Legend of the Five Rings (often abbreviated 'L5R') is a fictional setting that covers in detail the fantastical land of Rokugan, a nation whose culture and history is based on that of feudal Japan.The setting also briefly touches upon many of the different cultures that occupy the same world. This world is the foundation for the Legend of the Five Rings Collectible Card Game, the Legend of the. Legend of the Five Rings (often abbreviated 'L5R') is a fictional setting that covers in detail the fantastical land of Rokugan, a nation whose culture and history is based on that of feudal Japan. The setting also briefly touches upon many of the different cultures that occupy the same world. This world is the foundation for the Legend of the Five Rings Collectible Card Game, the Legend of.
L5r 4th Edition Character Creation Ideas
The 20 Questions of L5R
To aid you in fleshing out your character, take a moment to look through the questions presented below. The first ten are meant to be answered with the intention of filling in some details about your character. The second set of ten questions is meant to be answered in order to help establish what his or her thinking patterns might be like. These questions are purely optional and meant only as a guide to help you along the way through character creation and are by no means mandatory.
- WHAT CLAN DOES YOUR CHARACTER BELONG TO?
This is one of the most important questions of your character’s development. Each of the different Clans have a wide range of philosophies, ideals, and histories that will influence how your character is raised and treated by others. Conversely, it will also tend to color how your character will approach others. To help you get an idea of which Clan you may want to join, take a look at the Clan descriptions in the Book of Earth. - HOW WOULD OTHERS DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER’SAPPEARANCE?
Start with the most obvious here and work your way to the details. Go from defining your character’s gender to mentioning any sort of scars or facial ticks they might have. Appearance is an important aspect of Rokugan’s social interactions, and most people tend to rely heavily on outward appearances for first impressions. Does your character have a warm, inviting smile, or do his eyes dart around constantly, nervously searching for any sort of threat? Maybe he dresses as plainly as is acceptable and makes himself almost completely bland so as not to be noticed. - IS YOUR CHARACTER A BUSHI, SHUGENJA, MONK, OR COURTIER?
This is an important distinction, as the Empire’s rigid social system advocates that everyone knows their role and acts accordingly. This is not entirely a straightjacket, however – many bushi are well known for their scholarly pursuits, and there are tales of courtiers who maintain great courage under fi re during physical conflicts. - WHAT FAMILY DOES YOUR CHARACTER BELONG TO?
Much like your character’s Clan choice, the family he comes from will have a significant impact on his history and interactions with others. Where each Clan tends to have very general traditions and philosophies, each family has unique ones. For example, the Lion are well known for their martial prowess and general disdain for the Crane and Scorpion Clans. However, the Ikoma family is a family of historians and diplomats in a Clan of warriors, and often works in alliance with the Shosuro family of the Scorpion Clan. In addition, some families have much greater standing within the Clan than others. The Moto family of the Unicorn are the undisputed leaders of the Clan, and warriors of the family take positions of glory and leadership, while the Horiuchi toil in obscurity in their small temples. Some characters are more interesting if they begin from such humble origins as the Horiuchi, while others seem destined for greatness from birth. - WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER’S MAIN MOTIVATION?
Though all samurai are ideally devoted to their lord and their duty above all else, each individual character may have different reasons for this – or different goals entirely. For some characters, this motivation may be as simple as maintaining the honor of your ancestors by never failing the duty they have performed for the Clan for generations. Others may be more specific, carrying a heart full of vengeance against another samurai from a different (or even the same) Clan. Powerful motivations tend to revolve around revenge, love, honor, pride, or any number of ideals that will keep your character going when all else seems lost. - WHO IS THE PERSON YOUR CHARACTER TRUSTS MOST?
Samurai should be able to trust another honorable samurai without hesitation, but there are usually one or more figures that a character knows he can rely upon. This may be a supportive father, a dedicated sensei, a sibling, or someone completely unrelated to the character. Determining who the character trusts is not as important as determining why. What is it exactly that your character knows about this person that makes them so trustworthy? What impresses your character in such a fashion can go a long way to defining his psyche. - WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER’S GREATEST STRENGTH? GREATEST WEAKNESS?
