L5R 4e Shugenja Spells

[TheOOB]

I've been thinking of getting into L5R 4e(I'm a huge fan of 7th Sea and samurai stories, so seems natural), and I was looking trough the core rulebook but I am confused a bit about shugenja and their spells. I know the info if in the book, but I may just be blind and cannot see it.

I know shugenja start with some spells, and earn some when increasing their school ranks, but is there any way for them to learn spells outside of those two cases. Also, are the spells a shugenja automatically knows cast from scrolls or memorized?

Thanks in advanced for any help.

[Diskhotep]

Shugenja may receive scrolls as gifts or as payment for great deeds. They may also trade scrolls with each other, although that is greatly frowned upon and may potentially cause a loss of status within the clan. Giving away a spell considered to be a clan secret would likely result in the shugenja being required to commit seppuku (or at the least become ronin) for betraying his clan.

It's important to remember that to a shugenja a scroll is not just a piece of paper with a spell written on it - it is a conduit to contacting the spirit world and drawing upon its power. A shugenja's scrolls are just as important to him as a bushi's katana and should be treated similarly if gifted or won in a tournament.

The shugenja typically needs the scroll to cast a spell (or at the least is at a great penalty to do so without - it's been a while since I've played L5R). It is possible through time and experience for the shugenja to master a spell enough that the scroll is no longer necessary for casting, although using it does make things easier.

[TheOOB]

I appreciate the info, but it doesn't answer my question on if a shugenja can learn new spells(or gain additional scrolls) during play through any method other than a story reward. It seems like there should be an xp cost associated with acquiring a new spell, because otherwise it seems most shugenja will only get 3 spells of each rank above rank 1, which seems rather limiting.

[hiryuu]

I appreciate the info, but it doesn't answer my question on if a shugenja can learn new spells(or gain additional scrolls) during play through any method other than a story reward. It seems like there should be an xp cost associated with acquiring a new spell, because otherwise it seems most shugenja will only get 3 spells of each rank above rank 1, which seems rather limiting.

Just story rewards. It's not limiting at all, considering you're getting three spells to one bushi technique.

You don't get your starting spells memorized unless you spend the xp.

[Tyrant_2d]

Late to the party here, but there's spell research under the spellcraft skill. It's hard to do, and even harder if you aren't in a library. The way to do it is outlined in the skill entry of the book.

Beyond that you can spend xp to memorize the spells you already know so you don't need scrolls to cast.