Critiques/Feedback/Suggestions

[Vutall]

Always open to hearing what our players think of things, so please post your (polite) critiques, feedback, and suggestions about stuff here!

[Vutall]

I spent quite a while tonight on discord in discussion with folks about why Craft skills have all been moved to Artisan. A very valid question and I welcome people to discuss such things!

So here is the main reason in my head: Everything a samurai creates is art, and thus, I moved it all to artisan.

We can break it down a bit further as well:

In the craft subskills, there are more skills listed that would be art than not:

Artsy skills:
Armorsmithing#, Blacksmithing, Bowyer#, Brewing, Carpentry, Cartography, Cobbling, Cooking, Pottery, Shipbuilding, Tailoring, Weaponsmithing#, Weaving

Non-artsy skills:
Farming, Fishing, Mining, Poison

So, if I moved everything that is artsy to artisan, but left the non-artsy ones as Craft, we now have a very small pool of as written skills for Craft, making it super hard to use effectively for things that target Craft specifically.

Yes, you can absolutely do Blacksmithing in a Non-Artsy way, but by the way the fluff has been written for L5R, a samurai really...wouldn't. They arn't going to spend their day creating horseshoes, a peasant would do that (Unless you are a Sparrow...but they are an exception )

For mechanics:
Anything that referenced Craft or Artisan applies to Artisan now, rolling them into one.

Engineering, which says: " Engineering is considered a Craft Skill for the purposes of effects that target Craft Skills." still has that as written, so if an advantage said it benefited Craft Skills, it would benefit Engineering, but if an advantage said it benefited Artisan skills, it would NOT benefit Engineering.

The Kakita and Shiba Artisan schools work as they are written, just have broader skills that they can be applied to, since everything is now Artisan.

The Togashi Chronicler school works as written, but keep in mind the sentence "you must spend time working alongside the peasants at humble tasks " So, while yes, Ikebana would TECHNICALLY apply, since all craft skills are gone and everything is considered artisan, but ask yourself Why would peasants be working on Ikebana? It needs to fluff wise match up.

Hope that helps! If there are any more questions about the Artisan/Craft change/errata, I am more than happy to discuss it all!

EDIT:
Also, remember that this game is using 5th edition as the lore/base, but 4th edition mechanics. In 5th ed, here is what they define Artisan as:

Artisan Skill Group
Artisan skills are seen as the noblest pursuits in Rokugan, and they are generally only practiced by the highest elements of the social strata. While many have little utility in day-to-day life—or perhaps because of this fact—these arts are a means of acquiring and leveraging important social currency in the courts of Rokugan. Writing a poem that stirs the hearts of its readers or restoring an ancient sword used by a hero of old can have a profound effect on others.

Artisan Skills:
Aesthetics
Art has been expected to be half of a samurai’s pursuits since the founding of the Empire. An appreciation and understanding of art is so ingrained in a samurai’s training that to look upon a work and not be moved is, to the samurai, a sure sign of barbarianism, a charge that bestows great shame upon those who bear it. The more martial clans understand that art is essential for clearing a warrior’s mind and reminding them of life while so often surrounded by death. The Aesthetics skill covers activities that create non-utilitarian visual art, such as bonsai (trimming plants to encourage their growth in an artistic fashion), ikebana (flower arrangement), origami, painting, and rock gardening. Such arts serve a deeply important role in the courts of Rokugan, and any courtier is expected to have an understanding of their principles, techniques, and guiding philosophies. By understanding a work of art, one can gain insight into its creator, and that insight can be invaluable in pursuing political agendas and court intrigue alike.
--POSSIBLE AESTHETICS SUBSKILLS
Bonsai (Tree Pruning), Drawing, Ikebana (Flower Arrangement), Kodo (Fragrances), Painting, Origami, Rock Gardening, Sculpture, Woodblock Prints

