I appreciate you making these (even if the intrigue video had a major misunderstanding of the intended use of the scene type) I have a game starting tonight and it's nice to have an additional refresher after reading through the entire book
Helpful video. The terminology doesn't bother me at much and I disagree with the first point you made in criticism corner. Granted I often (not always) use that kind of description when playing D&D and my players love it since it makes characters and players not feel like hit point bags. As for bleeding, it seems like It's something that'll usually come up when you spend the two Opp to do a critical strike with a katana but the opponent isn't incapacitated. Critical strikes felt pretty strong to me....until the Hida player with strike like earth got into a duel and it felt like punching a rock lmao. That being said I'm sharing these videos with my players to help them understand these concepts better. The info is quick and to the point, only elaborating when needed. Love it
I'm glad I'm not the only one that felt so confused at many points when reading the core book, including the beta test (too much "word salad" so to speak). It is a challenging read. Thank you for taking the time to do this. For the time being, I think I'll stick with a modified 4e until FFG/Edge Studies makes a revised version.
Just as an aside, the wording of bleeding takes into account a character that's bleeding, but not incapacitated (such as one who uses the Calming Breath action to remove one fatigue, removing the incapacitated condition).
I feel like they tried to implement video game combat mechanics into a TTRPG. There's so much to parse in the background here that it feels like a computer should be doing it and not a bunch of people sitting around a table and trying to have fun by acting out a fight.
Late to the party I know.. but I believe the 2nd part of bleed means that when someone is critically struct with a razor edge weapon instead of rolling on the severity table, the severity is equal to the character current level of fatigue . IE Matsu Imako strikes Doji Namimi with a razor edge weapon.. Namimi has so far received 10 fatigue, so now receives a crit severity 10 before fitness roll instead of the weapons crit rating.
Tbh, it seems like they were trying to mimic the language of d&d to make it easier to make the jump. I'm not sure if it makes it more confusing or not. I prefer the "HP isn't meat" methodology when playing d&d too so it's not different
It’s like vitality/wounds system in D20 Star Wars which is fine if used smartly. My biggest problem is the terminology used makes it very confusing to someone who is being brought into the game and hasn’t read the book, like most players are when they first play and because their GM talked them into playing.
I have been going through your videos and loving them. Keep them coming! And yes, make a new character sheet! I'm a first-time GM and choosing L5R to start. 😶 Love the world and conflict between personal goals and bushido expectations. Love your explanations to rules too, they have helped me IMMENSELY.
I think a cool next step in the field of combat in Legend of the Five Rings is to focus on Dueling. I’m interested in the complex dynamics between all the choices which must be made and how those choices play out. I think it can fill an entire video if all the divergents aspects are inspected: terms, stare down, forms, initiative, wagering, stances, dueling actions, the management of strife, how to spend opportunity, centering, prediction, preparing, becoming compromised, the best schools, the best kata, and best builds for dueling, and consequences of dueling family retribution glory, status, and honor.
This is definitely a lot to take in. I'm definitely gonna have to see if I can parse through bleeding and see if I can make heads or tails of it. But I really like your "rule zero" of the mechanic. You also bring up a great point of getting bogged down by the minutia of the severity charts. I'm extremely glad you brought this up. I might make something to try and make this more digestible while in game. Maybe some kind of tracker, or getting fantasy grounds to measure it as a variable (since I've only been able to play over the internet lately.) Do you find yourself using squares/hexes for combat with/without a map? Or do you just use the range bands you've discussed in the other video?
Also, I've been looking into the economy topic, and from what I can tell from the book and real history, the koku they mention is a form of "credit" currency that's "backed" by the amount of rice either your estate can grow every year, or that's alloted to you by your lord. It is represented by a gold coin known as a "ryu." I still haven't gone through that particular section of the book yet, and won't turn down your take on it. But up to this point it strikes me as a "general measurement of overall wealth" that is really only spent in hard values with big purchases like weapons and armor, or the like.
The ryō coin plays heavily in Japanese history and is found in myth and the media of today. If you look closely at Pokèmon's Meouth's forehead you'll see the ryō coin.
The "fatigue" element is important and I understand the "critical strike" difference as important. Im surprised you don't... :/. The abstraction of combat is broken down into separate abstractions which is necessary to model combat accurately. Otherwise were devolving into DnD 5th ed... or even 2nd ed... Yes the combat becomes more more complicated but it also becomes more accurate.
This is the age old argument of realism vs playability. The simpler a rule is, the easier it is for a player to use it, but it usually sacrifices realism. Alternatively you can have a rule that takes into consideration endurance, attack speed, light hits vs heavy hits, wind speed, sun position, and all sorts of other variables, each with their own separate rule. There is a balance to these two aspects in every RPG. Some prefer that balance to be more favorable to one side than the other. These are personal preferences. I tend to err on the side of playability and it does color my commentary, but many of my friends love more realistic rule sets. Both ways are valid.
@@DeadUnicornClubo go off of this comment, I like realism in some games, but I remember playing Halo Mythic (a fan made Halo TTRPG) where if you wanted to sneak you had to take in account your cloths, gear, weapon, are you laying down or not, lighting, weather, and like 4 more things, and by the time everything is said and done you have a -89 to your sneak… Some times too much realism (or what the dev thinks realism is) gets in the way of the fun.
I know this vid is old, but Im hoping someone sees this and can help me out. I was reading the techniques and some of them say stuff like “target must resist with a TN 3 fitness check (Earth 1, Fire 4)…” What the hell does the “(earth 1, fire 4)” refer to??
TN 3 with any ring except Earth which is a TN 1 and Fire which is a TN 4. This means depending on the approach of the PC the TN can change. So this activity is harder when using the Earth ring and easier when using the Fire ring.
@@DeadUnicornClub Thank you! I thought it meant like you have to use either 1 earth ring dice or 4 earth, which sounded weird. You guys are awesome, thank you for the quick and thorough response!! 😁
Sorry but i don t get It... If i strike someone and use the opportunuty to do a critical strike, they suffer fatigue and than even the critical damage? The armor reduce the damage to fatigue and critical hit? Thank you for the patience
If you succeed at a strike and spend two opportunities for a critical strike they take both fatigue and the critical strike, from what I can tell as RaW. Armor will only reduce fatigue and has no effect on critical strikes.
I have a full video about how to move and how it affects gameplay. While most rules in the book are geared towards 'theatre of the mind' there are rules to using a map, which I think work very well, and are much preferred.
@@DeadUnicornClub Thanks for the quick response. I need to do better about checking my replies! Would love to see a mass battle video, reading kingdom has me really wanting to try and set up an army clash. This series has been a godsend during my dive into l5r5.
So how should I run combat? lol I'm just getting into the game as GM and I'm already sensing combat slogs, ugh. So what are other GM's thoughts on combat; do you run RAW or tweaked or completely difference than the CRB?
These are the basics of combat, but then you'll have to run a skirmish. I'll be getting into that in a later video. I try to run RAW, but feel free to change rules to your tastes.
Like any game, you get use to it and it does make a bit of sense. Most games have things like conditions. As for opportunities, this does have the potential to make combat more dynamic, but I have yet to realize this in my own games.
In my experience so far the combat scenes ended up being extremely memorable and exciting. Monks flipping over enemies to intimidate and control them, PCs kicking low tables into shins to disable enemies, arms flying off unexpectedly from exploding strikes... it's awesome! The main thing that can make it a slog is if your players obsess over the opportunity sample charts. As the GM, be ready with some recommendations for them to keep things moving and they should start to remember the common ones that work for their character and actions pretty quick.
I put my earbuds and the first video in the morning has you shouting. Please, don't do this anymore. I like your videos, but please, no more random shouting in the beggin of the video, when I haven't had time to adjust the audio.
I appreciate you making these (even if the intrigue video had a major misunderstanding of the intended use of the scene type) I have a game starting tonight and it's nice to have an additional refresher after reading through the entire book
Thank you so much for making these! Keep them coming!
You bet!
Helpful video. The terminology doesn't bother me at much and I disagree with the first point you made in criticism corner. Granted I often (not always) use that kind of description when playing D&D and my players love it since it makes characters and players not feel like hit point bags.
As for bleeding, it seems like It's something that'll usually come up when you spend the two Opp to do a critical strike with a katana but the opponent isn't incapacitated.
Critical strikes felt pretty strong to me....until the Hida player with strike like earth got into a duel and it felt like punching a rock lmao.
That being said I'm sharing these videos with my players to help them understand these concepts better. The info is quick and to the point, only elaborating when needed. Love it
I'm glad I'm not the only one that felt so confused at many points when reading the core book, including the beta test (too much "word salad" so to speak). It is a challenging read. Thank you for taking the time to do this. For the time being, I think I'll stick with a modified 4e until FFG/Edge Studies makes a revised version.
Just as an aside, the wording of bleeding takes into account a character that's bleeding, but not incapacitated (such as one who uses the Calming Breath action to remove one fatigue, removing the incapacitated condition).
I WANTED AN EXAMPLE!
Sorry to yell but my hopes were so high.
I'd love it if you made a combat video!
I feel like they tried to implement video game combat mechanics into a TTRPG. There's so much to parse in the background here that it feels like a computer should be doing it and not a bunch of people sitting around a table and trying to have fun by acting out a fight.
I've been enjoying these videos. It's been 6 months since the last one. Will you be making more?
Yes. It will be out before year's end.
Late to the party I know.. but I believe the 2nd part of bleed means that when someone is critically struct with a razor edge weapon instead of rolling on the severity table, the severity is equal to the character current level of fatigue . IE Matsu Imako strikes Doji Namimi with a razor edge weapon.. Namimi has so far received 10 fatigue, so now receives a crit severity 10 before fitness roll instead of the weapons crit rating.
That is one interpretation. The writing of the rule is very clunky so you could see it that way.
Tbh, it seems like they were trying to mimic the language of d&d to make it easier to make the jump. I'm not sure if it makes it more confusing or not. I prefer the "HP isn't meat" methodology when playing d&d too so it's not different
It’s like vitality/wounds system in D20 Star Wars which is fine if used smartly. My biggest problem is the terminology used makes it very confusing to someone who is being brought into the game and hasn’t read the book, like most players are when they first play and because their GM talked them into playing.
I have been going through your videos and loving them. Keep them coming! And yes, make a new character sheet! I'm a first-time GM and choosing L5R to start. 😶 Love the world and conflict between personal goals and bushido expectations. Love your explanations to rules too, they have helped me IMMENSELY.
I think a cool next step in the field of combat in Legend of the Five Rings is to focus on Dueling. I’m interested in the complex dynamics between all the choices which must be made and how those choices play out. I think it can fill an entire video if all the divergents aspects are inspected: terms, stare down, forms, initiative, wagering, stances, dueling actions, the management of strife, how to spend opportunity, centering, prediction, preparing, becoming compromised, the best schools, the best kata, and best builds for dueling, and consequences of dueling family retribution glory, status, and honor.
I absolutely need an economy video.
Thanks for the idea on bleeding
thanks for making this series!!
Definitely need a economy video
I'll make it but when you click on it, it'll actually be a Kolat recruitment video.
This is definitely a lot to take in. I'm definitely gonna have to see if I can parse through bleeding and see if I can make heads or tails of it. But I really like your "rule zero" of the mechanic. You also bring up a great point of getting bogged down by the minutia of the severity charts. I'm extremely glad you brought this up. I might make something to try and make this more digestible while in game. Maybe some kind of tracker, or getting fantasy grounds to measure it as a variable (since I've only been able to play over the internet lately.)
Do you find yourself using squares/hexes for combat with/without a map? Or do you just use the range bands you've discussed in the other video?
Also, I've been looking into the economy topic, and from what I can tell from the book and real history, the koku they mention is a form of "credit" currency that's "backed" by the amount of rice either your estate can grow every year, or that's alloted to you by your lord. It is represented by a gold coin known as a "ryu."
I still haven't gone through that particular section of the book yet, and won't turn down your take on it. But up to this point it strikes me as a "general measurement of overall wealth" that is really only spent in hard values with big purchases like weapons and armor, or the like.
In my video on movement I talk about using range bands for only very small encounters, otherwise I'm a hex man. Hexagons are the bestagons.
The ryō coin plays heavily in Japanese history and is found in myth and the media of today. If you look closely at Pokèmon's Meouth's forehead you'll see the ryō coin.
Please tell me you guys did an economy vid 🥺
No... I have not. Duels are next on the docket.
The "fatigue" element is important and I understand the "critical strike" difference as important. Im surprised you don't... :/. The abstraction of combat is broken down into separate abstractions which is necessary to model combat accurately. Otherwise were devolving into DnD 5th ed... or even 2nd ed... Yes the combat becomes more more complicated but it also becomes more accurate.
This is the age old argument of realism vs playability. The simpler a rule is, the easier it is for a player to use it, but it usually sacrifices realism. Alternatively you can have a rule that takes into consideration endurance, attack speed, light hits vs heavy hits, wind speed, sun position, and all sorts of other variables, each with their own separate rule.
There is a balance to these two aspects in every RPG. Some prefer that balance to be more favorable to one side than the other. These are personal preferences. I tend to err on the side of playability and it does color my commentary, but many of my friends love more realistic rule sets. Both ways are valid.
@@DeadUnicornClubo go off of this comment, I like realism in some games, but I remember playing Halo Mythic (a fan made Halo TTRPG) where if you wanted to sneak you had to take in account your cloths, gear, weapon, are you laying down or not, lighting, weather, and like 4 more things, and by the time everything is said and done you have a -89 to your sneak… Some times too much realism (or what the dev thinks realism is) gets in the way of the fun.
I know this vid is old, but Im hoping someone sees this and can help me out. I was reading the techniques and some of them say stuff like “target must resist with a TN 3 fitness check (Earth 1, Fire 4)…”
What the hell does the “(earth 1, fire 4)” refer to??
TN 3 with any ring except Earth which is a TN 1 and Fire which is a TN 4.
This means depending on the approach of the PC the TN can change. So this activity is harder when using the Earth ring and easier when using the Fire ring.
@@DeadUnicornClub Thank you! I thought it meant like you have to use either 1 earth ring dice or 4 earth, which sounded weird. You guys are awesome, thank you for the quick and thorough response!! 😁
Sorry but i don t get It...
If i strike someone and use the opportunuty to do a critical strike, they suffer fatigue and than even the critical damage?
The armor reduce the damage to fatigue and critical hit?
Thank you for the patience
If you succeed at a strike and spend two opportunities for a critical strike they take both fatigue and the critical strike, from what I can tell as RaW.
Armor will only reduce fatigue and has no effect on critical strikes.
@@DeadUnicornClub thank you very much for the help
Is there incentive to maneuver or is the game more geared towards theater of the mind?
I have a full video about how to move and how it affects gameplay. While most rules in the book are geared towards 'theatre of the mind' there are rules to using a map, which I think work very well, and are much preferred.
Does he have a video on mass battles I missed? The chart is hard to read and I was hoping he'd have an example
I have not created that yet.
@@DeadUnicornClub Thanks for the quick response. I need to do better about checking my replies!
Would love to see a mass battle video, reading kingdom has me really wanting to try and set up an army clash.
This series has been a godsend during my dive into l5r5.
we need more!!!!!!!!!!!
So how should I run combat? lol
I'm just getting into the game as GM and I'm already sensing combat slogs, ugh.
So what are other GM's thoughts on combat; do you run RAW or tweaked or completely difference than the CRB?
These are the basics of combat, but then you'll have to run a skirmish. I'll be getting into that in a later video.
I try to run RAW, but feel free to change rules to your tastes.
Damn. I am scared that all this will make the combat boring and confusing. Is it true?
Like any game, you get use to it and it does make a bit of sense. Most games have things like conditions. As for opportunities, this does have the potential to make combat more dynamic, but I have yet to realize this in my own games.
In my experience so far the combat scenes ended up being extremely memorable and exciting. Monks flipping over enemies to intimidate and control them, PCs kicking low tables into shins to disable enemies, arms flying off unexpectedly from exploding strikes... it's awesome! The main thing that can make it a slog is if your players obsess over the opportunity sample charts. As the GM, be ready with some recommendations for them to keep things moving and they should start to remember the common ones that work for their character and actions pretty quick.
YESSSSSSSS
I put my earbuds and the first video in the morning has you shouting. Please, don't do this anymore. I like your videos, but please, no more random shouting in the beggin of the video, when I haven't had time to adjust the audio.
Noted
can someone even be instantly killed?
Yes. We have frequent instant deaths, but only in Duels and Clashes where deadliness is doubled. In a skirmish deadliness stays low.