L5R Newbie Part IV - Introduction to the Lion Clan

For this introduction article the focus will be the Lion Clan. This is perhaps the most aggressively organised militant clan in Rokugan. The Crab are always defensively focused so have little time to throw their (admittedly large) weights around and the Unicorn have more of a ‘Mongol horde raiding vibe’. This leaves the mass military honors solely with Lion.

Comparisons – As with the Dragon it is difficult to think of direct fantasy comparisons with Lion. Perhaps Imperial Army in Wk40k – there are a lot of them and they fight all the time but are not necessarily an elite force (though they contain elements that certainly are).

Historically the Lion clan is actually the closest (along with the Crane who match more the film version of lone wolf Samurai) to the actual Samurai of the period.

Very Approximate Lion territory (and I may have been way to generous at the top left where the 'City of the Rich Frog' is.

Key Locations




Hisu Mori Toride ‘tiny’ – A keep which is being contested between the Lion and Unicorn in game in the moment as related  here

Kyuden Ikoma – The ‘Sacred Watch Palace’ is a militaristic castle named because it is positioned to defend the Lion lands from attack by both Unicorn (highly likely) and Dragon (less likely). Currently it is the Lion Clan Champion’s residence. The Ikoma Libraries are here but outside the keep (which seems a little dodgy) along with several famous dojos.

Kyuden Ikoma. Has Lions playing football (soccer for all you Americans) - in our world this is Chinese imagery with the statues always in a pair with one (a male) representing supremacy over the world and the other (a female) representing maternal nature...

Shiro sano Ken Hayai – The ‘Castle of the Swift Sword’ is the home of the Kitsu family and is apparently built on the bones of the last Kitsu and is also right besides the Dragon lands. It contains the largest Akodo dojo and the Akodo War College.

Key People

Akodo Toturi

Toturi was a major character in the old storyline and is shaping up to be pivotal in this one too. He is not particularly popular within his own clan as can be seen in his (many) story appearances here, here, here and here. Appointed Emerald Champion after Satsume’s death (after defeating cheating Scorpion scum-buckets in the relevant competition) his position is currently at a knife edge.

Matsu Tsuko

She appears to be distracted by something to her right

Tsuko is another famed character who witnessed the death of her father to Phoenix (pacifist Phoenix?) assassins just managing to save her mother from the same fate when a child. She won the Topaz Championship after this where she also met Akodo Arasou (soon to be Lion Champion) who she became romantically involved with. Unfortunately he was an idiot and was ‘Harold of Hastinged’ in the eye with an arrow from Doji Hotaru. This caused an already angry woman to become a smidgen angrier (see the Toturi story above). She also has appeared more reasonable here and here (thank the fans for this as that decision was a storyline fan choice and the Lion winner of the competition specifically). As with Toturi she is a pivotal character in the current storyline so we will hear a lot more about her.

An apparent ‘new’ version of Tsuko is arriving with the clan pack. I like the pretend beard.

RPG

As would be expected most of the Lion schools have a more military bent.

Akodo Commander School (Bushi)

The Lion clan have two primarily military schools and this is the more ‘considered’ of the two. The School is responsible for producing the famous Tacticians. It’s auto ring bonuses are Earth and Water which matches both the stamina required for military forces and the tacticians astuteness in working their way around problems.

As a Bushi the character can chose five starting skills between Command, Fitness, Government, Martial Arts Melee, Martial Arts Ranged, Meditation and Tactics and gets a huge starting honor of fifty – the school is well respected in Rokugan. Ability choice, when levelling up, is from Kata, Rituals and Shuji.

Starting Kata – One from the military defaults

Striking as Earth – Increase your own resistance until the end of the next round by opportunity spent

Striking as Water – Decrease your opponents’ resistance until the end of the next round by opportunity spent

Lord Akodo’s Roar – This is an interesting action. Once per sessions (as an ACTION and not a support or attack action, unfortunately it is a void check so you cannot be in, say, water stance and take an attack action in the same round) the character can make a TN1 command void check targeting everyone within a range equalling the school rank (so one for a starting character and this is very close in range terms so sword range practically). Success applies the Dazed condition to those targets (dazed increased their attack and scheme checks by +2TN) . **+ can be spent to permit a friendly character in range 0-3 to immediately perform a ‘free’ strike action against a dazed character.

