Alternative version of L5R ?

Hi everyone,

Anyone would be interested in a game in the world of Rokugan, from Legend of the Five Rings ? I'm still working on my system (full custom), and i want it a lot easier than the Roll & Keep, even though i keep some similarities. I tend to prefer more narrative games over a full complex game's system.

I have a friend who wants to play it with me, she will join us soon, so one place is already filled. I suppose i could go with her only if no one is interested, but if any of you wants to be part of that game, i think i could welcome up to 5 players ?

For the record, i have my own vision of that world, it may be somewhat different from the original setting.
So yes, Crab, Crane, and Lion's Clans have deep strained relationships. Yes, the Scorpion's Clan is the official asshole of the empire.
Yes, Dragon and Phoenix' Clans are definitely mysterious, and nearly no one in the empire likes the Unicorn's citizens.
And of course, Fu Leng's Shadowland army can be a pain in the ass.

But maybe things are not exactly what it seems. Still working on my scenarii too, i have to gather my ideas.

So just checking if anyone would be interested.

I could give this a whirl although I have to admit I have not played this in a loooong while so do not recall much of it

No worry about that, like i said, it's a full custom version, so it doesn't matter if you don't recall much of it.

Okay so what version of L5R will be running?

About the system, i'm designing it. It will surely be something like the score of 1 attribute with the score of 1 skill, added with 1D10 (chosen within a pool of dice).

And to that, the Aspects' part of Fate will be at the core of the characters.

About the setting, i'm not sure yet. Maybe we will go from the 1st version background, or maybe we'll go for the Day of Thunder.
But anyway, before the Scorpion's Coup.

You are designing the the system? Hmm okay I see it now - working on my system (full custom) - I misunderstood that bit. Alright well cannot say I am interested in testing a new system at this time so good luck in your game.

Hey, I don’t know anything about L5R, but it sounds like your home brew is kinda like I’m doing in my 5e and pseudo-pathfinder games! If people don’t need background knowledge, I’m intrigued. They just cancelled school for 3 weeks so I’ve got time to do the leg work to start something new. Keep us posted!

Color me interested. I've been playing from 1st to 3rd edition revised and I'm always up to help a fellow gamer playtest his stuff.

The "Roll & Keep" is a great system in itself, I appreciate the way it can be explained (You take what you are able to do, you add what you know about the action, and you keep it in the borders of what you can do). But it's a full simulation system.

For me, that causes a few issues.

First, when i started to be a GM, i had a problem with a player and i didn't know how to deal with that. Basically, he was all over the game, stepping over other players, and being all the time OOC. And he was always arguing over rules and system.
5 players around the table, and he alone counted for 4 more.
One of my conclusions from that was "i'm the one who makes the rules, we can discuss it before or after, but not while playing".

Second, i have a friend who is a real specialist with explosive throws. And i really mean it. I saw him taking 15 minutes to throw his dice on an Anima's game, and he made a 15k damage throw, while being level 2, against a wind god (he made 150 throws). And i saw him do that a lot of times. As for me, i want to focus on the story and the characters, the system is here to support that and resolve actions, fast and direct.

Third point, i want a direct reading, and i think the result of the character's action shouldn't depend entirely on a die. As a player, it has always frustrated me to think the result of the action wasn't, for the most part, my responsibilty. For the record, i'm deeply thinking of Shadowrun when saying that (The more you rise, the more dice you throw. But a success is ALWAYS 5 or 6, and that NEVER changes).

Last point, i mastered an Assassin's Creed game of my own a few years ago. I wanted it so that my resolution table allows me to simulate both obstacles and opponents, and both their lifetimes. Especially, if i need to create a new npc, and to make him act immediately, that system is designed so that i don't have to write a full character sheet.
If you are a bit familiar with the resolution's system of the "Play By The Apocalypse" games, my table is exactly the same concept, but a bit more expanded. Which surprised me a lot because we got to the same conclusion on our own (i read the Apocalypse only a few weeks ago, i was looking for ideas about world's creation concepts with players).

All that made me create my own system, based on that specific table, which i can adjust given the world i'm mastering to if needed, but the core concepts are always the same.
Here's an example of that table, for a previous setting (FF10).
Fate Core helped me evolve that system to a more generic version.

And doing so, it's a lot easier for me to put that system around a world.

Sorry to have taken a bit of time to answer you DeJoker, I just saw your edit. Ok then.

@lavtodd: I plan to post here (on this site I mean) what it's needed to know about rokugan's history and cultures, so no problem at all.

@Kalajel my pleasure then, I'll appreciate the help for the world's part if I'm wrong about something.

@lavtodd & Kalajel: I'll give you news then :)

I get what you mean Delio. I'm seeing some crazy dice explosion in my RL Atomic Highway game, and we're only using D6s. But anyways, my main gripe with the R&K system of L5R, at least concerning my own personal experience, is that no one ever raises, ever.

@lavtodd & @kalajel you said you were interested, are you still ? If yes, would you mind giving me a feedback on the pdf linked ?
I just ended writing it down, and i would like feedback about the system. That way, you could tell me if you're still up to it with that system of mine ?

If anyone else wants to look a bit to that system, and then to give me feedback, i'd appreciate too.

PDF of the book, world and rules.
PDF of the character sheet.

To get back to the topic of the role part itself, i'm thinking to make a campaign for 7 players, one character of each major clan.
The initial pitch is that the Emerald Champion died of old age, and a tournament is organized to find his suitable successor. Every Samurai is free to take a chance, if he/she thinks he/she can handle it.
About the situation in the Empire. The war against Shadowlands is putting pressure on the Kaiu Wall, but for now, it's good.
The old Ki-Rin new Unicorn Clan has come back, but most of Rokugan is hostile to them, thinking they are invaders barbarians.
Moreover, Lion and Crane Clans show tensions at their border, while Phoenix and Dragon try their best to promote diplomatic understanding.
That new tournament is so the good opportunity to settle things peacefully, or we can hope so at least.

Thank you in advance,

Yeah, I'm still interested.

Great, i send you an invite :)