Topaz Championship of Rokugan
There is a tourney in the village of Tsuma! Held each year, the invites to the Topaz Championship are sent to the most brilliant students all around of Rokugan to prove their skills as the best samurai that was trained this year. Your character received one of those invitations. This is the kind of chance that only happens once in a lifetime. Do not disappoint.
Further Information - Topaz Championship
The Topaz Championship is a competition that tests young men and women in all the skills that a samurai is expected to know. Points are awarded to those who receive the highest marks in each contest. Those who gain enough points may also participate in the climactic iaijutsu (duel) tournament, the winner of which is declared the Topaz Champion for a period of one year.
The position of Topaz Champion is accompanied by numerous material rewards, the most significant of which is an exquisite suit of armour crafted and maintained by Imperial smiths.
The Topaz Armour is the most immediate badge of authority associated with the position, but it is typical for a Topaz Champion to be offered a number of different prestigious positions as part of the victory.
The most frequent appointment is as an Emerald Magistrate (FBI investigator), indirectly serving the Emerald Champion (head-chief of diplomacy). The prestige associated with the position ensures that the competition is fierce.Individual competitions during the Championship take the form of a match, wherein two contestants compete directly with one another, or tests, in which elder samurai ask questions of the contestant. Each competition completed successfully grants the contestant a single point. In the case of a match, only the victor receives the point.
A competitor must attain a total of five points to pass their gempukku (assuming they still did not) and gain entry into the iaijutsu tournament.At the beginning of any contest using the match format, the master of ceremonies withdraws small ceramic tiles from an exquisitely crafted vase. Each tile has the name of a single contestant on it, and two are drawn at a time to determine who will face each other during the matches. For a test, the tiles are simply used to determine in what order the contestants will be tested.
Character Guidelines
The characters are young samurai who are about to be tested before undergoing their gempukku ceremony (a coming-of-age test), after which they will be awarded their daisho (pair of swords), signifying their status as adult samurai.
Some may have undergone private gempukku ceremonies at home, according to the family traditions (the Crab would be notable examples, since their regular gempukku ceremonies are tests of readiness for combating the Shadowlands). For others, their clan may view this as their official gempukku.
For all the contestants, though, the opportunity for both great recognition and embarrassing ignominy is ever present.
Changes to the system
The campaign is set in 1120. As such, assume that the following changes are true:
- The Agasha is a Dragon Clan family instead of a Phoenix Clan one.
- The rulling imperial line is Hantei.
- The Mantis Clan is a minor clan.
- Moshi Shugenja is a Centipede Clan school instead of a Mantis Clan one.
- Tsuruchi Archer and Tsuruchi Bounty Hunter are Wasp Clan schools instead of Mantis Clan ones.
- Toritaka Bushi is a Falcon Clan school instead of a Crab Clan one.
- Advantages and disadvantages related to Maigo no Musha are not available.
- Advantages and disadvantages related to the Gozoku are not available.
Changes - Advanced Mechanics (Book of Water)
- Some minor clans may not be present. Contact the GM to sort things out if you are interested on them.
- The Spider Clan does not exist.
- Ask the GM for assistance regarding minor clans, ancestors and vassal families.
- Shosuro, Yogo Junzo, Bayushi, Togashi, Shinjo, and Kuni Yori are not available as Ancestors.
- Moshi Azami is a Centipede Clan ancestor instead of a Mantis Clan one.
- You can’t play non-hyuman characters, although other advanced mechanics are allowed.
Homebrewing, optional rules and GM preferences
- Lore: Heraldry is not used to identify people based on their Glory Rank anymore, and now solely exists to identify mons. Lore: [Their Clan] will be used for this purpose.
- Lore: [Clan of School] is a school skill for all characters, given for free.
- Cursed by the Realm: Yume-Do has been replaced for the following:
Cursed by the Realm: Yume-Do [Spiritual] (3 or 5 points)
You suffer from terrible nightmares that impact the quality of your resting times. Every night, roll a die: On 1-5 (3 points) or 1-9 (5 points), regain half Void Points rounded up, +5 TN for Meditation and Tea Ceremony. Shugenjas can take this disadvantage for 4 or 6 points.
- The Battle Healing advantage is not in use.
- Touch of the Spirit Realms: Yomi costs 5 instead of 7.
- The Dark Fate disadvantage is not in use.
- Assume the optional gender conventions in the Book of Air are in use.
- Assume that the traditional male hairstyle is not in use.
You will be playing children, aka rank 0 characters. The guidelines for character creation are as follows:
Level 0 Guidelines
- You will start with 1 on all attributes instead of the usual 2. Family and School bonuses still apply.
- You will start with only four out of your eight school skills, at your choice. You can buy the other school skills with XP, but they will not count as school skills mechanically speaking.
- You start with 25 experience points instead of the usual 40.
- Your cap for disadvantages is 5 points instead of the usual 10.
- You don’t have a level 1 school technique.
- Shugenja don’t have Affinities or Deficiencies.
- Remove all weapons (but a wakizashi) and armors from your starting equipment.
- Your travelling pack has 5 items instead of the usual 10.
- You start with a number of bu corresponding to the number of koku you usually would have.
- Whenever you would lose honor due to a breach of etiquette, you instead only lose half this amount.
- Your starting Status is 0.6, and your Glory is 0.
- Character’s age should be between 12 and 20, with the average being 15.
Resource Handouts
Those are for consult when you need them. Don’t try to read maps or the entire wiki, nerd.
The Great L5R Wiki!
Map
Another Map
Neither of those are 100% acurrate, but they should cover eachother flaws. Remember to search the location in the L5R Wiki.
If you can’t download or buy the books, or want quick reference, use those.
Quick References
History - Events of the Twelfth Century did not happen.
Religion - Maigo no Musha does not exist
Bushido
Social Classes
Character Creation
Families - Remember to check on the L5R Wiki or ask me if it exists in 1120.
School - Same warning as families.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Skills
Equipment List - Firearms are not being used.
Magic
Universal Spells
Air Spells
Earth Spells
Fire Spells
Water Spells
Kiho
Rolling Reference
Character Sheet
Has to be done somewhere updateable, so no PDFs. My recommendations:
Forum Sheets
Character sheet - almost everyone: https://forum.imperium42.com/t/interest-check-rokugan-not-fm/82462/40?u=mercenary
Character sheet - shugenja: https://forum.imperium42.com/t/interest-check-rokugan-not-fm/82462/56?u=mercenary
Myth-Weavers Sheet
Google Sheets
Automatic sheet
Pretty sheet
People that confirmed interest
- Ami
- Magnus
- MaximusPrime
- Zone_Q11
