Sample file credits

EXPANSION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT Alexis Dykema with Max Brooke

ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT Robert Denton III, Lisa Farrell, Josiah “Duke” Harrist, James Mendez Hodes, Ian Houlihan, D. G. Laderoute, Monte Lin, and Amudha Venugopalan

EDITING Christine Crabb

PROOFREADING Dixie Cochran and Riley Miller

RPG MANAGER Sam Gregor-Stewart

LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS STORY REVIEW Tyler Parrott

EXPANSION GRAPHIC DESIGN Sebastián Koziner

GRAPHIC DESIGN COORDINATOR Joseph D. Olson with WiL Springer

GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER Christopher Hosch

FRONT COVER ART Haibin Wu

BACK COVER ART Nele Diel

INTERIOR ART Shelia Amajida, Piotr Arendzikowski, Francesca Baerald, Lukas Banas, Sergio Camarena Bernabeu, Mike Capprotti, Marius Bota, Joshua Cairos, Leanna Crossan, Carlos Palma Cruchaga, John Anthony DiGiovanni, Stanislav Dikolenko, Derek D. Edgell, Polar Engine, Tropa Entertainment, Shen Fei, Tawny Fritzinger, Felipe Gaona, Kevin Goeke, Quintin Gleim, Aurelien H., Jeff Himmelman, Hai Hoang, Lin Hsiang, Amelie Hutt, Wen Juinn, Jason Juta, Romana Kendelic, Daria Khlebnikova, Mu Young Kim, Ruwen Liu, Francisco Martin, Jorge Matar, Joyce Maureira, Francisco Miyara, Tomas Muir, Jake Murray, Chris Ostrowski, Borja Pindado, Eli Ring, Yudong Shen, Jazz Siy, Kathryn Steele, Filip Storch, Gong Studios, Albert Tavira, Alex Tooth, Max Tran, Andreia Ugrai, Jokubas Uogintas, Halil Ural, and Le Vuong

ART DIRECTION Jeff Lee Johnson

MANAGING ART DIRECTOR Tony Bradt

QUALITY ASSURANCE Andrew Janeba and Zach Tewalthomas

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Justin Anger and Jason Glawe

VISUAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brian Schomburg

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER John Franz-Wichlacz

SENIOR MANAGER OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Chris Gerber

EXECUTIVE GAME DESIGNER Corey Konieczka

HEAD OF STUDIO Andrew Navaro

PLAYTESTERS Benjamin Ainsworth, Jake Ames, Finbarr Goode Begley, Michael Bernabo, Cady Bielecki, Joe Bielecki, Alexander Botts, Trevor Boulter, Kara Centell-Dunk, Lucinda Charles, Steven Charpentier, Tim Cox, Charlotte Dickenson, Emeric Dwyer, Jonathan Ferenczy, Christopher Fishburn, Benjamin Fribley, Brooks Flugaur-Leavitt, Kyle Gennrich, James Gibson, Laura Heilman, Sean Holland, Tim Huckelbery, Jon King, Brian Lewis, Jamie Lewis, Daniel Mossman, Russ Needham, Jeff Neppl, Matt Newman, Tom Nys, Tom Ornsby, Luke Richards, David Robotham, Joshua Spotts, Erik Strijbos, Max Stringer, Nathan Stringer, Nate Sullivan, Kimichi Tran, Kris Weavill, and Joris Van der Vorst

In loving memory of Shaun Lee Dykema 11/15/71–11/5/2018

NRDNA

FANTASY Fantasy Flight Games 1995 West County Road B2 FLIGHT Roseville, MN 55113 SampleGAMES USA file © 2019 Fantasy Flight Games. Legend of the Five Rings, the L5R logo, and the white FFG logo are trademarks of Fantasy Flight Games. Fantasy Flight Games and the blue FFG logo are registered trademarks of Fantasy Flight Games.

ISBN: 978-1-633-443-631 Product Code: L5R10 Printed in

For more information about the world of and Legend of the Five Rings, visit us online at www.FantasyFlightGames.com/en/Legend-of-the-Five-Rings-Roleplaying-Game Table of Contents

5 Introduction 118 CHAPTER 4 twin blessings village 5 Welcome to the Fringes of Rokugan 119 How to Use This Village 8 CHAPTER 1 123 Geography the life of the rōnin 125 Resources 126 Locations and People 9 Without a Lord 137 Local Legends 14 Rōnin and the Celestial Order 142 Perfect Land Sect 18 Rōnin and Work 22 Rōnin and the Clans 143 CHAPTER 5 26 Rōnin and Peasants hirosaka 28 The Perfect Land Sect 144 How to Use This Town 30 CHAPTER 2 147 Geography creating a character 149 Resources and Trade 152 Locations and People 31 A Revised Game of Twenty Questions 166 Local Legends 31 Part I: Core Identity (Region and Upbringing) 46 Part II: Role and School 173 CHAPTER 6 60 Part III: The Past and the Future untold stories 64 Part IV: Strengths and Weaknesses 66 Part V: Personality and Behavior 174 Running Games for Outcasts 66 Part VI: Ancestry and Bonds 174 Games with Rōnin 68 Part VII: Death 181 Designing a Rōnin’s Personal Code 68 New Advantages 185 Additional Titles 71 New Disadvantages 187 Bonds 74 Creating a Gaijin Culture 192 The World Outside of Rokugan 76 Building a School 206 The Three-Act Structure 207 Running Rōnin Campaigns 85 CHAPTER 3 210 Getting Inspired new player options 212 Themes and Tones for Rōnin Games 219 Trinkets and Name Tables 86 Techniques 86 New Kata 227 CHAPTER 7 92 New Shūji non-player characters 96 New Rituals 98 Celestial Implements of the Ivory Kingdoms 228 New NPC Templates 100 Profile of a Celestial Implement 229 New NPCs 105 Introducing Celestial Implements 252 Index into a Campaign 107 Hand to Mouth 110 New Gear and Items 116 New Item Patterns Sample file 26th Day of the Month of Bayushi, 1119, somewhere near the Lion-Unicorn border

