TEXT: 1
  Legend of the 5 Rings Third Edition
  Errata & FAQ
  Compiled  by  Dace.
  Edited  by  Dace  and  Mikael  Brodu.
  Questions  answered  by  Rich  Wulf,  Shawn  Carman  and  DJT.
  PDF  formatting  and  layout  by  Mikael  Brodu  (aka  Otaku  Mike).
  Cover  artwork  by  Doji  Sakura.
  
  Introduction
  2
  Book  of  Earth
  3
  Errata
  3
  FAQ
  3
  Book  of  Water
  4
  Errata
  4
  FAQ
  5
  Character creation
  5
  Skills
  5
  Advantages & Disadvantages
  6
  Schools
  7
  Crab
  7
  Crane
  8
  Dragon
  8
  Lion
  8
  Mantis
  8
  Phoenix
  8
  Scorpion
  8
  Unicorn
  9
  Imperial Schools
  9
  Minor Clans
  9
  Ronin
  9
  Book  of  Fire
  10
  Errata
  10
  FAQ
  10
  General
  10
  Raises
  10
  Honor, Glory & Status
  10
  Duels
  10
  Combat
  11
  Kata
  11
  Kata - Tsuko's Storm
  12
  Kata - Prayer's End
  12
  Appendix 1 - Rich Wulf on combat postures
  12
  Appendix 1 - Rich Wulf on the uses of Feinting
  13
  Book  of  Air
  14
  Errata
  14
  FAQ
  14
  Spells Duration
  14
  Spells
  14
  Kiho
  14
  Book  of  Void
  15
  Errata
  15
  FAQ
  15
  The  Oracle  Pages  
  16
  2
  Table of Contents
  So we finally have it. A lot of time and work. Well
  more time than work I guess. At any rate I hope you
  enjoy the format. I tried to mirror the book as closely as
  possible. Thanks to Shawn, Rich and DJ for answering
  the questions. And the L5R community for waiting this
  long. Oh and a thanks to Gap for hosting the pdf file. 
  So with out further ado I present you with the L5R
  FAQ ..... in PDF format :)
  Dace
  Bat Clan Daiymo
  Oracle of 3
  rd Edition
  Version 2.0 for L5R RPG 3E 1st Print 
  Completed on the 28th of October 2005
  (Answers to questions were collected during the 5 previous months
  and could become outdated or obsolete due to reprints of the book.)
  Introduction
  
  3
  Errata
  Timeline (page 12)
  The entry described as “Gusai family name awarded”
  actually takes place in the year 429 rather than 438.
  References to the Empress Yugozohime should actually
  refer to the Emperor.
  Monk  Orders (pages 73-74)
  Should have been deleted altogether. A layout error
  resulted in the section's retention. Ignore the mechani-
  cal benefits, although the information on the orders is
  largely correct. Monk character creation rules are found
  exclusively in the Book of Air. This only applies to non-
  clan-affiliated monastic orders, not the Dragon Tattooed
  Orders.
  FAQ
  Q.  Are  the  Togashi/Hitomi/Hoshi  families  monks  or
  samurais?
  A. The tattooed orders are considered the vassals of
  samurai. Combine this with the natural respect that all
  samurai are expected to show toward members of the
  monastic caste, and the Togashi/Hitomi/Hoshi must be
  treated with the utmost respect.
  Togashi Satsu is considered a samurai, however, as
  he is the grandson of a Kami. Implying that he is not
  samurai would be implying that Togashi's line was not
  of noble birth, which would in turn cast into doubt the
  lineage of all samurai descended from a Kami. Bad idea,
  that.
  Book of Earth
  
  4
  Errata
  Target  Numbers (page 85)
  Reference to the deleted Difficulties table persists.
  The table was deliberately omitted because it was of
  dubious value. The reference to the table should have
  been deleted as well, but was not.
  The deleted table can be found below.
  Raises (pages 86 & 94)
  On page 86, it reads “A character may only Raise a num-
  ber of times equal to his Void Ring.” This is incorrect.
  The passage should read “When making a Skill roll, a
  character may make a maximum number of Raises equal
  to his Void Ring or his Skill Rank, whichever is higher.
  On all non-Skill rolls, a character may make a maximum
  number of Raises equal to his Void Ring.”
  This applies also on page 94 (Mastery Abilities -
  Rank 10: Grand Master) where the sentence “The number
  of Raises you may make when using this Skill is no longer
  limited by your Void.”
