[Sakou De Machiavel]

Ici un extrait du Core de la 4ième édition (dsl pour l'anglais)

WHY PLAY LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS?
There are many RPGs on the market, offering games on every topic from classic fantasy to science-fi ction to costumed superheroes. We would assume, though, that if you’ve bought this book you are looking for a different sort of gaming experience than what you’ve been offered by those other games. What sets Legend of the Five Rings apart from them? Legend of the Five Rings (often shortened to “L5R”) is a fantasy game, with magic and monsters, but it is not about killing monsters, collecting treasure, and rescuing princesses. It is a game about honor, heroism, and the moral consequences associated with the samurai code of Bushido. Rokugan is a
world with a rigid code of conduct, morality, and authority. Samurai do not adventure for gold. They do not roam the land in search of vorpal blades conveniently nestled in the caves of wandering ogres. They honor their families, lords, and ancestors by respecting the traditions set forth by over 1,000 years of history and valor. What use are gems and fl ying carpets to the samurai, who carries the soul of his grandfather and the
burden of tradition everywhere he walks?

It should be noted that L5R is not about playing a realworld samurai, but rather about the romanticized vision of
samurai found in stories and fi lm, a vision in which Honor and Bushido have real meaning and force. Players and GMs are creating the mythical and legendary tales of samurai who excel in their station. Such stories are not based on rational self-interest or self-preservation, but rather on heroic conduct in the tradition of Bushido. So if you don’t know all the details of how samurai addressed each other, if you don’t remember the myriad subtle differences between the Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi, Nara, Edo, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa
eras of historical Japan – don’t sweat it too much! Rokugan is ultimately a fantasy world, a fusion of Asian culture from many eras and many peoples. Samurai legends do not need to concern themselves with every mispronounced word or poorly placed Japanese honorifi c. Bushido is the centerpiece of L5R, the fulcrum of every
scene, act, adventure, and campaign. It is, ultimately, what sets this game apart from every other RPG. Bushido is the moral code, the “way of the warrior,” that informs the behavior of every samurai, whether bushi, shugenja, or scholar. It is a double-sided blade of conviction and narrow-mindedness. It is a culture of obedience and tradition. It is the path of the honorable and courageous. And it is the tool of every GM to make the players face the complex and often diffi cult consequences of their decisions and choices. Following Bushido is not easy, and characters’ choices can twist in their hands like a bloodied knife.

With Bushido, a GM can make even the simplest adventure a daunting task, with every complication enriching the game experience. For example, consider an adventure where the dead body of a friend is fi nally found, but his daisho, the twin swords which mark him as a samurai, is missing. How can the body be brought back to the family honorably without the swords? Now the game is not a simple transportation mission with bandits trying to attack the caravan on the way home. Instead, the game is about the confl ict between a proper funeral and a timely one. It is about honor and propriety, the things that truly matter to a samurai, not about attack rolls
and Wound totals. Of course, in truth no one can tell you how to play L5R. This book belongs to you and you can play the game in whatever way you want. But if you are willing to embrace the moral confl icts and compelling emotional drama inherent in Bushido and the samurai life, you will fi nd Legend of the Five Rings to be in a class apart from any other RPG.