Composition
Almost all samurai are literate, for holding nearly any office, bureaucratic or military, requires the ability to read and write. Thus, while not all samurai explore the finer points of wordsmithing, literature is an elevated art in Rokugan. Courtly samurai are expected to know dozens of classic poems by heart and grasp literary allusions that can provide important subtext in conversation. The best poets compose in the moment, with every sentence they speak layered with meaning. Haiku, a three-line poem with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, then five in the last, is one of the most popular forms of poetry in Rokugan. Writers often use it to describe a moment in time, from the first snowflake seen in winter to a moment of tranquility by a pond. Others practice different forms of poetry, including longer poems and competitions of linked poems traded back and forth, or write prose in the form of travel diaries, philosophical essays, and even fantastical tales. Literature allows a character to create powerful compositions that sway readers and to understand the literary devices and allusions that underlie such influential works. Additionally, the aesthetics of calligraphy are important to many writers in Rokugan, so Composition also governs the act of putting words on a surface in ink in a pleasing way.
--POSSIBLE COMPOSITION SUBSKILLS
Calligraphy, Essays, Poetry, Monogatari (Narrative Literature), Nikki Bungaku (Travel Diaries)

Design
Presentation matters. At court, it is often said that beautiful looks reflect a beautiful soul, and also whispered that one whose soul is corrupt will display physical signs of that corruption. Despite wiser words on the subject by Shinsei and other sages, a skilled samurai who dresses shabbily will often be seen as lesser than the barely competent one who is well dressed. Design covers the act of making clothes for times of peace and formal occasions. After all, arms and armor are not appropriate for all situations in a samurai’s life, much as some individuals might lament this reality. However, that does not mean that a samurai attending court can afford to choose their garments with any less care than when they take to the battlefield. Carefully selected clothes and adornments are vital weapons and armor to courtiers, allowing them to send subtle signals to others and avoid humiliation at the hands of enemies. Thus, the creation, maintenance, and assessment of clothing is an important field of expertise, allowing a character to create and improve on items worn in many formal situations
--POSSIBLE DESIGN SUBSKILLS
Hair Styling, Jewelry, Layering (of Clothing), Makeup, Weaving

Smithing
Samurai are warriors, and even their arts are influenced by war. The Smithing skill covers the creation of arms and armor for ceremonial and battlefield use. Many samurai go into battle wielding armor and weaponry that are stunning works of art in their own right. The finest armor and weapons—especially the daishō—are created with an eye toward both use and aesthetic, as they will be in service for centuries. They must reflect the influence and wealth of the family that owns them, for the sword is said to be the outward manifestation of the samurai’s soul. Ruling families have weapons hundreds of years old, displayed in a place of honor as a living reminder of each family’s history. The Phoenix and Crane are famous for the beauty of their work, while the Crab blades are known for durability and effectiveness. Those rare creations worked by a Kakita smith are widely acknowledged to be the greatest of all.
--POSSIBLE SMITHING SUBSKILLS
Armorsmithing, Bowmaking, Swordsmithing


Where as on the other side:
Trade Skills
Trade skills are the means by which most people of the Emerald Empire make their livelihoods. These skills of the common people are looked down upon by some samurai, but they are obviously vital to the continued existence of the Empire and its ruling class.

Commerce

Labor
Shinsei spoke highly of the simple virtues of manual work, and while most samurai (and most peasants, for that matter) disagree with his glowing assessment, none can deny that society’s existence requires a great deal of backbreaking labor on somebody’s part. From farming to construction to simple ditch-digging, countless tasks must be completed for the Emerald Empire to continue functioning. The skills in the Labor skill group are all complicated areas of expertise in their own right, even if samurai tend to look askance at them as fields of study. Farmers know a great deal of their fields, potters of their art, and smiths of metallurgy, even if they are not revered by the ruling class for the mastery they achieve. Those skilled in labor are those who know the most efficient ways of performing their duties, as well as how to effectively use the tools of their trade.
--POSSIBLE LABOR SUBSKILLS
Agriculture, Construction

Seafaring

Skullduggery

Survival

[Vutall]

Adjusted the Yogo Preserver School

Old:

Techniques

Rank 1: Shikigami Creator
You may create Shikigami, which are small origami paper dolls. In order to do so, you must spend a spell slot and make a Craft:Shikigami/Intelligence roll with a TN of 20. A Shikigami has 1 in all skills and rings except Void. They have an Earth 1 for wounds (regardless of Earth ring), a TN of 10 (Regardless of Reflexes). and a damage of 1k1. They may wield Small weapons. You may spend additional spell slots to increase the ring of the Shikigami that matches the spell slot spent by +1. There is no limit to how many spell slots you can expend. Once created, Shikigami will do whatever you instruct them to do, but you must be within 100ft of them, or they die, leaving behind a simple paper doll. You may have a number of Shikigami equal to your School Rank. You not lose honor for using a Low skill. You gain a free raise on spells with the Illusion keyword.

