Roleplaying game

10
Introduction
Introduction
The Great Clans
Rokugani society is based on a clan structure, with seven families de-
scended from the Kami ruling over other families descended from those 
who swore fealty. Over the centuries, each family has gravitated toward 
a certain role or duty within the clan, although it’s common for families 
to trade promising students who show talent in an area that differs from 
that of their ancestors. The Great Clans of Rokugan are diverse and pow-
erful, dividing huge swaths of the Empire between them and command-
ing many thousands of samurai from families great and small.
The Crab Clan
“Courage. Duty. Sacrifice.”
The Crab stand out in any gathering of samurai, given a wide berth both 
for their stature and for their gruff, brusque manners. The defenders of 
the Empire have little time or inclination to practice social niceties; they 
stand guard upon the Kaiu Wall, an enduring symbol of tenacity against 
the horrors of the Shadowlands. Often, they grumble that their duty is 
taken for granted, that their fine and honorable samurai succumb to the 
horrifying Taint while the effete and the careless play at games in an Em-
pire kept safe by the spilled blood of the Crab. 
The Crane Clan
“There is a proper technique for all things.”
The Crane are the Left Hand of the Emperor, in service as the political 
aides to the throne. It’s traditional for the Hantei to choose a samurai 
from the Doji family as their spouse, more Emerald Champions have 
been Kakita than any other family, and the samurai of the Daidoji family 
serve as some of the finest shock troops in the Emerald Empire. Yet the 
Crane make their greatest contributions in culture: many of the finest 
poets and craftspeople hail from their academies, and their duelists have 
few rivals save one. They are the masters of court, with the wealth and 
status to prove it.
The Dragon Clan
“Find your own path.”
For a thousand years, the Dragon Clan has watched over the others, re-
cording the history of Rokugan. Aloof and enigmatic, the armies of the 
Dragon march only rarely, intervening in the clashes of the Great Clans 
for seemingly inscrutable reasons. From the strange and powerful Tat-
tooed Monks of Togashi to the investigators who challenge the system 
of justice in the Empire, the Dragon seek to ensure the Empire does not 
become too self-focused and solipsistic. It falls to them to ensure that the 
future of the Empire transpires in an orderly and elegant manner.
The Lion Clan
“For my ancestors!”
To be a samurai is to live and breathe Bushidō, but to be a Lion is to 
exemplify it to all others. The Lion’s roar heralds the call to battle and 
honor. For centuries, the Lion have dominated the military tactics and 
strategy of the Empire, pioneering new techniques and battle methods 
that other clans take years to adopt. Now, this clan’s samurai seek to apply 
the wisdom of their ancestors to the trials of the modern era.
The Phoenix Clan
“Master the elements and be reborn.”
Other clans guard the Empire’s borders, even the Empire’s future, but the 
Phoenix guard the Empire’s soul. It is the duty of the Phoenix to keep safe 
the myriad religious paths of the Empire, defining them and arbitrating 
their differences. Scholars of the Tao and servants of the spirits are found 
among the Phoenix’s ranks more than in any other clan; the wisdom the 
Phoenix have gleaned from both traditions has led them to foster peace 
and understanding among the other clans, even if it means sacrificing 
themselves in the process.
The Scorpion Clan
“I will be your villain, Hantei.”
From behind their masks and veils, the Scorpion smile grimly at the per-
formance of their duty, for it is their sacrifice to be hated even as they ex-
ecute it perfectly. What other clan could perform the role of loyal villain? 
It was the Scorpion Kami’s contention that enemies need not be external 
to the Empire, and thus, the Scorpion fight fire with fire. They keep all 
clans united in hatred against them, yet divided so that no one clan can 
challenge the line to whom they owe undying loyalty: the Hantei. 
The Unicorn Clan
“One cannot capture the wind.”
The Clan of the Wind spent hundreds of years outside the Empire, re-
turning in a glorious cavalry charge that shook the other clans to their 
core. The barbaric ways they adopted in their exile continue to shock and 
disgust the other clans, yet the Unicorn remain fierce in their duty and 
unwavering in their honor. Of all the clans, they are best suited to uncov-
ering foreign manipulation and infiltration, for they faced innumerable 
horrors and traitors in their wandering years.
The Minor Clans
The Great Clans dominate the politics and military of Rokugan, but 
several Minor Clans exist, founded by brave heroes whose selfless 
service to the Emperor resulted in awards of land and titles. Most 
Minor Clans are roughly equal in power to one of the individual 
families of the Great Clans, though some—such as the Mantis—are 
powerful enough to command greater respect. Many fulfill specific 
niches or duties within the Empire. In theory, their members re-
ceive the same social respect as any other samurai from the Great 
Clans. In practice, ignoring a Minor Clan samurai outside of their 
region of control carries few repercussions.

