It Builds Character: The Mantis Babaylan
In what is perhaps one of my dumber moves this year, I saw the new edition of the Legend of the Five Rings RPG in my LGS, and decided to spring for it. I told myself that I planned to get it, anyway, but as I'm also in the process of moving companies this month, cash flow is expected to be tight. And now I just made it tighter.
The holiday season is usually a horrible time to start a new game locally, so this set will likely stay unused on my shelf until at least January. In the meantime, I think this is a good opportunity to test out character concepts!
Quick Primer: Legend of the Five Rings is an RPG set in the fictional world of Rokugan. Players take on the role of members of a noble caste known as the samurai, and their honor and loyalty is tested as the game progresses.
Since the Mantis Clan DLC is publicly available, I decided to build a Mantis samurai. You may or may not be aware that I like the Mantis because of Southeast Asian reasons, so this is pretty much perfect for me. Anyway, I went ahead and peeked at the Mantis DLC - they have a default bushi (warrior) school and a default shugenja (shaman) school. Hmm, it would be good if I tested the idea that the Mantis works well as an analog to SEAsian cultures, so let's see if I can build a shaman that is reminiscent of the cross-dressing babaylan of old.
As with previous editions of L5R, you are guided through character creation by a series of twenty questions. Before the first question, we start out with 1 rank in each Ring, and 0 ranks in each Skill.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 1, Air 1, Water 1, Heart... err, Void 1
Skills:
none
Twenty Questions, Page 1
1. What clan does your character belong to?
This one is straightforward. I'm a Mantis, which gives me +1 Water and a skill bonus of +1 Seafaring. My starting status (as Mantis is a minor clan) is 25.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 1, Air 1, Water 2, Void 1
Trade Skills: Seafaring 1
2. What family does your character belong to?
This is also straightforward. The families of the fleet do not identify themselves with family name, but with the ship they belong to. I can alternatively name my character after a place, which is more ideal for me; kind of like when the Luzones were called such because they came from Lusong (Luzon.)
Offhand, one of the more familiar Mantis lands for me is Inazuma province, so naming the character ____ of Inazuma seems about right.
My starting Glory is 36. That's slightly below an ordinary samurai, who would have a Glory score of 40 - 44.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 1, Water 2, Void 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 1, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
3. What is your character's school?
The shugenja school for Mantis is the Storm Fleet Tide Seer. My Air and Water Rings increase by 1. (My Water is now maxed out, as 3 is the highest ring at chargen.) I also start with 40 Honor.
I also get a few skills choices. I chose commerce for that classical Mantis behavior of participating in economics. Theology was also a sure pick, as it makes sense for shamans, and Invocation rolls seem to involve theology more often than not. For the last one, I went with games, because I get a divination kit, and some ability with dice seems interesting.
As a Tide Seer, I have access to the following techniques: Water and Air Invocations, Rituals, and Shuji. Roughly, Invocations are actionable magics, Rituals are long-cast magics, and Shuji are social moves. The school gives me a list of free techniques, and a choice of between Bo of Water, Path to Inner Peace, or Yari of Air. Both Bo of Water and Yari of Air lets me wield weapons made of an element, which at the moment feels too... anime for me. Path to Inner Peace though is a magic that removes fatigue. I do not know what fatigue is yet in this game system, but it sounds like removing it can only be a good thing.
Finally, this step grants me my starting outfit. (For the purposes of brevity, I won't track the techniques, inventory, or the derived attributes here.)
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 2, Water 3, Void 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 1
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 2, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
4. How does your character stand out within their school?
Essentially, this step gives you a set of qualities associated to the different Rings. I am to choose one quality for the character to have, and then I get a Ring boost associated with the quality. I decided that my character will have a way with words by being eloquent, giving me an extra +1 to Air.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 1
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 2, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
Twenty Questions, Page 2
5. Who is your lord and what is your character's duty to them?
It feels like a good idea to base my character's lord on Gajah Mada, the elephant vizier, who once vowed to never taste spice until all of Nusantara were united under Majapahit.
That sounds like a clan champion, though, so does that mean my character's lord would be Yoritomo, himself? Maybe, especially if the game is set during a period where Yoritomo is still uniting the Great Fleet under his command.
But if this is the case, then perhaps Yoritomo himself would only have an inkling of my character's existence. Her duty/giri would thus be somewhat generic. Travel around Rokugan, and scour the great libraries for information that will help unite the Mantis fleet.
6. What does your character long for, and how might this impede their duty?
This part determines my character's desires/ninjo. I was honestly a bit stumped by this one - I seem to be more excited to be playing this game than I am to be figuring out what makes my character excited.
So, to cheat a little, if I assume that this character will be part of a group that travels Rokugan by land, then she will be away from the sea, the true home of any Mantis samurai. She yearns for the freedom of the sea, but her lord's commands demand that she be in the heart of the homelands (literal lands) of the other clans.
