If you hit, all bullets hit.
Not much spray and pray there in my eyes.

Of course. But I meant that it's a much more useful weapon to lay down cover fire than shooting 15 bullets in a 10cm circle.

Unles you are using Suppressive Fire.

Or a wide burst

I've read further into the flavor text and it felt a bit forced to me :\
However, it's a personal opinion and it's not badly written.
The cyber suites are really nice and I liked the suggestions of 'synergy ware'.
Any thoughts on the above questions?

Sorry guys, been having some cookie/password/login issues from hopping from my home PC to my home laptop to my smartphone to my (finally, three weeks into the semester) work PC. I missed that whole line of questions!

1) Street Ninja's a typo. That sentence was supposed to be pulled in the final edit pass, and wasn't. It's not supposed to be able to be taken multiple times, that note just somehow got missed in our last clean-up.
2) Yeah. If it's an implanted cut-you-upper, it should count for Ronin.
3) The Ronin discount works just like Biocompatability. We're not out to screw folks for already having their characters made, so (personally) I'd have it retroactively apply.
4) It's not really a skill bonus so much as a rules modifier. Normally you half the skill to determine how long you can aim; this removes the "half the skill" part, when you're doing the math. You're not actually getting a skill increase, you're just allowed to aim twice as long as someone without it.
5) It's intended to be ranks in the skill groups themselves (to reflect the broad training and general competence required), but if someone where to (for whatever reason) have each skill within a group, individually (maybe they just really like specializations or something), that would/should still be kosher. If you get Firearms up to 4 and then split it after the fact, you don't (actually) LOWER your effective Firearms Group. Hit/meet that threshold of skill-groupiness, and you're good to go.

Thanks for the clarification, Critias

In regards to the sharpshooter skill bonus, I meant the infiltration bonus, not the thing with aiming. Sorry for the confusion.
Too bad though, would have liked to stack some of those bonuses

I think I would treat the retroactive part as an "essence hole", rather than actually restoring Essence to the character.

Yeah, Essence (spent) wouldn't just lower; it'd be the same as getting Alpha or Beta-grade stuff, pulling some cyberware out, etc, etc. Essence hole, absolutely.

Sorry, havent had time to search the whole thread yet (stupid work) but I just wanted to field a suggestion for Bushido.

I am having my players read some of the fluff and mechanics for Bushido in L5R. Thats about the best explanation I have seen for it in a very long time.

Just a heads up for possible resource information.

Good Luck and Aim True!

I don't think I'd go that far. Seems a bit much for a Street Sam to be acting like an Akodo.

See thats just it, I am giving them an extreme guideline, and I want to see where they go with it. Some will be less, some will be more, and (of course) the Clans have their own tinting to how they view Bushido, but the basic code remains the same. Yes, an Akodo will tend to be brash and fearless, and a Scorpion will only follow Bushido while your looking, but if they dig in to all the clans (and i do have all the clan books, lol) I think it will enrich the game that much more. But, like I said, that is an extreme. And of course, we know that NO ONE on dumpshock likes to go to extrememes! muahahahah.

Tsk, tsk. A Scoprion ALWAYS follows Bushido ... even when he isn't.

The trick with L5R is, each of the clans has latched onto ONE of the tenets, as being the central and most important tenet there is.

For the scorpions, that's Loyalty. Out of loyalty to the empire, they will (and have!) sacrifice everything, even their own honor. Every other tenet of bushido can and will be offered up on the altar of Loyalty by the Scorpions.

...

While I wouldn't trust a Scorpion personally, not even a hairs-breadth ... when it came to being loyal to the Empire? I'd trust the least-reputable Scorpion, before I'd trust the Emperor himself.

Yes Indeed...

So they are . . like . . angry marines? O.o

No, less like marines, more like CIA/NSA/etc guys: willing to break as many eggs as they must, in order to make that omelette.

They will make any sacrifice, if they believe it is necessary for the Empire as a whole.

The trick is, what they see as necessary, isn't always what anyone (or everyone) else sees as necessary. And somtimes, even with the best and most loyal of intentions, they make mistakes (like assassinating the last Hantei Emperor - which, it turns out, didn't STOP the prophecy they were privy to, it CAUSED it ... opening the door to Fu Leng, the incarnation of evil and singular enemy of the Empire, to secretly take over).

Okay, gotcha. Though I'd more see most SR Street Samurai being more like Hida or Hiruma.



Trust a Scorpion, and you deserve the ninja-to you get in your kidney soon after.


Though, I must admit, I do for the most part agree with both of your assertions about the clans. Seems like we might actually be able to 'get along' in an L5R game.

Horrible NSFW link to the "Angry Marines"

Oh, but I do trust Scorpions. All of them, unhesitatingly.

...

... I trust them to do what they think is in the best interests of the Empire, and absent such concerns, in the best interests of their Clan. As long as they see me as neither an obstacle, nor a potential tool ... I'm perfectly safe.

What I do not do, is trust them to be my friend and ally "no matter what". The moment that friendship with me must be sacrificed for Loyalty, for Duty? Poof, sacrificed.

If I keep that in mind - and, as subtly as I am able, make sure s/he knows I am doing so? I expect things to go along rather swimmingly most or even all of the time.


At least in how we view the Clans, and Bushido as filtered through each of their lenses, probably yes.

Personally, I'd rather the Scorpion see me as a potential tool. So long as he thinks that, I'm probably pretty safe (at least from dying), as they're not really in the business of destroying potential tools before they have a chance to use them.

Guy in my group played a Shosuro Actor once who actually sold his own sister into sex slavery and gave the heart of the other sister to a Khadi...all for gaining more power and influence himself.