  Skills
  � (page 96) The description of Etiquette’s Emphase
  Bureaucracy refers to a “Intelligence/Courtier” test. This
  should be Intelligence/Etiquette.
  � (page 98) The second sentence of the Rank 7
  Mastery Ability description for Medicine (“You roll an
  additional die when determining how many Wounds
  you treat.”) is redundant and should be deleted.
  � (page 99) The description of Storytelling refers to
  a “Perception/Bard” test. This should be Perception
  /Storytelling.
  � (page 102) The description for Jiujitsu should
  include the Emphasis: Atemi, which allows practitioners
  to utilize certain nerve strike Kiho, which are in turn
  found in the Book of Air.
  Advantages:  Great  Potential (page 108)
  The proper reading of this Advantage should include
  “...the number of Raises you may make is not limited to
  your Void Ring or your rank in that Skill.”
  Kakita  Bushi  School (page 122)
  Etiquette is listed twice. The proper Skill list is:
  Etiquette, Iaijutsu, Kenjutsu (Katana), Kyujutsu,
  Meditation, any High skill, any High or Bugei skill.
  Doji  Courtier  School (page 123)
  The first sentence of the Rank 1 Technique should
  read as follows: You may add twice your Honor Rank to
  all Courtier, Etiquette, Lore (Heraldry), and Storytelling
  (Oratory) rolls.
  Mirumoto  Bushi  School (page 126)
  The Rank 4 Technique has a clause omitted. The
  third sentence should be: You may not make more than
  twice your normal number of attacks per round using
  this Technique.
  Shiba  Bushi  School (page 136)
  In the Rank 4 Technique description, the word
  “feet” is missing in the sentence “Whenever another
  character spends a Void Point within 50 __ of you, …”.
  Iuchi  Shugenja  School (page 143)
  The correct Beginning Spells entry for this School is
  as follows: Sense, Commune, Summon, Counterspell,
  Heart of Nature, Nature's Touch, any 3 Water spells,
  any 2 Earth spells, and any 1 Air spell. 
  Kitsune  Shugenja  School (page 147)
  Beginning Spells were omitted. They are: Sense,
  Commune, Summon, 3 Earth, 2 Air, and 1 Water spell.
  Book of Water
  DIFFICULTY TABLE
  TN
  Difficulty
  Physical
  Mental
  None
  Mundane
  Getting out of bed
  Remembering details of your sword
  5
  Very  Easy
  Striking an immobile target
  Recognizing a friend
  10
  Easy
  Carrying half your weight
  Finding a misplaced item
  15
  Average
  Lifting your weight over your head
  Recognizing someone in disguise
  20
  Moderate
  Scaling a cliff without rope
  Finding a well-hidden object
  25
  Difficult
  Diving safely from a waterfall
  Remembering someone's exact words
  35
  Heroic
  Out-wrestling a troll
  Naming all your ancestors in order
  50
  Impossible
  Shattering stone with bare hands
  Outwitting a Fortune
  
  5
  FAQ
  Character  Creation
  Q.  Can  a  Clan-Affiliated  Samurai  take  the  Ronin
  techniques  without  the  Different  Schools  Advantage?
  The  book  isn't  to  clear  on  this  matter.
  A. Clan-affiliated characters may choose to study at
  a ronin School at the time of character creation without
  having to take the Different School Advantage. If they
  wish to change Schools after that, they must take
  Multiple Schools. Ronin may move freely among the
  bushi Schools as they like, perhaps resulting in a Bushi 2
  /Duelist 1 or what have you.
  Ronin Schools are intended to represent a number of
  basic, fundamental styles that exist within all major
  fighting styles (for Clan samurai), and that may be stu-
  died independently without the need for a dojo or sen-
  sei (for ronin). They also allow you to make that Hiruma
  Yojimbo you've always wanted, even if there's no
  Yojimbo School among the Crab.
  They are, like much of 3
  rd Ed, a toolkit to use as you
  see fit in order to create a more varied and appealing
  character.
  Q.  What  is  a  starting  characters  Glory  and  Status
  dependant  on?  School?
  A. Honor is variable depending upon School. Glory
  and Status are not, and can only be increased through
  use of Advantages and such. Glory and Status both begin
  at 1 for all starting characters.
  Q.  So  in  order  to  get  higher  status  one  needs  to  buy
  Social  Position  Advantage?  What  is  the  mechanic  for  it
  precisely?  Each  social  position  counts  as  1  pt  of  Status?
