[L5R]Introductory one-shot opinion poll

[Occasional Sage]

I'll be running a short (one or perhaps two session) intro game, using pre-made characters, for experienced RPers new to Rokugan. In that context I have two plots in mind:

1. A fairly straightforward action adventure featuring ronin patsies for a just-fallen maho-tsukai villain. This will feature some cross-caste interactions, a fair amount of violence, and generally meet RPG norms.

2. A murder mystery with the PCs investigating outside the legal structure. This will be a better intro to society and Clans, particularly since finding the real murderer is legally and socially irrelevant. There would be less violence though, and more immersion needed which is odd for a one-shot.

Thoughts?

[Kaun]

do your players like mystery investigation style sessions?

do your players know much/anything about the L5R setting?

What part of the time line are your running the game in?

[Occasional Sage]

do your players like mystery investigation style sessions?


Inasmuch as D&D modules allow for mysteries, yes.



do your players know much/anything about the L5R setting?


They will get 95+% from a pre-session primer email.


What part of the time line are your running the game in?

Mostly irrelevant and undefined. Post-Iuchiban, not in the Coup/Clan War years.

[BWR]

Note: I use the word 'Taint' to refer to everything related to the Shadowlands, including maho, oni, goblins, actual Taint infection, etc..

Drop number 1. Go with number 2. I'm a huge Crab fan and all my stories revolve around the Taint in some way but the sad thing is this:

The Taint ruins the setting.
It means that the Crab are right and eveyone else is wrong. In the Thousand Years of Peace you can mostly ignore this (ignoring Iuchiban twice and the Maw), but it still is the case.

If you want to introduce the setting, stick to traditional elements like intrigue, war between clans, honor vs. duty, duty vs. desire. Samurai drama is the key. The Taint and the horors of the Shadowlands are ancient history, and as far as most people are concerned great exaggerations by the Crab and in any case the rest of the Empire is safe from it. Let the players get into the feeling of the setting, of the caste system, of the politics, the xenophobia, the culture, the art. Crab they meet should be boorish and unpleasant (except the Yasuki) and generally be the type of people you don't want to invite over for tea.

Introducing the Taint should be done only once they have gotten used to the setting as seen from the non-Crab. When the things they investigate suddenly turn up something worse than just a plain old murder, they should get worried. When blatant evidence of Tainted activity is found, the PCs should feel a moment of helplessness when they realize this enemy doesn't play by the rules. The Taint is nasty, indiscriminate and most people haven't a clue how to handle it. When confronted with it they should start to understand why the Crab are a bunch of borderline psychos (worse than everyone else in a society of trained sociopaths).

[Sephoris]

If your players are the type that don't mind getting their asses kicked (with proper warning, of course), take a look at Mirror, Mirror (http://www.kazenoshiro.com/rpg/unofficial-content/l5r-rpg-adventures/) sometime. It's a great murder mystery with a healthy dose of both courtly stuff and Shadowlands nastiness, and a cast of really good pre-made characters.

I'd probably go with what BWR suggested: go for the Samurai drama first, and then, to introduce the Tainted side of things, do Mirror, Mirror.

Again, though, this is all assuming you've got a group that can enjoy something like a Tomb of Horrors one-shot. Something where they know they're almost certainly doomed.

[BWR]

Ah, "Mirror, mirror". Beautiful, wonderful, deadly adventure. I actually gave the players an extra pre-gen each to play with. All the pre-gens died and the real PCs suffered greatly. Nothing quite like the look of dawning disbelief and horror on a player's face when you ask what the highest Honor in the group is at the start of combat. And towards the end of said skirmish when the shuggie manages to cast a fly spell without Tainting herself, thinks everything is over (for her) and the enemies sprout wings.
Good times.
:smallbiggrin:

Edit: I don't know how I managed to forget this one, but The Topaz Championship (http://www.kazenoshiro.com/forge/1/TopazTournament.pdf) adventure is the perfect introduction to the game and the setting. Lots of various mechanics, all the clans present, you are not technically adult yet so minor gaffes can be overlooked, you have a chance to rub shoulders with some of the elite of the Empire with a good excuse to do so, and a good reason for friendships from the different clans to grow.

I've both run and played Topaz Championships (different time periods and NPCs but the basics are the same) and it's been a blast.

[Mordar]

I've got to disagree with the majority and suggest that the mystery story will be too "deep end" for players with such low familiarity. I've played in a couple of convention games where this was the case and it was very frustrating to the couple players with deep Rokugan knowledge because it really prevented immersion (even insofar as a con game can have it).

I think the first option is the better, but I will also agree with BWR in that maho might be an unnecessary element...maybe the barest of a hint foreshadowing blood magic that, if the campaign continues, they come to learn about later...

That being said, Topaz was, IIRC, designed to do exactly what you want here, or something derived from a Challenge/Focus/Strike from one of the setting books if you really want to highlight a specific clan.

Alternatively, if your players really do their homework and can be trusted to buy-in, there's nothing preventing a nice Winter Court investigation that also let's them see some of the high and mighty (and gives a reason for PCs from an array of Clans...).

- M

PS: Now, the important question is...can I come play? :smallbiggrin: