RPG: Explore Courtly Intrigue And Betrayal With L5R’s Courts Of Stone
Courts of Stone is an upcoming sourcebook for FFG’s Legend of the Five Rings roleplaying game that throws characters into a world of courtly intrigue and treacherous betrayal. Get ready to explore a world of secrets and shinobi.
If you haven’t been playing FFG’s excellent Legend of the Five Rings roleplaying game, you should really give it a shot. It’s currently done the unthinkable and pushed its way up to the number 2 spot (coming in behind the venerable D&D) in the RPG by sales ranks, according to ICv2. And with good reason too. This blend of dramatic storytelling and samurai action satisfies on many different levels. There’s truly something for everyone–it’s not unusual to find a party consisting of samurai, courtiers, itinerant magistrates, and humble smiths trying to make armor for the Crab Clan.
Add to this a dice mechanic that lends itself to the arch-action that permeates samurai fiction, and you’ve got a recipe for a great game. And the latest sourcebook, Courts of Stone looks to add Intrigue and Betrayal in whole new ways. to the world of Rokugan, let’s take a look.
via FFG
Courts of Stone centers around the castles and courts of Rokugan. Its focus on intrigue and information means there are new options available to players looking to capitalize on the shadowy, secretive nature of courtly intrigue. Specifically, you’ll see rules for incorporating shinobi characters into your campaigns, as well as new schools and techniques to capitalize on intrigue and influence. If you thought a samurai was terrifying, wait until you face a courtier armed with rhetorical shūji.
You’ll also get the inside scoop on the secrets of the Emerald Empire. This 144-page sourcebook contains a lot of lore–from an overview of the seats of Rokugani power, to advice any gamemaster will find invaluable. Tools like castle-building guidelines (including a breakdown by Clan priorities) or insight into what drives the power plays in Rokugan, so you can build your own political intrigues and schemes.
Or there’s the new minor faction introduced in this sourcebook, the Deer Clan, who are the Empire’s fateweavers and seers. They read the future and try to ensure that the most advantageous one comes to pass–and with new options for players of the Deer Clan’s subtle, manipulative masters, things are looking up for fans of L5R.
Courts of Stone $39.95
Spin your webs of intrigue and betrayal with Courts of Stone, the second sourcebook for the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game! This 144-page setting guide takes you inside the mighty castles and courts that act as the political centers of Rokugan. Here, courtiers scheme to destroy their enemies. Treachery lies behind every false smile, and spies and assassins lurk in every shadow.
Courts of Stone details the treacherous battlefields of words and intentions, as well as the courtiers who plot the course of the Emerald Empire and their Shinobi agents. Along with Gamemaster support for running adventures based around politics, romance, and intrigue, you will also find a wealth of information about the masters of the court, the Crane Clan. Do you have the cunning to survive the courts of Rokugan?
Happy Adventuring–but watch your backs out there!
