[Kincaid]

So my second-favorite RPG (Legend of the Five Rings) was just bought by FFG.  I expect this was mostly for the CCG/LCG part of the IP, but I'm hoping they continue to support the RPG side of things.  L5R has a deceptively simply roll & keep dice mechanic that I've grown to love, even though the math behind it is nearly impossible to explain to a beginner.  I imagine that FFG, should they publish a new version of L5R, will go with their "weird dice" mechanic.  That's literally all I know about it.  If you've played other FFG games, what are your thoughts on how their system works?

[All4BigGuns]

I avoid them like the plague because of their money-grubbing of requiring special custom dice just for their stuff.

[AJCarrington]

I don't mind the dice, but I don't like the model as to how they develop and publish the games. If you look at their Star Wars material, you have three different core rule book, one for each "setting". I would much rather see a single core book and then expansions detailing setting and/or optional rules.

[All4BigGuns]

I just know that between their setting up their systems to only utilize special dice that they produce and the way they do their core rulebooks, I will likely be sticking with 4th edition L5R. (Though I do prefer the one I started with, 3rd).

[MijRai]

Well, those aren't the only games Fantasy Flight puts out.  Their Warhammer tabletop RPG series (40K and Fantasy) use a percentile system; as a GM for Dark Heresy 2nd Ed, I'm in love with it.  Percentile is so easy to use and all you need is two dice (a single digits and a double digits). 

[All4BigGuns]

Don't even get me started with the RPGs they've made based on 40k. Can't stand the way they work (and can't stand Only War for another reason--it hates my group).

[AJCarrington]

I'm actually kind of curious to see what they do with it. The LCG isn't due out until GenCon 2017 with no real comments/commitment re the RPG...could be quite some time. However...as support for the GW properties slows, perhaps thus could be the IP to ramp up and take their place?

[All4BigGuns]

The card game, I'm not so concerned about since I already dropped it with what they did to my clan (Unicorn) with changes to Cavalry in the most recent stuff.

[The Tekwych]

On the dice - There is a chart that shows you how to use standard dice. Everything can be converted quite easily but the rules are written with their symbols so it is much easier to use their custom dice but by no means a requirement.

On the three core books of SW - I do believe that this was, by far, the most elegant solution for the problem of everyone wanting Jedi powers in a setting where they were rarer than mundane elf. By creating a setting that only had Settlers, traders, smugglers, and thieves players must become one with the setting, not the force. A year latter the Rebellion was added, and a year after that, Force active player characters were added.

In our group we started with Traders and smugglers. A year latter we spent an evening talking about the rebellion addition, and, over the next four sessions 3 of our seven player’s characters died in game while the others were saved by three Rebellion officers. The other four were then recruited as civilian contractors for the rebellion play continued. A few months ago one of the Smugglers died on some amazingly bad tools and the next week the rest of the team discovered a teenager trying to get off world in our ship. The teen seams to be force sensitive.

The full books should be owned by at least one person in the group but 70% of them are repeated. The stuff needed for character advancement can be acquired using the character roll cards. This allows players to focus on the character, not the rules.

I loved the FFG Warhammer Fantasy idea of the party as a player chapter. This would do so well in Shadowrun. The players sit down together and decide what stats a group, made up with their characters, would be like. Do they shy from wetwork? Do they spend the time on research pre-run? Do certain team members always agree or fight? Then as play proceeds the GM has a card that shows where the team stands. If players don’t keep the team ‘in character’ the GM adjusts things to let them know. If things move to far off center (Someone starts randomly killing for no reason or two players let real life effect their characters) then modifiers are added to rolls to show that the group is not acting as it should.

The L5R IP is for everything including RPGs, novels, board games, dice games and any thing else one can think up. FFG knows how to exploit a license across numerous platforms, and do it well.

I would love to see FFG and CGL work together. CGL offers strong story telling and RPG rules building while FFG can bring production, distribution, and MINIATURES (Battletech anyone). This combination could create some amazing product.

[All4BigGuns]

On the three core books of SW - I do believe that this was, by far, the most elegant solution for the problem of everyone wanting Jedi powers in a setting where they were rarer than mundane elf. By creating a setting that only had Settlers, traders, smugglers, and thieves players must become one with the setting, not the force. A year latter the Rebellion was added, and a year after that, Force active player characters were added.