The School ability is ‘Way of the Lion’ – when the character succeeds at an attack or support check they may remove strife equal to their school rank. For every strife removed they can add a bonus success to that check (and if they add a bonus then they take one fatigue). This nicely represents Lion characters ‘calmness’ in the heat of battle and their ability to push themselves hard to get an early victory as opposed to conserving themselves and grinding things out.

An Akodo Samurai is irritated by all the children banging on her door then running away to hide. Lion don't die their hair white by the way but have been known to die it blonde.

Equipment – Unsurprisingly they start with Ashigaru Armour and travelling clothes. They get a Daisho and a Yari (spear). They also get to select one rarity six or lower weapon and also get a Yumi (bow) and two knives. This is a very heavily armed person…

An Akodo Samurai is represented in the basic combat run through on this site here.

Ikoma Bard School (Courtier)

The starting Courtier house is not a common representation of a Courtier but covers a school that exists to tell the tales of greatness of other Lion clan Samurai and generally extol the clan. This naturally allows me to link several unrelated things related to bards (from the always excellent OrderOfTheStick) http://www.giantitp.com

Ahem. Anyway back to the School. Their auto ring increases are fire and water and their five starting skills can be selected from Composition, Courtesy, Culture, Martial Arts Ranged, Performance, Sentiment and Tactics. Starting honor is decent at 45 and their levelling groups are Kata, Rituals and Shuji.

They get one automatic Kata – ‘Warrior’s Resolve’ which is a support action where the bard can spend one point to remove fatigue equal to their honor rank. Now this is not literal honor count but relates (I think!) to the Honor table on page 302 of printed core basically covering zero for honorless scum to six. Most characters (and especially Lion) will be at or start at three so this is a decent ability - though the use of a void point is painful as they can be so useful.

Shuji –

‘Fanning the Flames’ – When making a social skill fire check targeting characters the character can spend *+ opportunity to make a target dazed per point spent or **+ to make one target enraged per opportunity spent. Dazed increases their attack and scheme actions by two and enraged means critical strikes at or from them have their deadliness increased by two. Plus the first time per scene an enraged character kills someone they gain one void point. Enraged is quite difficult to remove lasting until the end of the scene or taking a TN3 meditation support void check.

In practice this is a useful ability to succeed in social manoeuvring by just making it more difficult for others to succeed at what they are trying or to force a sudden confrontation (and turn things into a Skirmish) but where the party has an advantage.

Tributaries of Trade – Once per scene as a scheme & support action the Bard can make a TN1 commerce water skill to suddenly have an item of rarity <= 1 + bonus successes that they had obtained earlier (via a servant or messenger they had sent out for or similar). The item still needs to be paid for.

*+ can be spent to reduce the price by one quarter (minimum is one quarter) per point spent.

Pissed Lion spills arrives late to a meeting of the Rokugani temperance society. 

The School Ability is – Heart of the Lion – Once per scene after a social skill check on characters the bard may either ‘agitate’ of ‘console’

Agitate – Transfer strife up to twice the school rank (so two at start) from the Bard to the targets

Console – Transfer strife up to twice the school rank (still two) to the Bard from the targets

A great ability that allows the Bard to push opposition over the edge and perhaps cause them to unmask or prevent his/her own party doing the same by taking some strife from friends.

Equipment – Travelling clothes and a Wakizashi along with either a Yari (Spear) or Tessen (war fan? Why does the bard need this? Perhaps he gets hot strumming music) along with a Yumi (bow) and any musical instrument. Presumably a portable one as a grand piano might be limiting.


Kitsu Medium School (Shugenja)

An unusual Shugenja school in that their focus is in communing with the glorious ancestors of the past though not in an evil Necromacy sense.

Auto ring boosts are in the expected void and water.

Three starting skills can then be selected from Courtesy, Government, Meditation, Performance, Survival and Theology. Starting honor is a very decent fifty and upgrade abilities can be chosen from the standard Shugenja setup of Invocations, Rituals and Shuji.

New characters get to choose two starting invocations from the following list.

The Rushing Wave - This is a movement action requiring a TN2 Theology Water check targeting one person at 0-1 range who needs to be near a large body of water (stream, large pond, lake etc). Success during a Skirmish forms a rushing water spout that propels the target who may immediately move one range band plus any bonus successes. If used during a narrative or downtime when the character is on water (in a ship or small boat and not swimming) then this doubles their speed through water.