New:
Techniques

Rank 1: Shikigami Creator
You may create Shikigami, which are small origami paper dolls. In order to do so, you must spend a spell slot and make a Craft:Shikigami/Intelligence roll with a TN of 20. A Shikigami has 1 in all skills and rings except Void. They have an Earth 1 for wounds (regardless of Earth ring), a TN of 10 (Regardless of Reflexes). and a damage of 1k1. They may wield Small weapons. You may spend additional spell slots (Except Void) to increase the ring of the Shikigami that matches the spell slot spent by +1. The limit to the number of spell slots you may expend in this manner is equal to your school rank per ring. Once created, Shikigami will do whatever you instruct them to do, but you must be within 100ft of them, or they die, leaving behind a simple paper doll. You may have a number of Shikigami equal to your School Rank. While you have Shikigami alive, you do not regain the spell slots used during its creation. You not lose honor for using a Low skill. You gain a free raise on spells with the Illusion keyword.

[Vutall]

After discussion on Discord, added the following to the rules section:

• All schools that have the [Shinobi] tag gain the ability to make Attacks as a Simple Action when they reach School Rank 3 when utilizing weapons with the Ninja tag. When a character makes two Simple attacks in a turn, they must call two Raises for no further effect on their second attack or the attack will automatically fail.This does not apply to the Extra Attack Maneuver bonus attack.

• All schools that have the [Monk] tag gain the ability to make Attacks as a Simple Action when they reach School Rank 3 when utilizing the following weapons: Unarmed, Improvised Weapons, Bo Staff, Jo Staff , Sang Kuaw, Three-Section Staff, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Bisento. When a character makes two Simple attacks in a turn, they must call two Raises for no further effect on their second attack or the attack will automatically fail.This does not apply to the Extra Attack Maneuver bonus attack.
  Note: Kaito Shine Keepers add Yumi to the list of weapons above.

-Removed the ability for Shugenja to purchase Kiho (though if they buy the friend of the brotherhood advantage, they can)

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

All schools that have the [Monk] tag gain the ability to make Attacks as a Simple Action when they reach School Rank 3 when utilizing the following weapons: Unarmed, Improvised Weapons, Bo Staff, Jo Staff , Sang Kuaw, Three-Section Staff, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Bisento. When a character makes two Simple attacks in a turn, they must call two Raises for no further effect on their second attack or the attack will automatically fail.This does not apply to the Extra Attack Maneuver bonus attack.
Note: Kaito Shine Keepers add Yumi to the list of weapons above.

+

DANCE OF THE FLAMES
c Ring/Mastery: Fire 6
c Type: Martial
Filling one’s chi with the power of Fire has considerable effects on one’s speed as well as one’s temperament. While this Kiho is in effect, you may make unarmed attacks as a Simple Action rather than a Complex Action. You must make an unarmed attack against an opponent (rather than an ally or inanimate object) every Round while this Kiho is active, or its effects end immediately.

How would these interact?

[Vutall]

Rank 3 would be better, but the kiho would be useful for ranks 1 and 2, which if you are Fire 4 or 5 is obtainable. ((essentially, the kiho stinks once you hit IR3)

[Togashi Dao]

Well, would the kiho maybe stop you needing the rwo extra raises?

[Vutall]

I'd go for that, sure.

[Seppun Suzuran]

Contested Sincerity (Honesty) vs Investigation
If a player would NOT believe the story they are told, but the story is true, they would roll their Investigation against the players Sincerity (Honesty).

If Investigation wins, the character thinks it is a lie.

Okay, this has always bugged me. Honesty versus Investigation rolled like this is saying the more perceptive and trained in Investigation your character is, the more likely they are to (incorrectly) believe a character is lying.

I can think of a few alternatives, but wondering your take on it.

[Vutall]

If the reverse is true, that on a success they think that the character is telling the truth, it means that the Sincerity rolling person wants to have a silly low roll.

Either way, it's odd I admit. I think it's just one of the quirks of the system that doesn't really have a fix.

[Seppun Suzuran]

Oh you obviously wouldn't make it the reverse. I'd think something like make the roll a flat TN based on what the person rolling Honesty is trying to say; Something believe might have a low TN and something wild like the Elemental Master actually being a shapeshifter being a high TN. If both people pass the TN, it comes across correctly. If just the speaker fails Honesty, they stumble across their words or doubt themselves or something that makes them less than believable even if the person listening passes Investigation and understands there might be something to what the speaker is saying. If just the listener fails Investigation, the speaker is eloquent and believable, but the contents of the message don't click; The listener thinks the speaker is exaggerating or saw something incorrectly, or something else to call what was said into question. If both fail the roll, then things become awkward and the point is dismissed off hand by the listener, while the speaker finds they don't have the right words to use regardless; The matter is likely entirely dropped.

Having been a pbp GM myself, I do understand that the less a GM needs to come up with things or intervene the better, so I realize it's not as eloquent as the two players just getting to roll off against one another. Honesty where it's contested comes up infrequently enough, and just coming up with a TN is simple enough, however, that it's the sort of system I'd replace it with myself. Not that there aren't likely other solutions too. Just offering up an example

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

Contested Sincerity (Honesty) vs Investigation
If a player would NOT believe the story they are told, but the story is true, they would roll their Investigation against the players Sincerity (Honesty).

If Investigation wins, the character thinks it is a lie.

Okay, this has always bugged me. Honesty versus Investigation rolled like this is saying the more perceptive and trained in Investigation your character is, the more likely they are to (incorrectly) believe a character is lying.

I can think of a few alternatives, but wondering your take on it.

When I DM, if Honesty beats Investigation, the character finds it true and as alarming the speaker tries to make it look like. He gets the point across, even if it does not change their course of action. For example, Sachiko found an oni in the middle of the Crane winter count and is trying to convince the daimyo that this is real and because of this the dancing ballad should be called out IMMEDIATELY. The daimyo isolates the castle and call for the ballad to be made at a nearby manor, instead of canceling the dance.
If Investigation beats Honesty, the character knows it is true and how true it is. The daimyo can see Sachiko is panicking and there is no real danger to the ballad, but there should be deployed safety measures.

[Vutall]

It's definitely one of those things that would require a heavy bit of work to implement different, so for now I'm going to leave it as it, but definitely open for discussion on how to fix it.

Another example would be:

You are a Kitsuki investigating a murder (Since they are the only ones who care about evidence and not just testimony). Samurai (who actually is the killer) claims that the peasant servant is the killer. Obviously samurai don't lie, so magistrate believes him. Peasant though says "No, I swear I didn't, Samurai-sama killed her!"

So peasant rolls sincerity (honesty), and if the investigator passes, they think that the peasant is lying and if they fail they know the peasant is telling the truth?

[Seppun Suzuran]

The only reason I bring it up is, as a GM, I never like it when a character feels penalized for being competent. And a higher Investigation/Perception making it more difficult to believe someone when they are actually telling the truth goes against that for me.

[Togashi Dao]

I've always seen Investigation v Sincerity less as 'you believe/disbelieve' and more as 'you see the truth at the heart of the matter'.

[Vutall]

Yeah, I tried to convey that with this line:

Special Note about Sincerity: The point of Sincerity is that it is something the character rolling it believes to be true. If I say the Sky is Red, when it is clearly blue, and I win the contested roll, people will think I believe the sky is Red, but still know that the Sky is blue.

The only reason I bring it up is, as a GM, I never like it when a character feels penalized for being competent. And a higher Investigation/Perception making it more difficult to believe someone when they are actually telling the truth goes against that for me.

Yeah, it's...odd. It also penalizes the person using Sincerity (Honesty) because the higher they roll, if a character didn't believe them at first, then the investigation roll will likely still show that they don't believe them because the Sincerity roll was high.