Honestly, that it takes an entirely separate book to play a Force-user is one reason (apart from the dice issue) I refuse to touch Edge of Empire. Playing those characters is the whole reason I play the setting to the point where if I don't want to play a Force-user, I'd rather play any number of other sci-fi games (Decipher's Star Trek RPG for one).


The only way I'll touch an L5R edition they produce is if they maintain the integrity of the system. Period.
Given what they did with Edge of Empire in regard to character types--since it was brought up--I fear they'll make a core book for Bushi, a core book for Ninja/Scouts, a core book for Courtiers and a core book for Shugenja. I wouldn't put it past them.

[MijRai]

Well, you may not enjoy the 40K percentile system, but it works wonderfully. 

[Kincaid]

Thanks for the feedback--I'm still cautious in my optimism, but we'll see.  Certainly, the mechanics of L5R have their issues (Shiba 5, simple attacks, etc.)--is there a glaring mathematical hole to FFG's system?  Are skills challenges (eqv.) borked in the same way they were in D&D 4e at first?  Stuff like that.

[MijRai]

There can be issues if you're not prepared for a job in the Warhammer game system.  The entire goal is to roll low, to start.  Your starting max skill is at 45, for example.  That means if you want to hit someone with a stick, you have a 45% chance of hitting base.  It's the same odds as someone in D&D with a to hit bonus of +9 smacking someone with AC 20.  Now you factor in modifiers;
45 Base from your Weapon Skill.
Weapon quality can give you another +5 to +10.
Aiming (a half action) gives you another +10.
A custom grip is another +5. 
If you Charge, it's a +20. 
If you have buddies nearby/flanking, each buddy is another +10. 

So, assuming you are prepped and go in with a buddy, that goes up to a 100 to hit your man-sized target (this doesn't include modifiers for target size, negatives for visibility or something, etc).  Given 100 is basically your natural 1, that means you have a 99% chance to hit.  Your smart Bushi should meet a good number of those criteria, if not all of them (and if they're not smart, you've still got a decent chance of hitting!).  In the Dark Heresy game I'm running, the sniper when he has no time to prepare has a...  +47 to hit on his base of 55?  He literally can't miss without rolling a 100, and the dice gods bless him anyways.  He's capped out the bonus on rolls you can get a time or two now (which is a +60 on top of the skill).  That said, guns have a different criteria for bonuses. 

Skill challenges are a shady area, partly because some need equipment, and some don't.  If you try Medicine tests without tools or equipment, you take some heavy penalties, but with them you get bonuses.  Knowledge checks have penalties based on the depth of the knowledge, so a reference can help, but your basic lore rolls are easy enough.  It's hard to stealth in the middle of a sunlit street, but moving in the dark, especially if you go around with some camouflage to blend in even more, works great.  Blatantly lying or trying to lie to someone who has no reason to believe you is more difficult unless you can provide evidence to back it up.  It's really a matter of doing things properly.  If you're going to climb something, bring some rope and a hook.  If you're trying to live in the woods for a bit, bring a survival kit.  If you're going to pickpocket someone, make sure there's a distraction. 

I'm glad to have helped, by the way. 

[Sipowitz]

Thanks for the feedback--I'm still cautious in my optimism, but we'll see.  Certainly, the mechanics of L5R have their issues (Shiba 5, simple attacks, etc.)--is there a glaring mathematical hole to FFG's system?  Are skills challenges (eqv.) borked in the same way they were in D&D 4e at first?  Stuff like that.

I really enjoy the Star Wars system from FFG.
I've had quite the renewed enjoyment of gaming since I started playing FFGSW.  If you are the type that needs the die roll to only be pass/fail, you likely wont be into the system.

Math hole?  Yeah their 40k system has some glaring holes much like SR does.

Never understood the issue with the dice.  I don't see the problem with it.  I play multiple game systems, none of them use the same dice or the same quantity of dice. 

We ran a proof of concept, turning FFGSW into SR, three sessions worth.  It was very cool.