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Siegel
2012-03-31, 02:54 PM
I just skimmed the L5R Rulebook for the first time and there was a passage about monks (or something) and how GMs shouldn't really allow them as characters if they don't know what their deal is. It was a really strange passage.

What is so important or different about monk characters? (and why does this passage make me want to play one?)

Corolinth
2012-03-31, 03:15 PM
In Rokugan, you are playing as a noble samurai by default. Most monks are peasants. Now, because monks are holy men, they are not dirt beneath the feet of a samurai. The fact remains that they are not from the same social class, which is something the world of Rokugan pays a lot of attention to.

In a game with new players, who are likely not as savvy about the world, it introduces a few problems: Chiefly, how are we all supposed to act with regards to one another? Strictly speaking, the monks are peasants, and are beneath the samurai. No honorable samurai would ever treat a monk that way, however. They have too much respect for the teachings of Shinsei and his Tao. The Kami themselves honored and respected Shinsei.

If you're playing a monk, you have to recognize that the other samurai are above you in the Celestial Order. That means if they give you a command, you follow it. Period. You are a peasant, and they are a samurai. They shouldn't treat you that way, but that doesn't matter if they issue a command. A monk is a peasant, and therefore a servant. It is up to the other samurai present to admonish that person for failing to treat one of the Brotherhood of Shinsei with the proper respect.

In other words, monk is not just a character class. It is a social status. If you are unwilling to play a character that, strictly speaking, is a servant to the rest of the PCs, then monk is not right for you.

Siegel
2012-03-31, 03:22 PM
That sounds so awesome. Thanks.

Could you still go with the: "well my Lord you clearly have a sound idea for that direct attack but may i suggest the snapping turtle manuveur that Shogun Sei-Fong of the Lion used to great effect in the battle against the Crab in the defense of Easter" kind of behaviour?

Another question: The monk doesn't such ass like he does in DnD 3/PF right? Can i do cool (supernatural) Kung-Fu?

tyckspoon
2012-03-31, 03:43 PM
Could you still go with the: "well my Lord you clearly have a sound idea for that direct attack but may i suggest the snapping turtle manuveur that Shogun Sei-Fong of the Lion used to great effect in the battle against the Crab in the defense of Easter" kind of behaviour?


As I understand it, if a Samurai-ranked character gave you a direct order to throw yourself into battle, social honor requires you to obey that order. That would be a fault on that character's behalf, since he is not giving due respect to your own position, but it would be his privilege to do so and it would be your duty to obey.

Preferably, the Samurai would phrase his order as a request, such that you could honorably offer an alternative without sounding like you are directly denying a superior's order, or he'd take a moment to take council before actually issuing an order so that you could offer your suggestion then. (And if he likes your idea and goes with it, he's taking inspiration from a great warrior of the past, which is fine, and not getting fighting advice from a lowly peasant who shouldn't know anything about it.)

Sturmcrow
2012-03-31, 05:01 PM
Also, that Togashi guy might have been born a Samurai or that really old monk may have been a Samurai that retired from service. So it is not always cut and dry but the other responses really do illustrate the issue. Monk's are in a below/above position, they are the priesthood in a sense so you have to treat them with respect but the Brotherhood is made up of almost entirely peasants so they should be below you.

See the sidebar on page 95. Also see http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Monk

Corolinth
2012-03-31, 07:11 PM
The question of, "Could you?" has been answered, so I'll enumerate a few other points. There are a lot of fine details which tend to go overlooked in most games that are very important in L5R. The big draw to the game is the world and its history.

Start here:

http://l5r.wikia.com

Tiny stuff like your name and who your parents are/were matters a lot in this game.

Sei-Fong is more of a Chinese name, while Rokugan is derived from feudal Japan. That actually matters. There is even a character disadvantage called "gaijin name" which carries social drawbacks. I would actually recommend trying to find a copy of the third edition L5R core rulebook. There is a list of suitable Rokugani names on pages 152-153. Lacking that, take a look here:

Male Names (http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Male_Names)
Female Names (http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Female_Names)
Naming Conventions (http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Naming_convention)

Even more damning is that Sei-Fong does not have a family name. Every samurai in the Great Clans has a family name. They are all the descendants of great heroes from the Emerald Empire's history, and in the case of some families, they are the descendants of the Kami themselves. (There is a difference between Kami and kami - kami are elemental spirits, while Kami with a capital "K" are the children of Lady Sun and Lord Moon).

If you're asking the question of whether the monk "sucks ass" and if you can do cool kung fu, you're missing something about the game that will prevent you from fully enjoying yourself. Legend of the Five Rings is radically different from D&D. L5R is generally more story-driven and socially oriented. The samurai are Rokugani nobility, and as such, are expected to be able to conduct themselves in court. Moreover, there are some samurai, the courtiers, who have little to no faculties in combat whatsoever, and who have no magic. A courtier is a fully playable PC despite having nothing to do on a battlefield.

Now, a monk can and often does have some combat skill. They do have Kiho, which is your cool supernatural kung fu (though it more resembles magic). However, a monk is a valuable member of a group because of their studies on the Tao of Shinsei. Your primary purpose is to guide people on the path to enlightenment. A monk is a wise man, a mystic, a sage. He could beat the stuffing out of somebody, but that's not the point. Your wisdom and insight makes you valuable.

Here are some books you might want to take a look at. These are older books from previous editions, so the rules aren't really valid anymore, but the setting material is. The original L5R books are written in more of a first-person perspective from someone within the world itself. There are a lot of stories about things that happened in Rokugan contained in first edition material that make them a valuable read even in later editions.

Way of Shinsei (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/25459/Way-of-Shinsei)
Way of the Phoenix (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/25411/Way-of-the-Phoenix) - Shiba, the Phoenix Clan founder, transcribed the Tao of Shinsei from a conversation between Hantei and Shinsei. The Phoenix Clan was founded largely to guard the Tao and meditate upon it.
Way of the Dragon (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/62474/Way-of-the-Dragon) - Togashi, the Dragon Clan founder, spent a great deal of time with Shinsei and was driven to meditate upon enlightenment himself. The Dragon Clan came to be when Mirumoto and Agasha followed him into the mountains.