---

11
Chapter 1: Playing the Game
Chapter 1: Playing the Game
A roleplaying game is a group storytelling exercise that enables groups 
of people to develop their own characters, scenarios, and worlds together 
with their friends. Unlike in a competitive game, the rules of a roleplay-
ing game are intended first and foremost to help people tell stories and 
have fun. The rules for the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game 
(commonly abbreviated to simply “L5R”) are written with a certain de-
gree of technical precision, but they should be understood as tools to 
enable storytelling rather than as restrictions that must be applied “cor-
rectly” in all cases. Remember, as long as everyone is having fun, you’re 
playing the game properly!
Goals of the Game
The Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game is a game of samurai dra-
ma, drawing inspiration from real-world literature and history and tak-
ing place in the fictional land of Rokugan. Characters are torn between 
their personal desires and their sworn duties, and must often contend 
with cunning court intrigues, deadly armed conflicts, and dangerous 
supernatural creatures.
Players
Most of the participants, termed players, portray a person within the 
world of the story. Each player controls one such character (called, 
intuitively enough, a player character, or PC). Players decide the histo-
ry, beliefs, desires, and quirks of their player characters, make decisions 
for their characters during the game, and control and portray their 
characters when roleplaying.
The Game Master
To facilitate the telling of the story, one participant serves as the game 
master (GM) instead of as a player. The game master is the group’s 
guide, who helps them interface with the world and tell a unique story in 
the Emerald Empire. The game master is not the sole architect of the sto-
ry, but this person does have a particularly important role. They portray 
the other inhabitants of the world (non-player characters, or NPCs), 
describe each scenario and scene to the players, and act as an arbitrator 
in the infinite number of situations that can arise.
Custom Dice
The Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game uses two types of custom 
dice: six-sided dice and twelve-sided dice, each of which has faces depict-
ing custom symbols for this game. When a player rolls these symbols, 
they inform narrative outcomes and give players cues that can inspire 
them as they tell a story together.
Roll and Keep
The core mechanic of rolling dice in Legend of the Five Rings employs a 
concept called roll and keep. When attempting to have their character 
resolve a task in the story, a player rolls a number of dice and then choos-
es to keep a number of those dice. This activity (rolling and keeping dice 
to see the consequences of a character’s effort) is called a check.
Only kept dice are resolved, which gives the player the strategic op-
portunity to decide which symbols will make for the best story in a given 
situation. Many die faces indicate both positive and negative outcomes, 
and a player must decide if the benefits of keeping such a die outweigh 
the costs.
Ring Dice
The six-sided dice are Ring dice, which reflect a character’s core per-
sonality and fundamental aptitudes. In text, they are represented with 
the  symbol.
Skill Dice
The twelve-sided dice are Skill dice, which reflect a character’s training 
in a particular area of expertise. Skill dice provide slightly more potent out-
comes than Ring dice, and in text, they are represented with the 

 symbol.
Dice Symbols
The custom dice in Legend of the Five Rings contain four unique sym-
bols. These symbols appear in various combinations on the dice, and are 
summarized below:
Success ()
The Success symbol () represents the output of the character’s effort 
in the task they are attempting. More  symbols mean a higher chance of 
carrying out the task successfully.
Breakdown of the Dice
Ring Die (

)
Skill Die (

)
[Blank]
[Blank]

[Blank]

 


 



 

 

 
-

 
-

-

 
-

-

-

Minimum Values
When an effect reduces a value, it is assumed to reduce it to a mini-
mum of 0 unless stated otherwise. One noteworthy exception is 
the target number (TN) of checks, which can only be reduced to a 
minimum of 1.
Rounding
Whenever a formula in L5R results in a fraction, round up to the 
nearest integer.

---