Psionics in Rokugan

[MrNexx]

Can anyone think of campaign-setting based reasons for there to be no psionic characters in a Rokugan game?

[TheOOB]

Other then the fact that Oriental Adventures seems to follow the idea that just because it's not mentioned in Rokugan it doesn't exist, no I can't think of anything.

Psionics fit into the flavor of East Asian inspired adventures pretty well, and it wouldn't be hard to fit them into a campaign, especially if they are primarly a shadowlands thing.

[Behold_the_Void]

I play L5R and there have been no psionic personalities ever printed. Period.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Psionics just don't fit into the Empire. Rokugan explains where all the magic comes from. Shugenja magic comes from Kami, Fox Clan Ranger magic comes from shapeshifter heritage, kiho is spirit power and Blood magic comes from well, blood. The structure of Legend of the Five Rings makes it really hard to put anything more into it.

However there is a very easy way to include psionics in a Rokugan campaign. Just make your character not native to Rokugan. Rokugan is surrounded by strange peoples with strange powers and little written about them. Slotting psionics in here is quite easy.

You could have an Oriental Adventures campaign with psionics among a very Rokugan like nation but it wouldn't really by Legend of the Five Rings. Since so many monsters in the Oriental Adventures book aren't in Rokugan anyway if you want psionics you might as well not use Rokugan.

[Piedmon_Sama]

My first thought is that it could be some ancient, lost art of the Naga. Perhaps the first masters of the forgotten Way of the Mind are only just reawakening from centuries-long slumber. Or as someone else suggested, there are plenty of unexplored regions outside Rokugan. You could easily have it therefore crop up amongst the Unicorn or Scorpion clans, both of whom have spent a great deal of time outside the Empire.

[Lord Iames Osari]

The Dragon and the Phoenix strike me as also suitable, though perhaps less so than the Unicorn and Scorpion. Both are deep into the supernatural, the Phoenix more so than the Dragon, but the Dragon, because of their isolation, would be better able to keep it secret and contained, thus explaining why the rest of Rokugan hasn't heard of it.

The Naga are likewise a good option.

[Behold_the_Void]

Isn't he looking for a way to justify not having them?

[Lord Iames Osari]

Oh. Ooops.

[goat]

Genetics and defensive culture. They're an insular society, so they're unlikely to have interbred much (except the unicorn) reducing their chances of developing or inheriting a psionic strain, and anyone displaying psionic powers would probably be declared a demon and swiftly slaughtered.

[Piedmon_Sama]

Not have psionics? Does.... not.... compute....

[MrNexx]

I perhaps phrased this poorly; I was pretty tired, and had just finished writing an article. A player of mine wants to be a psion or psychic warrior in an upcoming Rokugan OA campaign. I have no experience with psionics, and would like to let him IF it doesn't horribly violate the "feel" of Rokugan.

However, I'm also not terribly familiar with Rokugan. (I hate being the DM sometimes)

Thus, I want to know where they could fit. A naga seems like a reasonable suggestion. I also like the idea of a specific family within the Clan of the Unicorn. I'll present those options to him; it limits his character choices a bit, but he's the one who wants to play an odd character.

[Yuki Akuma]

He could also just be from outside Rokugan. Rokugan is a country, not a world.

[MrNexx]

He could also just be from outside Rokugan. Rokugan is a country, not a world.

Yes, but I want to avoid that.

[Behold_the_Void]

As I said, there are no printed personalities in L5R to date that have psionic abilities. However, as was mentioned, the naga have a deep telepathic connection, and they'd be the most likely to develop it.

You might also try having him be a nezumi for something without less of a level adjustment. The nezumi aren't nearly as traditional as Rokugani, and developing a psionic talent isn't impossible.

The ones most likely to develop psionics as far as Rokugani themselves are concerned, I would say, are monks or "enlightened" people (who don't always have to be monks, but are usually fairly heroic). That kind of training lends itself well to discovering latent psionic talent. The Dragon Clan, in particular, is rather monk heavy, I wouldn't be surprised to see it develop there. Note that psionics would have a HUGE impact on Rokugan when discovered (unless it's limited to the naga, who are mostly asleep now as I recall). It's a new kind of power and they could react to it in any number of ways, although they likely wouldn't react in a very genial and accepting manner.

[Hzurr]

There should be no psionics in Rokugani, because something tells me that one of the other players in the game (whom I don't know, but I assume is talented, intelligent, and very good looking) is extremely likely to make it his mission in life to kill the psion.

I don't know why I get this vibe, but it seems very clear that this will happen.

=)

[MrNexx]

Now you're just DARING me...