  Or  they  vary  depending  on  what  the  position  is?  If  so
  what  would  be  average  status  of  simple  member  of  kuge
  family  of  the  clan?
  A. The GM can grant Status any time a character
  gets a promotion and it's a good rule of thumb for a cha-
  racter's status to always at least be equal to his School
  Rank. Generally, players shouldn't really assume that
  their characters will be increasing constantly - for the
  most part characters in Rokugan will hit a “ceiling”
  where their Status levels out and, after this, promotions
  are somewhat rare. Status is used primarily as a gauge of
  who is politically, socially, and legally bound to offer
  obedience and/or respect to whom.
  Q.  I'm  a  bit  confused  with  starting  skills  and  how
  they  work.  With  all  the  ways  you  can  increase  your
  skills  at  character  generation  how  exactly  do  these  rules
  work?
  A. Very simple, gentlemen. Page 153 says: “After
  choosing your character's Family, if you wish you may
  roll on the Heritage tables to see what sort of family line
  the character was born into.” Ergo, any bonuses you
  gain to a Skill will be determined before you even pick
  your School.
  When you have selected your School, you get your
  Starting Skills. The term “Starting” is identical to the
  one used on page 88: “A character can increase any
  given Skill only two ranks beyond its starting rank
  during character creation.”
  Therefore, if I were making a Kakita, I might roll a
  Heritage result that conferred +2 ranks of Iaijutsu (such
  as Table 3B: 1-2). I might then select the Kakita Bushi as
  my School. I could use the “any one High or Bugei Skill”
  to gain Iaijutsu 2, and then add the +2 Heritage result to
  gain a total of Iaijutsu 4. I would then have increased my
  Iaijutsu Skill two ranks above its starting rank (2), and
  would be unable to increase it any further.
  Skills
  Q.  How  does  Skill  Substitution  work?
  A. When substituting one Skill for another, a cha-
  racter retains all existing Emphases and Mastery
  Abilities unless otherwise specified by the Technique or
  Advantage that allows the substitution. Substitution
  Skill A for Skill B, however, does not allow a character
  to miraculously gain the Mastery Abilities of Skill B.
  Q.  Are  all  skills  with  the  “Lore  Skill”  subtype  consi-
  dered  a  “Lore  Skill”  for  all  purposes  and  rolls?
  A. Yes 
  Q.  Do  you  need  the  emphases  to  use  the  ability?
  A. You may only use Emphasis Abilities (noted
  appropriately under the Skills that have them) if you
  have the appropriate Emphasis. If you do not have this
  Emphasis, you can still use the skill normally. Meaning
  that if you have Courtier, you can Gossip all you want,
  but you can't make the Raise to conceal the fact you're
  gossiping. If you have Acting, you can act in a variety of
  styles, but can't disguise yourself without Disguise.
  Q.  You  need  the  Clan  Cipher  Emphasis  of
  Calligraphy  (page  95)  to  read  a  Spell  Scroll,  which  isn't
  on  any  of  the  school's  Skill  lists.  The  Tamori  don't  get
  Calligraphy  at  all.  Is  this  an  intentional  2  Character
  Points  fee  being  levied  on  Shugenjas?
  A. Considering this logically, one of two conclusions
  can be reached:
  1.) Despite the wording of the Skill entry, each indi-
  vidual clan teaches their shugenja students to read their
  
  cipher, and that an Emphasis would only be required to
  read the cipher of -other- clans.
  2.) Or that obviously individual shugenja are inten-
  ded to have this Emphasis of Calligraphy and should be
  given it accordingly.
  I believe that #1 would be the most reasonable
  means of dealing with this anomaly. Feel free to adjust
  it however you prefer it for your games!
  Q.  Rank  5  in  Commerce  (page  100)  grants  10%  more
  koku  with  a  successful  roll.  How  much  of  a  profit  can
  the  seller  usually  expect  to  make,  if  he's  selling  some-
  thing  neither  in-ddemand/rare  or  common/worthless,
  given  a  reasonably  stable  economic  situation?
  A. That's the thing about the Yasuki. When they sell
  you something, it's never rare or worthless. It's never
  just “rice.” It's “Rare mountain grown rice, blessed in
  the most fertile soils of Inari's chosen monks and picked
  upon the very first day of fall so that the taste would be
  delicate and the texture as tender as melting ice. The
  food will satisfy your body, but the taste will fulfill the
  deepest needs of your soul.”
