D&D: ‘Adventures In Rokugan’ Brings the ‘Legend of the Five Rings’ World to 5th Edition
An up coming RPG from Edge Studios, Adventures in Rokugan, will bring the world of Legend of the Five Rings to 5th Edition.
Legend of the Five Rings and the world of Rokugan are coming to the land of d20s once again with Adventures in Rokugan. This latest incarnation is being developed by Edge Studios, the RPG studio that rose up in the wake of Fantasy Flight Games’ restructuring.
Edge, who also head up the Star Wars games these days, announced late last week that Adventures in Rokugan was coming soon. Soon enough that a playable original scenario will be at GenCon 2022.
via Edge Studio
So you can try it for yourself and see how the setting has been adapted to 5th Edition’s ruleset.
Adventures in Rokugan – Coming Q3 2022
Rokugan. The Emerald Empire. For thousands of years, the samurai of the Great Clans have served the Hantei Emperor in guiding this land’s destiny. But now, danger besets Rokugan on all sides. While the Great Clans march to war with one another, blood magic users corrupt the Empire from within, the spirits of the restless dead haunt its wilds, and to the south, hordes of foul oni batter against the Kaiu Wall, the last defense against the vile demons pillaging Rokugan.
The same basic rules that fuel D&D will power AiR. Though, like many games that adapt 5E, you can expect some tweaks.
A look at some of the preview art reveals a little of what to expect. Besides Rokugan-specific species like nezumi and tengu, there are backgrounds as well. But perhaps most exciting are the new classes. The preview we saw mentions Warriors, Duelists, Courtiers, Shinobi, Ritualists, Pilgrims, and Acolytes.
It’s easy enough to trace some analogs. Warriors and Duelists might well correspond to Fighters. Ritualists and Acolytes to Wizards and Warlocks. But it’s not a 1-to-1 kind of thing. It should be familiar enough for seasoned 5E players to pick up though.
But what really interests me is the mention of techniques, which are described thusly:
These include the exceptional martial techniques used by warriors and duelists, as well as the spiritual invocations of ritualists that let tem wield the power of the elements, call forth ancestral guardians, and vanquish otherworldly threats.
It sounds like everyone’s going to be a wizard, at least a little bit. A solution as old as 4th Edition and just as good. You’ll have to try the preview adventure to see for yourself.
Books in Rokugan
At press time, Edge Studios announced several books in the line. Starting with the Core Book, Adventures in Rokugan:
Stuff
A GM’s Kit:
via Edge Studio
The GM Kit includes both a beautiful screen that keeps the rules at your fingertips as well as a pre-made amazing adventure. Guide your players into the world of Rokugan with style and ease with the Adventures in Rokugan Roleplaying Game Master’s Kit!
Writ of the Wilds, a sourcebook that explores the wilds of Rokugan:
- Tales of the strange beings and spirits that haunt the Shinomen Mori, and the various cultures and species that live outside of Rokugan’s society.
- Rules for the Dragonfly minor clan, plus new schools, kiho, kata, and rituals designed to bring the monastic culture of the Dragon to your game. You also gain access to rules for playing new non-human species such as Shinomen Nezumi, Naga, and Tengu, and also playing members of the Yobanjin Groups who live in the Great Wall of the North.
- A wealth of information on temples and monasteries, and GM support on how to include these settings in your game.
And an adventure module, Blood of the Lioness:
Look for all of these coming soon!
