Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game

Design Diary 3: Skills
It can be truly said that a character is defined by his Skills. What a samurai excels at, the talents that draw others to rely upon him in a crisis, are in part what makes a hero. In Legend of the Five Rings, such qualities are defined, in part, by Skills.

In Third Edition, we tried to combine many of the best aspects of Skills in the previous two editions, but also fleshed out and polished a few areas that needed work from earlier editions. We saw three problems with Skills in the previous editions.

Skill Problem #1: Basic Skill Mechanics

In first Edition, all Skill Rolls were performed by rolling a number of dice equal to your Trait + Skill, and keeping dice equal to your Trait. This system was simple and direct, but it created a situation in which Skills were not valued. A character could easily purchase a number of Skills stemming from the same Trait at Rank 1, then never increase them again, because past a certain ceiling adding those additional dice did not have a noticeable effect. Having a higher Trait was far more desirable than having a High Skill. Further, consider that the Experience Points spent to increase Traits and buy many Skills at lower level rather than focus on individual Skills was a far more efficient way to increase Insight. Other than role-playing concerns and bragging rights (which are not inconsiderable) there was no real impetus to take more than three Ranks in a Skill.

Second Edition placed a far greater emphasis on Skills. Skill rolls became a matter of rolling dice equal to your Skill and keeping a number of dice equal to your Trait. Unfortunately, to many this made Skill Rolls too difficult. Especially at lower Ranks, managing to distribute your Character and Experience Points well enough to make certain you could meet even basic Target Numbers could be difficult. A character without 3-4 Ranks in a Skill could not guarantee success at even the most basic actions. A rule in the GM’s Guide that allowed multiple similar Skills to be used on the same action mitigated this somewhat, but the rule was often missed due to its obscure location. All in all, the game became a great deal more difficult. Many players would build extremely focused characters, not spending Skill Points in areas outside their focus due to the great expense required to be even remotely reliable. This jarred wildly with the idea that a samurai should be talented in a variety of areas, so for Third Edition this needed to change.

How does Third Edition attempt to address these problems? Well for starters, we’re back to the Trait + Skill, keep Trait system. This system is more forgiving at lower Ranks, and encourages a player to actually take a variety of Skills. But what about the problems with that system? What encouragement is there to take multiple Ranks in a Skill? Well, Third Edition introduces a new mechanic we call Mastery. As a character gains more Ranks in a Skill, he learns new ways to use that Skill. For instance, higher ranks in Etiquette will make it more difficult for others to manipulate you in social situations. Higher ranks in Defense will make you more difficult to hit in combat at all times.

Skill Problem #2: Redundancy

Another problem that arose in Skills was a matter of redundancy. Over time, the game introduced a variety of new skills. In some cases, this presented a number of problems. Now having lots of options is always a good thing, nobody can possibly argue that it isn’t. However, lots of Skills was -NOT- a good thing, particularly when new Skills come along later that trumped or invalidated existing skills.

For instance, take Courtier and Etiquette. When the game started in First Edition these were clearly intended to be the political character's bread and butter. Then, as the game went on, we got the following:

Diplomacy (used to attempt to bring about peaceful resolutions)
Political Maneuvering (used to manipulate others)
Manipulation (also used to manipulate others)
Gossip (used to spread rumors)
Conversation (used to stall for time)
Obeiesaseru (used to look at people funny in An Imperial Way)

Each of these skills has a function that, arguably, could have been covered under the original intent of Courtier and Etiquette, except now that poor samurai who thought he had himself covered with two skills has the rug pulled out from under him as he finds out he needs eight (assuming he didn't already spend points on stuff like Sincerity and Heraldry as well). To make matters worse, every time one of these skills came out, Courtier and Etiquette became a little less useful, until they really didn't seem to do much at all that one of these other skills didn't already cover.

This is pretty unfair to a courtier say the least. The bushi who focuses on combat needs only Kenjutsu and Defense, with no threat of new Skills invalidating the application of these Skills. In a game with such a focus on role-playing and character development as L5R, there's no reason to penalize the players who focus on social Skills in such a manner.

Now, I know we all like to see new character options, and that was the impetus for all those new Skills (I should know, I created some of them). However the considerable character point investment a Skill takes can make it demoralizing when the game says "Here is a new skill. It does this thing that you thought your old Skill did, except now you have to pay for it again. By the way, the old Skill you already paid for is now much less useful."