Spirit requests help after getting stuck in 'quick mud'

Path to Inner Peace – A support action requiring TN2 Theology Water check targeting a single person at range 0-2. This is a healing spell that 'mends' muscles removing fatigue equal to the water ring plus bonus successes. This is only allowed once per scene per target. A single opportunity allows a minorish condition to be removed as well (bleeding, dazed, disorientated or lightly wounded). A single opportunity can also be spent to remove strife equal to the bonus successes. This is a nice heal with the scene restriction to prevent a game breaking ability if used each turn.

Biting Steel – As a TN2 Theology Fire Support action targeting a weapon at 0-1 success augments the weapon with blazing energy that increases its damage by the fire ring. This lasts one round plus bonus successes. – A very nice help to the more militant party members or as a defensive measure to help the Shugenja in a tight spot.

Rituals

Commune with the Spirits - A downtime activity that allows the character to gain information or relevant assistance dependant on the gift token i.e a water check taking an Elemental gift could allow the caster to use a water Kami to cross a small river, or to make it rain briefly. Lots of opportunities with all the results of this.

Cleansing Rite - A TN3 Theology Void check targeting up to five characters and success removes spiritual contaminants from the targets (not the Shadowlands trait). If opportunity is spent and one of the targets is 'otherworldly' the Shugenja will be aware of this but not who. Two opportunity can also be spent to cleanse an area if it is 'Defiled'. If that area has been 'Defiled' a while then this might only be temporary.

School Ability – ‘Favor of the Ancestors’ – Once per scene the Shugenja can importune an invocation with a rank equal to the school rank without making sacrifices or with TN increase.


Equipment – Sanctified Robes and Travelling clothes along with a Wakizashi, knife and Bo (staff).

Matsu Berserker School

Matching their somewhat aggressive reputation these peeps start with auto ring increases in earth and fire granting both survivability and aggression.

The initial five skills are chosen from another militaristic group of Command, Fitness, labor, martial arts melee, martial art ranged, martial arts unarmed and survival.

Starting honour is an enormous 55. Perhaps the Akodo’s ‘tactics’ are sometimes regarded as less honourable than the Matsu’s singular ‘hit target repeatedly until dead’ approach. Levelling up choices can be made from Kata, Rituals and Shuji.

They get a somewhat limited starting kata choice of one of the following.

‘Rushing Avalanche Style’ – When using a blunt weapon in a melee check opportunity can be spent so that if the attack fails by two or less then the target still suffers damage equal to this characters fitness. Basically representing the attack being so aggressive that the physicality required to even block the characters attacks can tire out the defender.. If the target is prone and the attack is successful then the weapon damage is increased by this characters fitness.

Or

‘Spinning Blade Style’ – When making a martial arts (melee or unarmed) attack if the character has a second ready weapon (or hand) that it has not used then *+ can be spent (must equal the targets vigilance) to sue the second weapon on that target inflicting damage equal to its base damage (though if the target is dazed then this is increased by the rank of the relevant skill used I.e Martial Arts melee)

That’s the last time I let you set up the barbeque. ‘Kebab’ time. Anyone else want to stick an apple in that mouth?

They get a single starting Shuji which is ‘Stirring the Embers’ – When making a social fire check targeting one or more people then *+ can be spent to target a known distinction allowing that person to re-roll three dice as opposed to two when using that distinction. So in practice if you were paired with say Hida Sugi of the base set and needed to move a heavy rock this could be used on her ‘large stature’ making it more likely for the check to succeed.

The School ability is ‘Matsu’s Fury’ – when the character receives a critical hit or unmasks then they can deliberately become enraged which allows them to remove fatigue equal to their school rank (Enraged increases critical hits deadliness received and given by two, gains a void point the first time an enraged character kills someone and is only ended at the end of the scene or after a TN3 Meditation Void success). Which is a nice representation of the schools focus on controlling that rage.

Equipment at start is the unsurprising Travelling clothes and Ashigaru Armour. They have a Daisho and can choose either a Nodachi (Greatsword) or Tessen (war fan) along with a knife and Yumi (bow).


Kitsu Medic School (Artisan, Bushi)

Lion have the first dedicated cleric healing type school though its more the real life ‘hit things with dangerous objects’ with a sideline in healing than a ‘don’t let anything hit me while I spam spells to heal the damage dealers’ magical variety. This is the Lion class from the Shadowlands book.

The school provides ring increases in Earth and Water. And permits five starting skills to be chosen from Command, Fitness, Martial Arts Melee, Martial Arts Unarmed, Medicine, Sentiment and Survival.

Starting Honor is a more standard 44 with levelling up techs available from Kata, Rituals and Shuji.

