L5R: Character Creation

Based on the 4th edition rules

Basic Character Creation

1. Rings & Traits

All Rings (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Void) and Traits (REF, AWA, STA, WIL, AGI, INT, STR, PER) start at 2.

2. Choose a Clan

This determines available schools and families.

For lists of clans and their families and schools, see: Crab Clan, Crane Clan, Dragon Clan, Lion Clan, Phoenix Clan, Scorpion Clan, Unicorn Clan, Minor Clans, Imperial Families.

See below for special rules for creating ronin and monks.

3. Choose a Family

Choose from the families of your clan.

This grants +1 to one Trait.

4. Choose a School

Choose from the schools of your clan.

This grants +1 to one Trait, determines your starting Honor, and gives you ranks in some Skills (usually Rank 1 in seven Skills). You also know the Rank 1 Technique of the school, and get the starting outfit (equipment).

5. Customization

You get 40 Experience Points to spend:

• Traits: 4× new Rank (e.g. going from 2 to 3 costs 12 XP). The Ring is always equal to the lower Trait within it. Max 4 at character creation.
• Void Ring: 6× new Rank (e.g. going from 2 to 3 costs 18 XP).
• Skills: 1× new Rank (e.g. buying a new Skill at Rank 1 costs 1 XP, going from 2 to 3 costs 3 XP). Max 4 at character creation.
• Skill Emphases: 2 XP to buy a new Emphasis for a known Skill.
• Advantages/Disadvantages: Advantages cost XP equal to their point value. Disadvantages grant extra XP equal to their point value (up to 10 extra XP).
• Spells: Shugenja learn spells according to their School and School Rank, but can pay XP equal to the spell's Mastery Level to memorize it (letting them cast it without their spell scroll).
• Kata: Bushi (and monks and ninja) that meet the School and Ring requirements can learn Kata by paying XP equal to the Mastery Level.
• Kiho: Monks (and shugenja and ninja) that meet the Mastery Level requirements (each qualifies differently, see the Kiho rules) can buy a number of Kiho up to their School Rank by paying XP equal to the Mastery Level.
• No Trait or Skill may exceed 4 at this stage.

GM's option: Courtier schools pay 1 point less (minimum 1) for Social Advantages; Artisan schools pay 1 less Experience to increase Artisan and Craft skills; Ninja can learn Kata as if they were members of their clan's primary Bushi school (but use School Rank in place of Rings to qualify), and may be able to learn Kiho (compare School Rank alone to Mastery Level)

During play, earned XP are spent in the same way.

Insight Rank

Insight Rank affects Initiative, Wound recovery, etc., but most importantly limits access to your School Techniques. Insight is calculated by adding up (total of your Rings)×10 + (total of your Skill Ranks). So a character with 2 in each Ring and 20 Skill Ranks has an Insight of (5×2)×10 + 20, or 100 + 20 = 120. Insight corresponds to Insight Ranks as follows:

• Insight 1–149: Rank 1
• Insight 150–174: Rank 2
• Insight 175–199: Rank 3
• Insight 200–224: Rank 4
• Insight 225–249: Rank 5
• +25 Insight points: +1 Rank

Shugenja & Insight Rank

Shugenja Schools only have one Technique, but shugenja derive other benefits from Insight Rank:

• School Rank is added to dice rolled on Spell Casting Rolls.
• School Rank determines the maximum Mastery Level of spells that can be cast.
• At each new School Rank, the shugenja learns 3 new Spells (of a Mastery Level up to their School Rank).

Insight Rank 6+

Past Insight Rank 5, characters of bushi and courtier schools must seek new schools to study in. It is easiest to enter schools of their own Clan, but they might enter other Clans' schools (if they somehow earn this privilege in play, and have ranks in all Skills of that school) or an Advanced School (if they fulfill the requirements). In these cases, they do not need to buy the Multiple Schools Advantage.

Alternate Progression

Instead of advancing in their original school, characters may take ranks in Advanced Schools or Alternate Paths. Both have requirements to enter.

For details on specific Advanced Schools and Alternate Paths, see the appropriate Clan's page.

6. Finishing Touches

Glory and Status start at 1.0 each unless otherwise specified (e.g. the character is a monk or ronin, or has a relevant Advantage or Disadvantage).

Ronin Character Creation

Clan Ronin

• Created as a normal clan samurai
• Must purchase Social Disadvantage: Ronin
• May not take additional Insight Ranks in starting School
• Must seek out higher-rank Ronin Paths to learn Techniques on increasing Insight Rank

True Ronin, Option #1

• No family, school, path, or Rank 1 Technique
• 25 extra XP
• Must purchase Social Disadvantage: Ronin
• Starting Honor: 3.5
• Outfit: Ashigaru or light armor, tattered clothing, daisho, traveling pack
• Must seek out higher-rank Ronin Paths to learn Techniques on increasing Insight Rank

True Ronin, Option #2

• No family or school
• 10 extra XP
• Must purchase Social Disadvantage: Ronin
• Start with a Rank 1 Ronin Paths and its Technique
• Must seek out higher-rank Ronin Paths to learn Techniques on increasing Insight Rank

Monk Character Creation

• Rings & Traits: All Traits begin at 2. Void Ring begins at 3.
• School: Choose a Monk School from the Brotherhood of Shinsei, or be an unaffiliated monk (a significant disadvantage).
• Kiho: Start with 3 Kiho in addition to any from your school. Brotherhood monks gain 2 Kiho each time they advance in School Rank. You may also purchase Kiho by paying XP equal to the Mastery Level, but only up to a number equal to your School Rank.
• Status 1, Glory 0. Monks gain only half the normal Glory.
• Outfit: Bo (or pair of jo), coarse and plain traveling clothing, scroll satchel with passages from the Tao of Shinsei, 2 zeni.