Others may have an opinion about what is great or flawed about your character, but what is truly the worst and best qualities he carries? It is important to remember that a character’s strengths are the things that he would be looked up to for, while his weaknesses are there to remind himself and possibly others that he is still only mortal. These traits don’t necessarily have to be epic to define your character, but they should be aspects that help you understand your character’s limitations and purpose. - WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER THINK OF BUSHIDO?
The philosophy of bushido is ideally practiced and observed by all warriors, and even non-bushi look to bushido for guiding principles. As with any such code of conduct, there are those who adhere to it as if it were life itself, those who only find some of the tenets important, some who see it more as a set of loose guidelines, and others who believe it is little more than an unrealistic dream. Characters with a high Honor Rank will most likely take bushido seriously, but that doesn’t necessarily they believe all parts are of equal importance. - WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER’S OPINION OF HIS OWN CLAN?
This one is difficult. Much like bushido, samurai are expected to embrace their duty to their Clan without hesitation or question, but that does not always happen. Does your character believe completely in the ideals and goals of his Clan, or does he find fault occasionally with some of their actions? A good example would be a Daidoji bushi – a steadfast and practical warrior in a Clan of peacemakers and artisans. Does that Daidoji see his cousins as self-deluded idealists that need his protection? Perhaps he understands that it is his place to protect the Crane so that the other families can lead more peaceful lives. - IS YOUR CHARACTER MARRIED?
This is an important question for a number of reasons. Will your character have any dependents he will be responsible for? It’s also important to remember that marriage is an arranged business in Rokugan, and many marriages are made to cement political ties or treaties and not anything beyond that. Perhaps your character’s spouse is a worthless pain in the neck that you have to live with in order to maintain your Clan’s alliance with another Clan? Though arranged marriages seldom result in true love, it’s also likely that you and your spouse have come to respect and understand one another, creating a harmonious household. In either respect, a marriage can possibly grant you political ties to the more powerful samurai in your own family, other families in your Clan, or other Clans entirely. Naturally, such a tie can easily be a blessing and a curse at once. - DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE ANY PREJUDICES?
probably pass on their broad views of other Clans on to him. Beyond that, has he developed any such viewpoints on his own? Or does he even agree with the ones that are largely accepted by his kin? - TO WHOM DOES YOUR CHARACTER OWE THE MOST LOYALTY?
The easy answer would be “The Emperor,” but few samurai have the honor of serving the Son of Heaven directly in their day to day duties. Think of who your character would show the most loyalty in his everyday activities. Is he strictly bound to obey his lord without any other influence? Perhaps he has a wise sensei that he goes out of his way to consult and serve even if the sensei has no direct authority over him. Even trickier would be a samurai with a secret love that he places above anything else. Every samurai must be prepared to give their life without hesitation on the command of their masters, but every samurai would also do so for someone of their choosing. When the time came, who would that person be? - WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER’S FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE THINGS?
This is a broad question that is meant to help establish a pattern of behavior. When answering this, start with the rational and move to the irrational. Rational dislikes could be explained for purely logical reasons – such as a fondness for poetry due to his family being famous writers, or a dislike of flower arrangements because you failed your lessons in ikebana and embarrassed your father. Irrational dislikes can be much more entertaining and far less likely to change – a dislike of Noh theatre actors because your father was shamed for an affair with one, or being partial to red because you won your first duel while wearing a red kimono. - DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE ANY RECURRING MANNERISMS?
Since everyone tends to act according to the same protocol and etiquette, the minor and inoffensive details of behavior tend to get noticed more. Does your character bite his lip when he’s deep in thought? Perhaps he has a particular phrase he greets everyone with. When his hands aren’t doing anything, what does he do with them? - WHAT ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER’S EMOTIONS?