7. What is your character's relationship with the clan?
This question deals with whether or not the clan's ideals sit with her own. So far, she seems to be a textbook Mantis beliefs-wise, which gives her +5 Glory as she is highly regarded in her community.
8. What does your character think of Bushido?
The Mantis, being exposed to cultures outside of Rokugan by way of trade, have a flexible view of Bushido. And so does my character. This gives me an extra rank in a skill unbefitting of a samurai, so yay! Thinking between Commerce and Seafaring as the quintessential Mantis skills, I decided to add to Commerce as it feels like it will see more frequent use.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 1
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 3, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
9. What is your character's greatest accomplishment so far?
In this part, I figured that, identifying as a woman, she resisted an arranged marriage with another lady. She successfully did this by becoming a shugenja (despite not showing prior inclination to it) and arguing that it is because the sea itself chose her as its wife. All the divinations seem to confirm this, so she was allowed to take on a female name and priestly function.
This also gives me an idea for her name. She chose to have the name Alunsina, the unmarried one, moving forward. Thus she is named after a Visayan goddess. Alunsina of Inazuma. It sounds more Malay than Japanese, but it has a ring to it, regardless.
With that little backstory included, it seems fitting for her to gain the Famously Lucky advantage.
10. What holds your character back the most in life?
I looked at the Mantis DLC to see if there are available adversities there. As it turns out, the Sailor's Tongue disadvantage is interesting. How does that interact with being eloquent? Well, the most articulate people I know are also the ones who can be the most savage at cussing. So let's do it!
11. What activity most makes your character feel at peace?
Even as a young boy, the beauty of the latest kimono trends fascinated him. They were beautiful. He wanted to be beautiful. As her passion, Alunsina has the Fashion advantage.
Twenty Questions, Page 3
12. What concern, fear, or foible troubles your character the most?
By extension from question 11, it makes sense that she tends to be Materialistic. Let's take that disadvantage, then.
13. Who has your character learned the most from during their life?
Remember that part where she claimed to be married to the sea? What if the divination affirmed it because it was, in a sense, true? I decided that she would be Haunted by a Water Spirit.
Since I chose a disadvantage for this step, I also get to add another rank in a skill related to the back story. Why not add another +1 to Theology, then? That should bring her up to two ranks.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 2
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 3, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
14. What do people notice first upon encountering your character?
I went back to the mythological Alunsina for this one.
Personality: A bit lazy, though proficient if she wants to.
Habits: Always mindful of her hair.
Quirks: "Coconut oil is good for the scalp."
Personal Accouterment: An antique wooden comb
15. How does your character react to stressful situations?
When she actually breaks out her comb and starts combing her hair, she's likely stressed.
16. What are your character's preexisting relationships with other clans, families, organizations, and traditions?
I figured that since Mantis are sea traders, she would have good mercantile relations with a coastal power. Crane is a little too adequate for my taste, so instead she is on good business terms with the Crab's Yasuki family.
Bonus Item: Portable Tea Set. Southeast Asian thalassocracies valued trade with China because, among others, they get porcelain imports. A tea set sounds compatible with that idea.
Twenty Questions, Page 4
17. How would your character's parents describe them?
Thinking about what I have so far, I think there's at least some resentment here. Clearly they arranged a match for her, but she managed to wiggle out of it.
At this point, I also get a skill rank on a new skill (must have 0 ranks prior to this.) Given how she loves fashion, having 1 rank in Design is apt.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Artisan Skills: Design 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 2
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 3, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
18. Who was your character named to honor?
This part is strange, because it includes an actual random table with a d10. It's especially odd given how this game uses nonstandard dice, but that's just me.
Anyway, I rolled twice, as instructed, and got a 3 and a 7. I chose 3, Wondrous Work, which then instructed me to randomly determine an Artisan skill. *rolls* Oh, now I have +1 rank in Aesthetics.
Perhaps the Rokugani version of the mythical Alunsina is an ancestor who was known for great works of art? I will leave this one semi-open for now.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Artisan Skills: Aesthetics 1, Design 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 2
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 3, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
19. What is your character's personal name?
Sina-chan sounds nice.
20. How should your character die?
I think Sina will die when she is ready to be taken by the sea, perhaps in command of a great, but sinking, ship.
***
Whew!
One thing that's consistent with L5R's twenty questions format of character creation is that it takes a looong time to complete. You get a pretty fleshed out character in the end though, so as long as you can allot time for it, it's generally good exercise.
Here are the completed character sheets if you're interested in seeing Alunsina!