[Kakita Kenji]

You could do something like this: If you want to convince someone you're telling the truth: make a Sincerity (Honesty) Check against a TN of ((10 - Awareness & Investigation of Target) x 5)

This Way, the higher you're awareness & investigation is the better you are at getting the thruth. Or beliving that some belives they're telling the truth, for that matter.

[Vutall]

I updated the Sincerity section, let me know if it makes more sense now:


Sincerity (Honesty)
When you roll Sincerity (Honesty) it is to tell someone something your character believes is true in a convincing manner. If the Elemental Master is actually a Kitsune Spirit and you saw them change, you would roll Sincerity (Honesty) to convince people. The base TN for Sincerity (Honesty) rolls is TN15, with raises to make more skeptical people believe you better.

Contested Sincerity (Honesty) vs Sincerity (Honesty)
If two players are trying to same something they both think is true, the player with the higher roll in a contested roll between them would be believed more.

Contested Sincerity (Honesty) vs Sincerity (Deceit)
If one player is telling a truth and one player is telling a lie, the character with the higher roll in a contested roll is the more believable one.

Contested Investigation vs Sincerity (Honesty)
If you do not believe someone, you can roll investigation to see if they are being honest with you. Failure does not mean the Sincerity roll is not true, but more the Investigation roll not being able to get a good read on how they feel about it. The Sincerity roller can voluntarily fail this roll, letting the investigator see the truth of their statement.

--Note: If OOC a player wants to believe, they do not need to take into consideration the roll and can just accept that they are being told the truth, but remember to look at it through their characters eyes when making the consideration

Sincerity (Deceit)
When you roll Sincerity (Deceit) it is to tell someone something that ISNT true. If the Elemental Master is an Isawa born and you tell people they are a Kitsune spirit, you would roll Sincerity (Deceit) to convince people.

Contested Sincerity (Deceit) vs Investigation
If a player would NOT believe a story they are told, and the story is a lie, they would roll their Investigation against the players Sincerity (Deceit).

If Investigation wins, they know the character is lying.

If Sincerity wins, then the lie is thought to be true.

Special Note about Sincerity: The point of Sincerity is that it is something the character rolling it believes to be true, not that is the actual truth. If I say the Sky is Red, when it is clearly blue, the roll is to have people will think I believe the sky is red, but still know that the Sky is blue.

[Vutall]

I further updated the social skills clarification, rewording it a bit.

My intention is not to change how any of the skills in the game work in any way, but to give people a better idea of how they are used, and what to expect from results.

[Vutall]

Discussion on Discord has led me to tweak the Shika Speardancer school, changing the Rank 2 to only grant +2k0 to stealth instead of +3k0.

Additionally, I was thinking of changing the masteries for spears and polearms to this:

POLEARMS (AGILITY)
SUB-TYPES: Weapon Skill
EMPHASES: Bisento, Nagamaki, Naginata, Sasumata, Sodegarami
DESCRIPTION: Long-reaching weapons with considerable power and versatility, polearms are essentially a stopgap between heavy weapons and the traditional katana. They consist of bladed weapons mounted atop sturdy poles of wood or metal, granting a warrior skilled in their use the ability to keep his opponents at bay while taking a terrible toll on them at the same time. The practice of using polearms is sometimes referred to as umayarijutsu.

MASTERY ABILITIES:
c RANK 3: Until you are hit with a melee attack, you gain +10 to your initiative score in combat when wielding a polearm
c RANK 5: Damage rolls made with polearms is increased by +1k0.
c RANK 7: Polearms may be readied as a Free Action.


SPEARS (AGILITY)
SUB-TYPES: Weapon Skill
EMPHASES: Mai Chong, Kumade, Lance, Nage-yari, Yari
DESCRIPTION: Yarijutsu, the art of the spear, is a longstanding tradition in many bushi families, most notably the Daidoji family of the Crane Clan. Unlike polearms, which are primarily slashing weapons, spears are typically designed for puncturing or thrusting, and can be an extremely effective weapon against cavalry.

MASTERY ABILITIES:
c RANK 3: Until you are hit with a melee attack, you may spear may ignore 3 points of Reduction when wielding a spear.
c RANK 5: Damage rolls made with spears against mounted or significantly larger opponents is increased by +1k0.
c RANK 7: Spears may be readied as a Free Action.