Even the most disciplined minds have their weaknesses, not that your character necessarily has an unusually strong control of his emotions. Does he have a hard time controlling his disdain for others he sees as acting improperly? Is there a certain situation or “button” that always arouses your character’s sympathy? Perhaps it’s nearly impossible to get your character really angry… or sad… or jubilant. - HOW WOULD YOUR CHARACTER HANDLE A SUBORDINATE’S IMPROPER BEHAVIOR?
This applies to both subordinates from the samurai and lower classes, though the answer might be different for each. Some characters might see the fallibility of the peasants as expected, a result of their low station, but misbehaving samurai are unacceptable because they should know their place better. On the reverse, perhaps he thinks peasants must be kept in line with harsh consequences, while samurai can be reprimanded effectively with lesser severity. - HOW WOULD YOUR CHARACTER’S PARENTS DESCRIBE HIM?
A samurai’s relationship with his family is important, and his relationship with his parents even more so. Filial devotion is expected from a true samurai, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that there is any real respect between a parent and child. It’s entirely possible that one parent thinks the world of their child while the other sees him as little more than a failure. A samurai’s relationship with his parents not only speaks volumes about his nature, but also tends to be used by others as a measure of his worth. - WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER’S HIGHEST AMBITION?
It’s important to note that while desire is a sin, ambition tempered with duty is perfectly acceptable. Many bushi aspire to be great leaders or revered teachers, while shugenja tend to yearn for the life as a respected scholar or advisor. Maybe your character doesn’t have any specific goals, and is happy right now with just serving his lord to the best of his ability. Once you’ve discovered your character’s goals, take a moment and decide just how far he’s willing to go to achieve them… - HOW RELIGIOUS IS YOUR CHARACTER?
Proof of the supernatural is evident to most samurai, but those who do not directly deal with the mystic arts don’t necessarily find themselves overly concerned with them. Some believe that while the Fortunes and kami are all very well and good, in the end one can only rely on his own abilities. Others spend hours a day in prayer, constantly attempting to attune themselves to the rhythm of the universe in search of true enlightenment. - IF YOU COULD, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR CHARACTER?
One of the most important aspects of enjoying the role you have chosen for your character is seeing just how distanced you are from it. Does your character closely resemble your own attitudes and mannerisms, leaving little to say? Maybe, upon closer inspection, you think your character should change a thing or two? This question isn’t intended to find faults in your character with the intention of fixing them. Instead, recognize the differences, if any, between the character and yourself to help keep you in character once the game starts.
l5r4_char_sheet_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_big_ooe
Clan-focused character sheets, adding the clan emblem to the sheet.
l5r4_char_sheet_crb_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_crn_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_dra_ooe
l5r4_char_sheet_lio_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_man_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_pho_ooe
l5r4_char_sheet_sco_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_spi_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_uni_ooe
l5r_char_sheet_compl_clan_ooe | l5r_char_sheet_compl_clan_big_ooe
l5r4_char_sheet_crb_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_crn_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_dra_ooe
l5r4_char_sheet_lio_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_man_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_pho_ooe
l5r4_char_sheet_sco_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_spi_ooe | l5r4_char_sheet_uni_ooe
l5r_char_sheet_compl_clan_ooe | l5r_char_sheet_compl_clan_big_ooe
Character sheets focused on the imperial families,
adding the family emblems to the sheet.
l5r_char_sheet_compl_imp_ooe | l5r_char_sheet_compl_imp_big_ooe
adding the family emblems to the sheet.
l5r_char_sheet_compl_imp_ooe | l5r_char_sheet_compl_imp_big_ooe
Character sheets for Nezumi and Naga characters.
l5r4_nezumi_sheet_ooe | l5r4_nezumi_sheet_big_ooe
l5r4_naga_sheet_ooe | l5r4_naga_sheet_big_ooe
l5r4_nezumi_sheet_ooe | l5r4_nezumi_sheet_big_ooe
l5r4_naga_sheet_ooe | l5r4_naga_sheet_big_ooe
L5r Pdf
L5r 4th Edition Character Creation Download
Credit: These character sheets use the font Wolf’s Rain by Gabriel Beatty