Alunsina no Inazuma - Narrative Mode
Alunsina no Inazuma - Conflict Mode
Up next: Analysis
 |
| Looks I will have tuyo (dried fish) for the foreseeable future. |
Quick Primer: Legend of the Five Rings is an RPG set in the fictional world of Rokugan. Players take on the role of members of a noble caste known as the samurai, and their honor and loyalty is tested as the game progresses.
Since the Mantis Clan DLC is publicly available, I decided to build a Mantis samurai. You may or may not be aware that I like the Mantis because of Southeast Asian reasons, so this is pretty much perfect for me. Anyway, I went ahead and peeked at the Mantis DLC - they have a default bushi (warrior) school and a default shugenja (shaman) school. Hmm, it would be good if I tested the idea that the Mantis works well as an analog to SEAsian cultures, so let's see if I can build a shaman that is reminiscent of the cross-dressing babaylan of old.
As with previous editions of L5R, you are guided through character creation by a series of twenty questions. Before the first question, we start out with 1 rank in each Ring, and 0 ranks in each Skill.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 1, Air 1, Water 1, Heart... err, Void 1
Skills:
none
Twenty Questions, Page 1
Part I: Core Identity
 |
| Libulan, god of the moon. taken from the Aswang Project. |
1. What clan does your character belong to?
This one is straightforward. I'm a Mantis, which gives me +1 Water and a skill bonus of +1 Seafaring. My starting status (as Mantis is a minor clan) is 25.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 1, Air 1, Water 2, Void 1
Trade Skills: Seafaring 1
2. What family does your character belong to?
This is also straightforward. The families of the fleet do not identify themselves with family name, but with the ship they belong to. I can alternatively name my character after a place, which is more ideal for me; kind of like when the Luzones were called such because they came from Lusong (Luzon.)
Offhand, one of the more familiar Mantis lands for me is Inazuma province, so naming the character ____ of Inazuma seems about right.
My starting Glory is 36. That's slightly below an ordinary samurai, who would have a Glory score of 40 - 44.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 1, Water 2, Void 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 1, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
Part II: Role and School
3. What is your character's school?
The shugenja school for Mantis is the Storm Fleet Tide Seer. My Air and Water Rings increase by 1. (My Water is now maxed out, as 3 is the highest ring at chargen.) I also start with 40 Honor.
I also get a few skills choices. I chose commerce for that classical Mantis behavior of participating in economics. Theology was also a sure pick, as it makes sense for shamans, and Invocation rolls seem to involve theology more often than not. For the last one, I went with games, because I get a divination kit, and some ability with dice seems interesting.
As a Tide Seer, I have access to the following techniques: Water and Air Invocations, Rituals, and Shuji. Roughly, Invocations are actionable magics, Rituals are long-cast magics, and Shuji are social moves. The school gives me a list of free techniques, and a choice of between Bo of Water, Path to Inner Peace, or Yari of Air. Both Bo of Water and Yari of Air lets me wield weapons made of an element, which at the moment feels too... anime for me. Path to Inner Peace though is a magic that removes fatigue. I do not know what fatigue is yet in this game system, but it sounds like removing it can only be a good thing.
Finally, this step grants me my starting outfit. (For the purposes of brevity, I won't track the techniques, inventory, or the derived attributes here.)
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 2, Water 3, Void 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 1
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 2, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
4. How does your character stand out within their school?
Essentially, this step gives you a set of qualities associated to the different Rings. I am to choose one quality for the character to have, and then I get a Ring boost associated with the quality. I decided that my character will have a way with words by being eloquent, giving me an extra +1 to Air.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 1
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 2, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
Part III: Honor and Glory
Twenty Questions, Page 2
5. Who is your lord and what is your character's duty to them?
It feels like a good idea to base my character's lord on Gajah Mada, the elephant vizier, who once vowed to never taste spice until all of Nusantara were united under Majapahit.
That sounds like a clan champion, though, so does that mean my character's lord would be Yoritomo, himself? Maybe, especially if the game is set during a period where Yoritomo is still uniting the Great Fleet under his command.
But if this is the case, then perhaps Yoritomo himself would only have an inkling of my character's existence. Her duty/giri would thus be somewhat generic. Travel around Rokugan, and scour the great libraries for information that will help unite the Mantis fleet.
6. What does your character long for, and how might this impede their duty?
This part determines my character's desires/ninjo. I was honestly a bit stumped by this one - I seem to be more excited to be playing this game than I am to be figuring out what makes my character excited.
So, to cheat a little, if I assume that this character will be part of a group that travels Rokugan by land, then she will be away from the sea, the true home of any Mantis samurai. She yearns for the freedom of the sea, but her lord's commands demand that she be in the heart of the homelands (literal lands) of the other clans.
7. What is your character's relationship with the clan?
This question deals with whether or not the clan's ideals sit with her own. So far, she seems to be a textbook Mantis beliefs-wise, which gives her +5 Glory as she is highly regarded in her community.