“Junko! I found fooooood!” Eijiro’s voice echoed “Meiyo Gisei?” A strange spasm stretched across throughout the empty village street—really, a muddy Junko’s face, something resembling a smile. “You did path—gouged out by endless feet, hooves, and cart- say you smelled money. Let us go!” wheels. The tall, lanky man held his katana in one hand, “What? Wait! No, no, no. There are better places idly swiping it like a stick, knocking away a polished to go.” pebble with a clang. In his other, he held a pale daikon “It is a Lion city. Their cities must be clean and rich. and bit into it with an equally loud crunch. They would care about what happened here. Lion peo- “Shut. Up,” Junko hissed. The shorter, stockier ple are noble and honorable.” woman, slightly hunched from bad posture and a life “You’re thinking of the clan families,” Eijiro mut- of labor, carried her spear tucked under her arm, ready tered. “And they are far from just or good. Trust me. for a fight. “Bandits will hear, Eijiro.” We’ll just find trouble there.” Eijiro looked around but saw no signs of life, save the “I want to see a Lion city. Do you think it has those crows. “This dump hasn’t been hit by bandits. Besides, nice kimono you keep talking about?” who would come back to such a no-name village?” “Junko! Listen to me! We cannot go to Meiyo Gisei. “It has a name.” We’re going north, into Unicorn lands. The horse lords “Don’t be silly, Junko. Villages this small never have are always hiring rōnin.” a name.” He tossed the daikon over to her, and she Junko frowned. “It is cold up there. And I do not dropped her spear to catch it. like horses. They smell. And they bite.” “You do not know everything,” she muttered to As usual when they disagreed, they both sat sul- herself. She walked over to an inn, slid the door aside, lenly in silence until they went to sleep. and spied a stew pot, the fire long burned out, the bot- — tom layered with someone’s charred breakfast. “I have The next morning, Eijiro woke to see only his katana never liked daikon. It tastes too muddy.” leaning by the post. He leapt to his feet, grabbed his “Then start that pot. I’ll look for more provisions.” sword, and ran out expecting the thunder of hooves or — the shouts of bandits. Instead, the empty village met The next day, Junko surveyed the land around the him with silence. The mud, however, revealed the foot- village to get their bearings. She found no evidence prints of Junko’s straw sandals, heading south. of bandits, no new hoofprints, no bodies, no signs of When he caught up to her, he found her humming fighting. She also found no indication of the villagers’ tunelessly, head held high. He said, carefully, “You’re in evacuation. It was as if they had simply disappeared. a pleasant mood, Junko.” Eijiro explored the village itself—which didn’t take “You cannot make fun of me. I will get money in much time, admittedly—and found only evidence of a Meiyo Gisei—eat well, and talk to the dōshin about sudden disappearance. A bundle of straw lay off to one the villages,” she said. “All is good under Tengoku side. A yukata was draped over a stool. A nice pair of and earth.” sandals sat side by side, waiting for their owner. He sighed. “We can’t go into Lion lands.” Junko returned to find her companion sitting by the “How much is your head?” empty stew pot placing more of those polished peb- “What? No, Junko, I don’t have a bounty.” bles in clumps and patterns, as if playing a game of Go “Oh. Did you anger someone terribly, then?” with only one color. “You will not find breakfast there,” “Er, yes…” Eijiro thought of his father, his mother, she said. and his aunt. The arguments. Stealing away at night “Not hungry,” he muttered as his stomach growled. with a bundle of koku, his katana, and his now long-lost “I’m just trying to ascertain where we should go next. silk kimono. “Yes, a lot of angry people.” I can’t figure out where we are. If only this village had “Then we can just kill them. That is what we are a name…” good at, after all.” She continued walking, singing, out She stretched, popping her back, and said, “Shira- of tune, that song about winning the smile of a farm- okamura.” er’s daughter. “What?” Eijiro sat up with a start. “Wait. What? “We can go to any other city, just not Meiyo Gisei.” How do you know that?” “If they do not know what happened to Shiraokamura, Junko shrugged. “The white pebbles? They are then they can find out. The Lion people will help.” everywhere here. The two rivers nearby wash the rocks Eijiro stood in the middle of the path, debating with until they shine.” himself. He could go north like he planned, alone. Earn “Two rivers?” Eijiro leapt to his feet. “Two rivers? I some good money fighting for the Unicorn. Junko could wonder if we’re at the southern border of the Unicorn. find her missing father by herself. She didn’t need his Wait, are we in Lion lands? Oh no. That would mean help. He didn’t need hers to survive. Samplewe’re near Meiyo Gisei Toshi…” With a sigh, he jogged untilfile he reached Junko’s side and matched her pace. Family truly is a burden.

4 INTRODUCTION

Path of Waves is filled with information on how those living outside, or on the fringes of, the samurai caste Welcome to the survive and attempt to thrive in a society that consid- ers them lesser. Adventures in Rokugan are not just for those deemed worthy by the Imperial Throne; some of Fr i n g e s o f Rokuga n the most interesting journeys are had by a ragtag bunch In Rokugan, the Celestial Order is believed to be abso- of misfits seeking out fame or glory as their desires col- lute. Those who stray from this path are seen as a per- lide with their pasts to create rich, dramatic experiences. version of the natural order. Rōnin, masterless samurai, This book is divided into seven chapters designed find themselves in the tumultuous place between to take players and GMs on an in-depth dive into a castes. They might be on a leave of absence to learn little-discussed, but very large, segment of Rokugani of the world, they might have failed in a duty and been society. The first three chapters explore the life of rōnin cast aside, or perhaps they have never had a lord to and give players a new set of twenty questions with serve. They are still considered samurai, however, and which to build their characters, as well as new options are higher than peasants in the Celestial Order––though for building outsider characters. The fourth and fifth they do not truly belong in either world, and neither chapters provide GMs with two fully realized settings— samurai nor peasants readily accept them. And tales of each including locations, characters, and adventure wandering heroes inspire some heimin and hinin into seeds—that they can incorporate into their games. The action: unhappy with their lot in life, or simply wishing sixth chapter also includes additional information on to protect what they have even at extreme risk to them- gaijin and the Ivory Kingdoms. Finally, the seventh chap- selves, such commoners take up the blade and act as ter provides GMs with guidance on developing games rōnin might. And then there are those who do not fit for rōnin and other outsider characters, as well as with into the Celestial Order at all, those who hail from for- a host of new NPCs with which to populate the adven- eign places and practice strange, alien customs. Gaijin, tures (and misadventures!) of those living outside of the foreigners to Rokugan unwelcome by Imperial decree, comfort of samurai society. stand apart from society, and often find themselves con- sorting with ronin, commoners, outcasts, and criminals… Yet, tales of rōnin, peasants, and gaijin are among Chapter 1 the most daring, exciting, and heroic! To have so little, The Life of the Rōnin explores how rōnin come to be and to be considered one of the lowliest but fight through how rōnin characters might act and react to a society that countless adversities to emerge triumphant, is excel- finds them distasteful. This chapter explores rōnin and lent fodder for the telling of stories concerning the peasants, the clans, and the relationship between rōnin, Emerald Empire. Bushidō, and the Celestial Order. Additionally, it provides a look at how rōnin make their livelihood without the what’s in this book? resources available to samurai of the clans. Path of Waves is a guide to being an outsider in Rokugan, whether a renegade peasant, bitter rōnin, or curious gaijin. The title refers to the year-long, voluntary period where some new samurai, shortly after their gem- puku, travel the land as rōnin, without lord or family on which to rely. This period is meant to renew the samurai’s allegiance to the security and importance of their clan, though some choose to float on the waves forever. Sample file INTRODUCTION