They get to choose one starting Kata from the following three

Crescent Moon Style – (Note that some of the free choices have a little symbol that indicates the character can ignore pre-requisites to take it. In most cases the pre-reqs are all levels and as this is a level 2 Kata it should be automatically stronger than the level one ones). Anyway when performing a guard action the character can spend an opportunity and if done then any time a character at range 1-2 performs an attack action targeting the guarded target (might be the Kitsu might be someone else) then the Kitsu gets to perform an instant strike action with the effects persisting until the end of the next turn or until the target performs a strike action (including as part of this ability). Since guard increases the TN this means you can use a defensive stance and still get your ripostes in.

Striking as Earth – Increase characters resistance per point spent until the end of the next turn

Striking as Water – Decrease enemy targets resistance by one per point spent until the end of the next turn.

Lion warrior forgets she hasn’t drawn a weapon and instead points a small scroll at the enemy

The student gets two automatic rituals

Cleansing Rite - A TN3 Theology Void check targeting up to five characters and success removes spiritual contaminants from the targets (not the Shadowlands trait). If opportunity is spent and one of the targets is 'otherworldly' the Shugenja will be aware of this but not who. Two opportunity can also be spent to cleanse an area if it is 'Defiled'. If that area has been 'Defiled' a while then this might only be temporary. (Copied from the other Kitsu)


Threshhold Barrier – An ability seen so far with the Kuni (where it makes more sense though this character does have a certain ‘deal with me’ vibe- this is a downtime activity but with a more practical use. At its simplest success can bar a threshold (gate, entrance, prayer gate) etc to a creature type dependant on the ring. Those types can still try to enter (TN3 void meditation check) but the caster gets informed. I like the fact you can choose what to block so we have

Air - Otherworldly beings

Earth - Tainted Beings

Fire - Undead beings with corporal form

water - wild animals

void -humans

Time blocked is one hour plus bonus success but if an opportunity is spent then the caster also gets involved if any of the blocked creatures passed in the last 24 hrs.


And one Shuji – Stonewall Tactics – When taking a Social Earth check OR Martial Arts Earth then *+ can be spent to increase the TN of ANY check that does not target the characters by one per opportunity spent. The effect lasts until the end of the next turn. This basically means everything needs to be focused at this characters or becomes harder so the Kitsu is pulling everything towards him/herself.

The School Ability is ‘Field Medicine’ – when making a medicine check the medic can remove additional fatigue equal to the school rank

Equipment – It’s a Lion fighting cleric so Ashigaru Armour and travelling clothes along with a simple Daisho and Medical supplies.


Why not show some OOTS again with sage cleric advice

LCG

When the game first released Lion did okay. It had a weenie rush Zergling type vibe that was heavily reinforced by cards like For Greater Good and later Ujiaki. Their access to multiple ways to dominate military battles ensured they were always a threat but in recent packs they have just maintained this position whereas other clans have become stronger. It is not that you cannot win with Lion (you certainly can and if a strong player then you can win Koteis and the like) it is just that it requires luck and skill. I usually think that a Lion player needs everything to go right and something to go wrong for their opponent for them to win whereas some clans have more ‘give’ and can cope with some luck/skill adversity. They are expected to get a big strength jump when the Lion clan pack arrives in a few months with a funky stronghold.

Deck Types


Lion decks are either military powerhouses that either attempt to swarm (and sometimes pack Crane splash to reduce their political weakness) or weenie honor rushers – a deck type that has a hard job working as honor victories are a precious and rare thing as it is easier to stop someone honouring than it is to prevent yourself dishonouring.

Key Cards

Lions Pride Brawler – Still a very powerful card as it allows the Lion to (usually) bow a strong political attacker

An irritating card to face but wonderful art all the same

Kitsu Spiritcaller – Another amazing card. Pulling back a Toturi to drop into a conflict for no cost other than bowing? This is an amazing card

Ready for Battle – One of the best anti-bow cards in the game

A Legion of One – Lion can pack plenty of one cost conflict chars that they can drop with a fate and turn almost instantly into offensive power houses.


Weaknesses – Political is a problem and unlike Crane Lion usually focuses less on honouring their military chars so don’t get the honor boost to their weak stat. Unicorn can usually out-military Lion (which must be galling) and a lot of the Lion conflict cards are ‘win more’ as opposed to ‘draw or win just this’. 

Imperial Advisors Dragon purchase advice is here (amongst the other clans)

For an example of play see this finals of an Elemental Champion ship here