On the other hand, I'm not sure the word "friend" is mentioned anywhere in the Bushido, whatever the clan.

Not mentioned anywhere, no, but if you have a Matsu or Akodo call you friend, they're not gonna betray you. The Bayushi might if it suits his purposes.

Actually, no. If you are truly a friend to Bayushi, he will never betray you. No matter what.
But how did the discussion turn to L5R?

Well, I see a gap between "betraying" and "sacrificing for Loyalty, for Duty".

Depends on the Bayushi...

Someone mentioned that they used the Bushido descriptions in the L5R books to show to Street Sam players.


Personally, I don't play Scorpion. I'm not really capable of being underhanded enough to pull one off right. My favorite clans to play are Lion, Crane and Unicorn.

I prefer Crane First, and then Scorpion Second.

Unicorn, Crab, or someone from a Minor, for me.

Hmmmmm... Unicorn and Crab are my LEAST favorites, though I do like the Minor Clans a bit.

An L5R discussion in an SR product discussion thread. I love Dumpshock.

Phoenix for me, though I started under the Toturi's Army banner. Haven't played since the "4 Winds" arc was current....

well said. I am reminded of the tale of the various clan nobles sitting around arguing about which one had a more loyal retinue, scorpion proposed a test to see who would follow orders most unflinchingly, upon the agreement of the others, he turned to his bodyguard and said "kill me"

Phoenix for me, though that's the card game. Screw Unicorn and their horses. Horses are OP.

Was an Awesome Story... Still one of my favorites.

"My name is Bayushi Aramaro. The Scorpion thank you for the return of their lands, my lord." Total badass line. Not a fan of the Scorpion, but can still appreciate an exceptional warrior.

Sounds like someone got trounced a few too many times by the awesome Unicorn cavalry



I will admit, I do like to play Hiruma Bushi at times. I'm just not a big fan of their other families.

Sadly, the second-to-last game of L5R I was in (a PbP), the GM shared Ggodo's opinion of horses/cavalry. I had a very young Moto ... and got blindsided by the GM bringing miniatures wargaming into the combat - making me stop right next to the enemy, instead of the over-run that should have happened when three bushi are on the receiving end of a mounted, Lance-wielding Samurai who had been directed to wear his armor that day, and had a sixty or seventy yard running start.

...

The last one, the GM just faded away on us. Darned shame too, I had an Iron Crane courtier build ... would have been VERY fun ...

You're making really want to make another Matsu Berserker... Those are fun as heck to play

Incidently, if none of you lot have picked up the latest (4th edition) of L5R, you should. It's just fantastic, top to bottom. (Crane loyalist here, mind you.)

I'm only missing (at last check) two books for the latest edition of L5R--Book of Earth and the Second City Box Set.

Hmm, I may have to pick up the core book, then, if it's that good, Wakshaani. I've only got Third, plus the Four Winds and Masters of the Court supplements.

I might even try running a game of it for some friends.

It's good, yeah. Free Raises are a lot less common coming from Techniques (or just about anything) and raw bonuses to rolls pretty much went the way of the dodo, but now Healthy is the big wound rank instead of Out and emphases allow re-rolling of 1s if a skill is used within that specialty. Void now costs New Rating x 6 to raise since raising it is quicker Insight than other attributes.

I was amazed by the quality of the prints. But a bit disappointed by the story. Didn't like the whole Vacant Throne arc and that suddenly gods decided to reign in.

The artwork in the L5R books is second to none. No offense to the Catalyst crew, but, e-GADS can L5R deliver the goods.

The rules are super-simplified, taking up, what, ten, twenty pages tops? It's the schools and spells that eat up most of the book, but the core combat rules are *teensy* and easy to learm. The Second City Boxed Set is probably the single best suppliment for a game I've picked up since the big Shadowrun box for Runner's Tollkit. Yeah, it's like 80 bucks, but the thing is chock full of STUFF, from NPCs to plot devices to a GM screen that can stop bullets, and worth every penny.

Big fan.

Yeah, I was amazed with the bulk of printed character sheets in the box. The last thing I expected to be there

Back to topic, please.

Yes. Exactly.



My instinct is to say "yeah, go crazy" but the truth is, these are all optional rules. You've got to ask your GM to make a ruling. Sorry, chummer.



The availability, at least, is intentional. I took Suite Availability = Highest Avail of Individual 'Ware In Suite as more of a guideline than a high rule. That one intentionally gives you a bit of an Availability discount, although Avail 20 isn't much less impossible for most people to procure than Avail 22.

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize this thread was about L5R now. *doesn't know anything about L5R. *shuts up*

Thanks for answering my questions

Oh, about the nanocybernetics thing...not entirely sure what you mean by the "nanocybernetic equivalents", but I tried to stay away from nanoware when I could. The rules (implicitly, if not explicitly) state that cyberware suites allow cyberware, not bioware. I felt that nanoware was a gray area, and therefore I was hesitant to include too much of it except when the nanoware was clearly delineated as cyberware. Also, the suites were specifically not designed to be optimized.

I meant the "Voice Mimic" and "Retinal Adjusters" nanocybernetics.

This isn't a bump or necromancy since it's still a sticky, and I just wanted to holler to the fans -- the other "Way of" book, WotAdept, hit Platinum over on drivethru, a couple days ago. Only about 60 books ever do that, .22% of their stuff hits that top tier. Thanks, SR fans. Y'all kick ass.

Totally Awesome, Critias...
Still working at getting the New WotSamurai Book. Hopefully soon (I am so far behind on my e-book purchases).