they pick one to hold back for later. A second Otomo school makes sense,  but you never know. 

[Shosur0 73]

The book sounds really nice if you like imperial families and for new players/GMs if you have doubts on cultural issues: law and order, court, etc. The thing that interests me the most is prolly the monk schools.

Wondering if they will make a Great Clans book with more schools, techniques, invocations, which would be really cool for players. Or if they will do like in Star Wars and release books focused on bushi, shugenja, monks, etc.

[UnitOmega 2,819]

15 minutes ago, Shosur0 said:

Wondering if they will make a Great Clans book with more schools, techniques, invocations, which would be really cool for players. Or if they will do like in Star Wars and release books focused on bushi, shugenja, monks, etc.

Been asking myself this question for a while. The announcement after EE will be telling on that front, I guess. 

[nameless ronin 706]

19 minutes ago, Shosur0 said:

The book sounds really nice if you like imperial families and for new players/GMs if you have doubts on cultural issues: law and order, court, etc. 

It's more than nice for people playing L5R for the first time. Right now they need to look at info from previous editions, because the core book doesn't offer much.

[Kai Kazegami 9]

I hope the PDF version comes out as soon as the print does, for us non-US dwellers.

[Shosur0 73]

19 minutes ago, nameless ronin said:

It's more than nice for people playing L5R for the first time. Right now they need to look at info from previous editions, because the core book doesn't offer much.

Its exactly what I meant. I have 3 editions of the game with tons of books about customs, geography (heck I even have the Atlas)... so I guess this is a very much needed book for new players/gms. For ppl like me well it does offer new schools I guess, but Im eager to know what other products are incoming.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Shosur0

[Franwax 386]

So... no luck for the Bayushi bushi yet I guess... *sad face*

[TechnoGolem 223]

Is there a release date for this book?

[nameless ronin 706]

1 hour ago, TechnoGolem said:

Is there a release date for this book?

FFG doesn't give definitive release dates. You basically just have the upcoming products page (https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/upcoming/) to give an indication. 

[UnitOmega 2,819]

48 minutes ago, nameless ronin said:

FFG doesn't give definitive release dates.

This is because FFG is smart, and you never know when a boat full of X-Wing will sink. 

[TheHobgoblyn 355]

It sounds like I will be much happier with the way the Imperial Families are handled than I initially feared. Other than the Seppun Palace Guard, they aren't "these guys are only found in the Imperial Palace".

Cartographers are clearly going to be traveling, "Schemer" is broad enough that I suppose it could apply to everything from a tax collector to a marriage arranger to a court recorder to a librarian, I am happy they went with Astrologer instead of Hidden Guard.

The only concerning one is "Palace Guard" since it specifies a specific location. Is one still a "Palace Guard" if they are guarding a monastery or the magistrate for an unaligned village/city?

One could argue that the Imperials are getting 1 too many schools, but the Seppun Palace Guard I imagine stands in for the Hantei school.

Though I am surprised there is no additional school for each of the Great Clans and there are no schools for the Minor Clans even though the Tortoise Clan and Mantis Clan ones have already been released.

[Magnus Grendel 11,691]

The option of a Kitsune PC - the spirit, not the clan - is an interesting one.

[Horvagab 67]

Hm... not sure about the 9th school, but perhaps another ronin school, for ronin born and raised in the Way of the Wolf?

 

Also, this probably means that Minor clan stuff is going to be another book, or downloadable DLC perhaps?

[Magnus Grendel 11,691]

23 minutes ago, Horvagab said:

Hm... not sure about the 9th school, but perhaps another ronin school, for ronin born and raised in the Way of the Wolf?

 

Also, this probably means that Minor clan stuff is going to be another book, or downloadable DLC perhaps?

To date, they've followed the 'standard' rules for FFG's newer RPGs:

• Starter Box
• Core Book
• GM's Kit

and then 'sourcebooks'.

What we don't know yet is how they're planning to slice up the sourcebooks: fire/water/etc, courtier/bushi/etc, or crane/lion/etc

Now, this could be just a setting sourcebook akin to The Achillus Assault or Rise of the Empire, but given the sheer number of schools mentioned, this looks like it is essentially the "Imperial Families" book. Which makes sense since the Imperial Families are essentially absent from the core book, but putting it in the setting book gives people who don't want to play Seppun a reason to buy it.

SWRPG and Dark Heresy 1.0 splits up its sourcebooks by careers. Dark Heresy splits them by enemy types.

I'd imagine, following their standard format, the 'next' big thing is likely to be an adventure book.

[nameless ronin 706]

58 minutes ago, Horvagab said:

Also, this probably means that Minor clan stuff is going to be another book, or downloadable DLC perhaps?

Whoa, whoa, I want my dead tree stuff. DLC is ok for small extras, not for sourcebooks.

[EternalKeeper 8]

1 hour ago, Magnus Grendel said:

To date, they've followed the 'standard' rules for FFG's newer RPGs:

• Starter Box
• Core Book
• GM's Kit

and then 'sourcebooks'.

What we don't know yet is how they're planning to slice up the sourcebooks: fire/water/etc, courtier/bushi/etc, or crane/lion/etc

Now, this could be just a setting sourcebook akin to The Achillus Assault or Rise of the Empire, but given the sheer number of schools mentioned, this looks like it is essentially the "Imperial Families" book. Which makes sense since the Imperial Families are essentially absent from the core book, but putting it in the setting book gives people who don't want to play Seppun a reason to buy it.

SWRPG and Dark Heresy 1.0 splits up its sourcebooks by careers. Dark Heresy splits them by enemy types.

I'd imagine, following their standard format, the 'next' big thing is likely to be an adventure book.

Likely they are gonna make the supplements per Clan. More books to be made that way with special careers, Vassal Families, techniques and such, and then possibly do something based on each Ring like in 4e.