8. What does your character think of Bushido?
The Mantis, being exposed to cultures outside of Rokugan by way of trade, have a flexible view of Bushido. And so does my character. This gives me an extra rank in a skill unbefitting of a samurai, so yay! Thinking between Commerce and Seafaring as the quintessential Mantis skills, I decided to add to Commerce as it feels like it will see more frequent use.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 1
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 3, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
Part IV: Strengths and Weaknesses
9. What is your character's greatest accomplishment so far?
In this part, I figured that, identifying as a woman, she resisted an arranged marriage with another lady. She successfully did this by becoming a shugenja (despite not showing prior inclination to it) and arguing that it is because the sea itself chose her as its wife. All the divinations seem to confirm this, so she was allowed to take on a female name and priestly function.
This also gives me an idea for her name. She chose to have the name Alunsina, the unmarried one, moving forward. Thus she is named after a Visayan goddess. Alunsina of Inazuma. It sounds more Malay than Japanese, but it has a ring to it, regardless.
With that little backstory included, it seems fitting for her to gain the Famously Lucky advantage.
10. What holds your character back the most in life?
I looked at the Mantis DLC to see if there are available adversities there. As it turns out, the Sailor's Tongue disadvantage is interesting. How does that interact with being eloquent? Well, the most articulate people I know are also the ones who can be the most savage at cussing. So let's do it!
 |
| Nuriko is an interesting inspiration. |
Even as a young boy, the beauty of the latest kimono trends fascinated him. They were beautiful. He wanted to be beautiful. As her passion, Alunsina has the Fashion advantage.
Twenty Questions, Page 3
12. What concern, fear, or foible troubles your character the most?
By extension from question 11, it makes sense that she tends to be Materialistic. Let's take that disadvantage, then.
13. Who has your character learned the most from during their life?
Remember that part where she claimed to be married to the sea? What if the divination affirmed it because it was, in a sense, true? I decided that she would be Haunted by a Water Spirit.
Since I chose a disadvantage for this step, I also get to add another rank in a skill related to the back story. Why not add another +1 to Theology, then? That should bring her up to two ranks.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 2
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 3, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
Part V: Personality and Behavior
14. What do people notice first upon encountering your character?
I went back to the mythological Alunsina for this one.
Personality: A bit lazy, though proficient if she wants to.
Habits: Always mindful of her hair.
Quirks: "Coconut oil is good for the scalp."
Personal Accouterment: An antique wooden comb
15. How does your character react to stressful situations?
When she actually breaks out her comb and starts combing her hair, she's likely stressed.
16. What are your character's preexisting relationships with other clans, families, organizations, and traditions?
I figured that since Mantis are sea traders, she would have good mercantile relations with a coastal power. Crane is a little too adequate for my taste, so instead she is on good business terms with the Crab's Yasuki family.
Bonus Item: Portable Tea Set. Southeast Asian thalassocracies valued trade with China because, among others, they get porcelain imports. A tea set sounds compatible with that idea.
Part VI: Ancestry and Family
Twenty Questions, Page 4
17. How would your character's parents describe them?
Thinking about what I have so far, I think there's at least some resentment here. Clearly they arranged a match for her, but she managed to wiggle out of it.
At this point, I also get a skill rank on a new skill (must have 0 ranks prior to this.) Given how she loves fashion, having 1 rank in Design is apt.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Artisan Skills: Design 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 2
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 3, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
18. Who was your character named to honor?
This part is strange, because it includes an actual random table with a d10. It's especially odd given how this game uses nonstandard dice, but that's just me.
Anyway, I rolled twice, as instructed, and got a 3 and a 7. I chose 3, Wondrous Work, which then instructed me to randomly determine an Artisan skill. *rolls* Oh, now I have +1 rank in Aesthetics.
Perhaps the Rokugani version of the mythical Alunsina is an ancestor who was known for great works of art? I will leave this one semi-open for now.
Rings: Earth 1, Fire 2, Air 3, Water 3, Void 1
Artisan Skills: Aesthetics 1, Design 1
Scholar Skills: Theology 2
Social Skills: Games 1
Trade Skills: Commerce 3, Seafaring 1, Survival 1
19. What is your character's personal name?
Sina-chan sounds nice.
Part VII: Death
20. How should your character die?
I think Sina will die when she is ready to be taken by the sea, perhaps in command of a great, but sinking, ship.
***
Whew!
One thing that's consistent with L5R's twenty questions format of character creation is that it takes a looong time to complete. You get a pretty fleshed out character in the end though, so as long as you can allot time for it, it's generally good exercise.
Here are the completed character sheets if you're interested in seeing Alunsina!
Alunsina no Inazuma - Narrative Mode
Alunsina no Inazuma - Conflict Mode
Up next: Analysis
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