Chapter 2 adventure seeds Creating a Character offers players a whole new set of twenty questions for use in creating rōnin, peasant, and Throughout this book, you’ll find sidebars like gaijin characters. New distinctions, passions, adversi- this one presenting adventure seeds for GMs. ties, and anxieties are included, as is a host of new If you’re a player, you might want to avoid school options. This chapter also contains the tools to reading these, as doing so could spoil things allow players and GMs to build their own schools and should your GM adopt the ideas! If you’re a gaijin cultures. GM, you can expand on these seeds to cre- ate fully fledged adventures, take bits and Chapter 3 pieces, or simply use them for inspiration.

New Player Options offers dozens of new techniques, 一 Hook The hook provides the context including a collection of rituals that show off the for starting the adventure and introduces alchemical prowess of the Qamarists, tools to use the the important NPCs. We also provide a sug- celestial implements, or astras, of the Ivory Kingdoms, gested way to involve the PCs in events, and a variety of new abilities at which the polite mem- which you can tailor to fit your campaign. bers of the samurai class might balk. This chapter also 二 Rising Action In the next part of an contains new titles, items, and weapons to help make adventure seed, we briefly describe the every character feel unique. most likely way for events to escalate, further embroiling the PCs and raising the stakes. Chapter 4 三 Climax Finally we offer a likely climax Twin Blessings Village is a fully fleshed-out setting that for the adventure, whether that is a decisive GMs can use to enhance their games. Encompassing encounter with an NPC or a difficult choice dozens of locations, NPCs, local legends, and adven- the PCs must make. By this point, the events ture seeds, it is the perfect place for outcast characters of the adventure are likely to have taken to start their adventures. The village is fully modular, unexpected turns based on the PCs’ actions, with guidance included to help GMs place it just about and you should feel free to modify the climax anywhere in Rokugan with a few minor adjustments. or resolve matters in whatever way fits the GMs can also quickly and easily take a location, NPC, ongoing adventure. or other aspect of the setting and use it in their games.

Chapter 5 Chapter 7

Hirosaka is another fully realized setting for GMs and This chapter on Non-Player Characters includes players to use in their adventures, including locations, several new templates for NPCs as well as a collec- NPCs, and adventure hooks. As with Twin Blessings Vil- tion of new NPC city and village dwellers, animals, lage, any aspect of Hirosaka can be removed or used and supernatural beings. Players and GMs alike can elsewhere, and the town can be set in nearly any region enjoy many new enemies and allies—from a wander- of Rokugan with minor adjustments. ing swordmaster to a mischievous spirit known as a kappa—that help to fill out Rokugan’s lands. Chapter 6

Untold Stories offers guidance on using different themes and developing games (both individual adven- tures and longer campaigns) for rōnin and gaijin char- acters. Examples of media to which GMs can turn to for inspiration are discussed, as are strategies for running games that include a mix of character types, such as Samplerōnin traveling with a samurai party. file

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