Third Edition does not eliminate the previous variety in application for Skills. However, it does consolidate them. A lot uses for Skills that existed before in the form of multiple Skills are now accomplished with a single skill. We have also introduced Emphases, specializations of Skills that work in many ways similar to the Weapon Specializations in 2E.

Here is an example of how Skills work in Third Edition - if you are a Courtier, Courtier and Etiquette are more or less all you need. Naturally other Skills will always be a help in the complex machinations of Imperial politics, but to be an effective courtier you could potentially get by with just these. This is comparable to a bushi, who can already potentially get by with only Kenjutsu and Defense, but will be more efficient with Skills like Battle, Kyujutsu, and Horsemanship to complement his swordsmanship. If this hypothetical courtier wished to be more focused, he could take the Sincerity Emphasis in Etiquette or the Manipulation Emphasis in Courtier and be quite a bit better than the average person at those specific applications of a Skill.

If a character wishes, he can take multiple Emphases in a single Skill and become a true master of that Skill. Also, Emphasis rules apply equally to both combat and non combat skills. Weapon Specializations are no longer separate skills, but an Emphasis of that Weapon Skill. This removes the odd double standard where you could specialize in combat skills but not in the social interaction skills that were purportedly the other side of the game.

Emphases are going to be a part of the game from the very beginning. Right now, every School offer one free Emphasis that embodies the focused training of that School. Courtier Schools, which are more deeply focused on Skill use, offer three free Emphases.

Here’s a bit of insight into how Emphases work, from the Third Edition Book of Water:

Emphases

Some Skills list a number of Emphases in their description. Emphases are extremely specific applications of that Skill. For example, while the Kenjutsu Skill gives mastery of several types of swords, the Katana Emphasis gives greater knowledge of that specific weapon. Likewise, while the Courtier Skill gives one a general knowledge of courtly intrigue and political maneuvering, the Sincerity Emphasis grants a keener ability to convince others that you believe in what you are saying. An Emphasis costs a number of points equal to twice the number of Emphases your character will have in that Skill after that Emphasis is learned. Thus the first Emphasis costs 2 points, the second costs four, et cetera. You may have only one Emphasis in a Skill you possess at Rank 1.

When using a Skill in an area where its Emphasis applies, you may add your Skill Rank to the total of your roll. If more than one possible Emphasis applies to a single roll, you only gain the bonuses of one. Some Emphases grant Emphasis Abilities that allow you to use your Skill in unusual ways. Any Skill applications that fall under a Skill’s Emphasis Abilities cannot be used unless you possess that Emphasis. 

Skill Problem #3: The Peculiar Incidence of the Superman Courtier

This was a problem that was not as pressing, but still a peculiar aspect of previous editions. For any character to gain new Rank Techniques, they had to gain Insight. To gain Insight, you had to build Rings and Traits. In the long run, it was more efficient to increase Traits (thereby increasing Rings) than increasing Skills if a quick Insight hit was needed. In the case of courtiers, this often led to character development choices that were not always in character. Consider the case of Ide Tadaji, an elderly old man with a lame leg, who in order to have the proper Insight required for his Rank, had Agility 4 and Reflexes 4, and Strength 3 as of Time of the Void.

According to the Second Edition Player’s Guide, this meant that Tadaji was:

“[He has] almost a second sense for motion.”

“Cat-like in [his] ability to sense danger.”

“Strong enough to lift approximately 200 pounds.”

While I’m certainly not going to argue that a courtier can’t be hale, fit, and strong the simple fact is that L5R is meant to be a game of options – and not everyone wants to play a character who can throw a bus. The canon history of the game features many characters who prosper in the courts despite physical limitations. Players should have the option to build such characters.

The solution to this was simple. Skills generally favored by courtiers now offer an additional Insight Bonus at certain levels of mastery. While it is true that bushi and shugenja can take these Skills and gain this bonus as well, they are diluting their particular focus by doing so. Additionally, this falls in well with the theme that a samurai should be talented on the battlefield as well as in politics. By offering such an incentive to take social Skills, players may begin to make more well-rounded characters.

Examples

Discussing the motivation behind the Skill changes is all well and good, but how about some examples? Here is a brief teaser, a preview of ten skills from the Book of Water (note: some of these Skills mention new rules elsewhere in the book; the teasers are intentional)…

Battle (Perception)

Lore Skill

Emphases: Battle Lore, Skirmish, Mass Combat, Specific Enemy

You have a keen tactical mind, and are adept at devising strategies. This Skill is used to direct armies in mass combat and read terrain for advantages in skirmishes. You may spend three rounds studying an area for advantages. If you do so, you may gain a Free Raise on any skirmish fought in that area within the next day. Additionally, if enemies are waiting in ambush you may make a contested Perception/Battle roll against their Agility/Stealth to detect them. You may make a Raise on this roll to learn more information about your enemy, such as how many enemies you face, what weapons they are using, and if they are aware of your presence (one piece of information per Raise).

Emphases can apply to this Skill in skirmishes or mass combat. Additionally, you may take the Specific Enemy Emphasis; select a specific Clan, organization, or the Shadowlands. You gain the benefits of this Emphasis at all times when facing this enemy.

Emphasis Abilities

Battle Lore: You may use this Skill as a Lore Skill as it applies to Rokugan’s history of mass combat, including famous wars, battles, and generals, and their tactics.

Mastery Abilities

Rank 5: Once per combat, you may make a Reflexes/Battle Roll vs. TN 20 after you or a comrade strikes an enemy successfully. If you succeed, roll one die and add it to your initiative.

Rank 7: Reading terrain for Advantages now requires only one round. The Free Raise you gain may be passed to any ally who studied the terrain with you.

Rank 10: You gain three Free Raises when reading terrain for advantages.

Courtier (Awareness)

Social Skill

Emphases: Gossip, Manipulation, Political Maneuvering

You are skilled in the arts of politics. Along with Etiquette, this is the most important Skill a courtier possesses. A Skill Roll vs. TN 15 allows you to observe a social setting and determine who seems to be in charge and what political gambits are transpiring. Those who are attempting to conceal their influence may make an opposed Awareness/Etiquette roll to avoid your detection. The Political Maneuvering Emphasis applies to such rolls.

This Skill can also be used to manipulate others. A successful Awareness/Courtier roll, contested by your target’s Awareness/Etiquette Roll, reveals some hint of your target’s needs and desires. Normally these attempts are somewhat obvious; even if you learn the truth your target will know that you are prying. If you have the Manipulation Emphasis, you can make a Raise to learn this information in a subtler manner. With a successful roll, your target will not realize he has revealed anything.

This Skill can also be used to hunt or spread gossip. To hunt rumors, you must spend a day in court discussing a particular person or subject, rolling Awareness/Courtier vs. a TN of 15. If the roll is successful, you learn one juicy rumor about the subject. There is a base 50% chance that the rumor is true, though truthfulness doesn’t guarantee usefulness. (“Shinjo Shono dyes his hair!”) For every Raise you make, the chance of truthfulness increases by 5% to a maximum of 80%.

To spread rumors about a person or subject, you must spend a day speaking about the target in court, then roll against (Target’s Glory) — (Your Glory) x 10. If the TN to spread the rumor would be less than 15, it automatically becomes 15. This Skill only insures the rumor goes into circulation; it doesn’t insure that anyone believes it. Keep in mind that gossiping behind someone’s back is a good way to get challenged to a duel.

If you have the Gossip Emphasis, you can make a Raise on either of these rolls to conceal the fact that you are hunting or spreading gossip.

Honor Losses: When used to spread untrue rumors or seduce someone into performing a dishonorable act, Courtier is considered a Low Skill.

Deceit (Awareness)

Social Skill

Emphases: Intimidation, Lying, Seduction

This Skill is used to compel others to believe that which is untrue. When used to lie, it is usually used in Contested Skill Rolls opposed by the listener’s Perception/Investigation. If you are lying about something that the listener has knowledge of (such as a Lore Skill), he may use that Skill to oppose your attempt instead.

This Skill is also used to seduce others. Seduction does not always involve matters of the flesh, but is a matter of offering others what they desire to meet your own ends. This can be to get something more valuable in return, to shame them into dishonorable action, or merely to manipulate them for the joy of doing so. Using Seduction to manipulate a target involves a contested Awareness/Deceit (Seduction) roll vs. the target’s Awareness/Etiquette.

Intimidation is the manipulation of others through the use of threats. Keep in mind that the promise of outright violence, such as a Hida Berserker who is covered in blood and wielding a tetsubo, does not require any Skill Roll. Either someone is intimidated by such things or he is not. The Intimidation Emphasis denotes subtle coercion, threatening the target with dangers not obviously apparent. That being said, this Skill could be used by the aforementioned berserker to seem even more fearsome than he truly is. Such a roll is a Contested Willpower/Deceit (Intimidation) roll, opposed by the target’s Perception/Investigation (if they do not believe your threats) or Willpower/Deceit (Intimidation) (if they wish to counter them with bravado).

Honor Loss: For a less dishonorable way to hide the truth, see the Sincerity Emphasis of Etiquette.

Defense (Agility)

A critical Skill for all those who engage in combat, Defense is your ability to move swiftly out of harm’s way. When in the Full Defense Posture, you make an Agility/Defense roll and add this number to your TN to Be Hit. Anyone can use the Defense Skill unskilled without penalty.

Mastery Abilities

Rank 3: Add your Defense to your TN to Be Hit at all times, except when you are incapacitated, in the Full Attack Posture, or unaware of an enemy’s attack.

Rank 5: If it is the first round of combat, you may declare the Full Defense Posture when initiative is rolled. This counts as your action for the round.

Rank 7: You now add twice your Defense to your TN to Be Hit at all times, except when you are incapacitated, in the Full Attack Posture, or unaware of an enemy’s attack.

Rank 10: You may move or perform a complex action while in the Full Defense Posture.

Etiquette (Awareness)

Social Skill

Emphases: Bureaucracy, Conversation, Sincerity

You know what to say and when to say it. You know Rokugan’s social mores, how to save face, and how to protect yourself from manipulation. Along with Courtier, this is the most important Skill a courtier possesses.

The Conversation Emphasis makes you adept at small talk. A successful Awareness/Etiquette roll vs. TN 15 allows you to find an inoffensive topic of conversation. This can be a pleasant way to pass the time, but it can also be a stalling tactic, keeping a potential enemy busy while your comrades act elsewhere. The GM may require Raises or a contested Awareness/Etiquette roll to escape your conversation if the target is suspicious. A highly suspicious target can, of course, break off the conversation at any time, but not without appearing foolish and arrogant.

Etiquette can also be used to appear that you sincerely believe what you are saying, and the Sincerity Emphasis helps here. While this cannot be used to tell an outright lie, it can be used to avoid the truth or avoid a shameful reply. For example, if an overweight samurai asks, “Do you believe I am as fit as Matsu Nimuro?”, you might reply, “I do believe that the Golden Lion would vanish into your mighty shadow, my lord,” and be praised for your sincerity. Sincerity can also be used to stress your belief in something that is legitimate truth. (For outright lying, see the Deceit Skill.)

Emphasis Abilities

Bureaucracy: If you are seeking information and do not know where to obtain it, a successful Intelligence/Courtier Roll vs. TN 15 reveals the most likely candidate (though more obscure information will require Raises to find the source).

Mastery Abilities

Rank 3: The TN of any contested Social Roll made against you is increased by 5.
Rank 7: The TN of any contested Social Roll made against you is increased by 5.

Rank 10: The TN of any contested Social Roll made against you is increased by 10.

Group Skill Rolls: You can make a cooperative Etiquette Skill Roll with one other person. This is usually done to help a boorish companion avoid embarrassing himself.

Investigation (Various)

Emphases: Interrogation, Search, Notice

Investigation is a magistrate’s most important Skill, and uses a variety of different Traits. Perception is used to investigate a crime scene, while Intelligence is used to put disparate facts together and Awareness is used to interrogate suspects.

When using this Skill to search an area, such as a crime scene, meeting a TN of 15 will reveal one relevant item or clue after a reasonable amount of search time. Raises may be find to find more items, or more useful clues. The Search Emphasis applies directly to such rolls.

When interrogating a suspect, you make a contested Awareness/Investigation (Interrogation) Roll. What Skill your targets use depends how they wish to reply to your questioning. If they wish to lie or hide the truth, they use Willpower/Deceit. If they wish to reply with threats or obstinate silence, they use Willpower/Intimidation. If they wish to change the subject or distract you, they use Willpower/Courtier (Conversation) or Willpower/Deceit (Seduction). Other Skills may also be used to resist interrogation if they make sense in the context of the questioning.

Investigation is also used in Contested Rolls against Stealth and Sleight of Hand. The Notice Emphasis applies directly to seeing through such subterfuge. Notice is also used against Forgery but his is not a Contested Roll (see the Forgery Skill).

Mastery Abilities

Rank 5: You may make one additional attempt to search for clues or interrogate a suspect after you have already failed once. (This is an entirely separate Skill Roll and attempt; you approach the problem from a new direction.)

Rank 10: You may make another attempt to search for clues or interrogate a suspect after you have already failed twice.

Group Skill Rolls: A group using Investigation to Search makes a Cumulative Skill Roll.

Kenjutsu

Emphases – Katana, Ninja-to, No-dachi, Scimitar, Wakizashi

You are skilled in the art of swordsmanship.

(Editor’s Note: all swords now allow a wielder to spend one Void Point on damage if they wish. The katana allows the wielder to spend two.)

Mastery Abilities

Rank 5: You may now spend an additional Void Point on a single damage roll if you wish.

Rank 10: When using this weapon, 9’s explode on damage dice as if they were 10’s. (The subsequent dice are added to nine, not ten.)

Know the School (Intelligence) — Multiple Skills

Lore Skill

This category describes a variety of Skills, each applicable to a different school. Pick any school that you have studied in some detail: any school you have attended applies, as does a school you’ve faced repeatedly in combat or sparred with sufficiently.

If this school is a shugenja school, you add your Rank in this Skill as a bonus to all Counterspell attempts against students of that school, as well as to all spells students of that school cast upon you.

If this school is a courtier school, you add your Rank in this Skill to all Contested Social Skill Rolls against students of that school.

If this school is any other type of school, including bushi schools, you may apply your Rank in this Skill as a bonus to your attack rolls against members of that school, and gain your Rank in this Skill as a bonus to your TN to Be Hit against the attacks of those who have studied at that school.

Shadowlands Lore

Lore Skill

Emphases: Goblin Lore, Lost Lore, Oni Lore, Shadowlands Geography, Tsuno Lore

You know the creatures, history, and dangers of the Shadowlands. This is a Low Skill because the Shadowlands are not a topic for polite discussion. Raising such matters in the court is a shameful act if there is no obvious Shadowlands danger.

Honor Loss: There is no Honor Loss for learning this Skill. The only Honor Loss inherent in using it is displaying knowledge of the Shadowlands when there is no obvious need to do so. This Skill is considered a Bugei Skill for all members of the Crab Clan. The Crab do not consider it shameful to display knowledge of this Skill — to them, there is always obvious need to remember their enemy.

Stealth (Agility)

Emphases: Ambush, Shadowing, Sneaking, Spellcasting

The Stealth Skill grants a mastery of subterfuge and avoidance, offering the following abilities. None of the following Emphases are required to use their associated abilities.

You may use Stealth to find areas where a large number of people can be hidden easily. Upon finding a suitable hiding place, you may make a single Stealth Roll (with an Ambush Emphasis, if you have it) for a number of people equal to your Stealth Rank. If any of your allies move from this area they must use their own Stealth Skill to remain unseen. Finding hidden ambushers is a contested roll of Perception/Investigation (Notice) or Perception/Battle vs. the ambushers’ Agility/Stealth (Ambush) roll.

Shadowing is the art of following someone without being noticed but without necessarily hiding yourself. This can only be done in crowded areas, but has the advantage that you need no hiding place. Shadowing requires an Agility/Stealth (Shadowing) roll contested by the target’s Perception/Investigation (Notice).

Sneaking is the most common application of the Stealth Skill, and requires some form of cover or shadow to be effective. While sneaking you may only move a maximum of half your normal speed and remain unnoticed (this is a complex action, so you cannot also attack). You make an Agility/Stealth (Sneaking) roll, opposed by the Perception/Investigation (Notice) rolls of any viewers.

The Spellcasting Emphasis is used specifically by shugenja who wish to cast spells without being noticed. This is described in detail in the Book of Air.

Mastery Abilities

Rank 5: You may now move one-third your normal speed while sneaking as a simple action.

Rank 7: You may now use Ambush to hide a number of Ambushers equal to twice your School Rank.

Rank 10: You may now make a normal move while sneaking.

Group Skill Rolls: Sneaking or Shadowing with a group is a cooperative Skill Roll.

Honor Loss: No Honor is lost for learning the Stealth Skill unless you learn an Emphasis other than Sneaking. Sneaking does not generate Honor losses unless done for dishonorable purpose, such as moving uninvited through another samurai’s home or territory or moving into position to attack an unsuspecting enemy. Military scouts and household guards do not lose Honor for using Stealth to perform their duties efficiently.

Note: All above skills subject to change in playtest and editing.

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