  It's always exactly what you wanted. Even if you
  didn't realize you wanted it before the Yasuki started
  talking, and figure out you really didn't want it later.
  That's how they squeeze the extra money out of you.
  Of course, they can't squeeze what isn't there. Some
  common sense is needed here. If you're selling some a
  ring to a ronin for 2 zeni and he's only got 2 zeni, he's
  not going to magically produce 10% more for you. 
  Q.  Shouldn’t  Kyujutsu  (page  101)  have  a  Rank  5
  Mastery  Ability?
  A. There is no Rank 5 Mastery Ability for Kyujutsu.
  This is not an error.
  Advantages  and  Disadvantages  
  Q.  Does  bishamon's  blessings  (page  106)  activate
  with  both  regular  raises  and  free  raises?
  A. No, hence the phrasing. You do not “make” a Free
  Raise.
  Q.  About  Crab  Hands  (page  107),  when  your  skill  is
  considered  1  higher  in  weapon  skills,  does  that  count  for
  mastery  level  as  well?
  A. Crab Hands does not grant Mastery level abilities.
  In all other respects, however, the skill functions as if
  one rank higher.
  Q.  How  does  Combat  Reflexes  (page  107)  work?
  A. This Advantage functions as indicated in the rule-
  book. There are no hidden limitations or additional benefits.
  One important thing to add on Combat Reflexes: the
  Advantage specifically states it is only used after
  Initiative is rolled. This means that, should a character's
  initiative change due to Tides of Battle or other effects
  that may alter his initiative, he may not use Combat
  Reflexes again to steal someone else's place in the order
  and retain his advantage (any more than he could use it
  repeatedly to hop all the way to the top of the Initiative
  order in a mass combat).
  Combat Reflexes is a once per combat deal. You use
  it, or you don't. It is a callous and uncaring god that does
  not care if the initiative order being usurped is from
  friend or foe. Any time you use it, you stick with what
  it gives you. 
  In the case of multiple combatants with Combat
  Reflexes, I would give higher initiative characters the
  right to choose first (to give them the chance to perhaps
  escape losing their initiative to a lower rolling opponent
  with Combat Reflexes). Once you've made your choice,
  you're stuck with it for the combat. The exception to
  this would be whoever rolls highest in the entire skir-
  mish. I'd let them use their Combat Reflexes whenever
  they like, so that if someone ganks their initiative they
  can immediately yank it back.
  Q.  Raises  are  limited  by  your  Void  or  your  Skill,
  whichever  is  higher.  Doesn't  this  general  ability  sort  of
  nerf  the  Great  Potential  Advantage  (page  108)?
  A. I don't think it necessarily nerfs the Advantage,
  because if your Void Ring is higher than your Skill
  Rank, then you basically can make unlimited Raises.
  That said, however, it obviously becomes far less attrac-
  tive for the point cost. I am tempted to errata the
  Advantage to read “no longer limited by your Void or
  Skill Rank”, but I try to be cautious when issuing errata.
  Each piece makes the game more complicated. In this
  case, however, I think I will likely be adding that to the
  list in the near future.
  Q.  If  you  choose  Iaijutsu  as  your  skill  for  the  Great
  Potential  Advantage  (page  108),  are  your  Focuses/Raises
  still  limited  by  whatever  is  chosen  by  your  opponent  in
  a  duel  or  does  this  advantage  negate  that?
  A. Focuses and Raises are two very similar but diffe-
  rent mechanics. Great Potential does not affect Focuses
  in the manner you describe, no.
  Q.  Do  characters  with  Ishiken-ddo  (page  109)  get  a
  Free  Raise  for  each  Void  they  spend  while  casting
  spells?  How  are  these  Free  Raises  used  if  you  must
  declare  Raises  before  you  roll?
  A. I would say no. Despite the wording, the intent is
  for a Free Raise to be gained any time that the shugenja
  6
  
  chooses to spend Void Points, not one per Void Points
  spent. 
  I don't really understand the second question. You
  would use the Free Raises exactly the same way you'd
  use them on any roll with a Free Raise, which includes
  about a hundred Techniques or Advantages. You could
  use them to increase the Range of a spell, decrease the
  Casting Time, add 5 per Free Raise to your roll (which
  you haven't made yet because you just now said you
  were spending a Void Point), etc.
  Q.  Why  doesn't  Ishiken-ddo  (page  109)  require  the
  shugenja  to  have  affinity  void?
  A. