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Legend of the Five Rings 4th Edition RPG ReviewBuyers who are familiar with the Revised 3rd Edition may be reluctant to buy the 4th Edition. That's understandable. I was wary myself, but I am grateful I took the plunge and purchased 4th Edition. This makes up for many of the mistakes of the past while forging a new future.First, the book looks very nice. The artwork is exceptional, and the layout is professionally done. The type is on the small side, but the contrast is good. The fact that the type is so small in a book so large gives you an idea of just how full of information this book is. I'm not a fan of the section headings (Book of Water, et al.), but it's a stylistic decision that simply isn't my cup of tea. Others may disagree. Certainly, it's nothing I'd dock point off of. There have been a few typos, but they are mild; nothing like previous editions!
The book is very robust. The world of L5R has several years of stories crammed into it, and it's simply impossible to fit everything into one book. Still, this book has the most vital parts, while leaving some areas open for GM interpretation or sourcebooks. You have what you need to start a campaign, though the book intentionally makes some things vague so that it'll fit in almost any L5R campaign.
The rules are also well done. I understand this book has undergone some rigorous playtesting, and the hard work is apparent. A lot of the power differences between comparable Schools have been toned down so that while one school clearly has an advantage, it's usually not a runaway. The rules have been retooled so that success is based more on the dice than on what Advantages and Schools you have. Static bonuses are an endangered species; if a character receives a set numerical bonus or a "Raise," then it is indicative of how that character is supposed to be really good at what he does. L5R veterans may recall saying things like "7k3 +30." You're less likely to hear it in 4th Edition.
Veterans of L5R will also notice other changes, mostly for the better. The five stances make combat more dynamic and tactical--without resorting to battle mats with 5-foot squares. The Wounds distribution makes it likely that a character can withstand a solid hit and grit through the pain, rather than spiral down into ineffectiveness; I believe the idea I heard is that, "Combat should not be determined by who rolled the best initiative," and I think the book succeeds here. Also, the list of Advantages and Disadvantages has been expanded, including being blessed (or cursed) by a major Fortune, being positively or negatively influenced by one of the spirit realms, and even epitomizing or rejecting an aspect of bushido (or even its opposite, shourido).
There are still some things I do not like. While I praise the designers for balancing the rules, I am bemused by the Dragon tattoo, which seems to be considerably ahead in the power curve. I also did not like the maximum number of Raises being limited to your Void (I thought 3rd Edition was a step forward by eliminating that). These are very minor disagreements, which can be easily changed in a home game if you feel like it. They may make me roll my eyes, but I wouldn't reduce my score because of them.
Another down side is the price. Once you see and feel the book, you can see where the money has gone. This is obviously not a basement print job. Some may argue that no book should cost this much, but most RPG books nowadays are on the pricy side. At least you get excellent artwork, well-thought-out rules, and a fairly low typo-to-page-count ratio (page count is 400 FYI). Considering the hours of entertainment you can derive from this book, the price is actually rather reasonable.
Finally, this book has made me do something for the first time: Run my own L5R home game. That is high praise indeed if the shelves full of dusty game books are any indication. I've purchase and read many game books, but I never take the serious step in running a game based on them. L5R 4th Edition has gotten me excited enough to hunt down players and begin a new campaign.Legend of the Five Rings 4th Edition RPG Overview
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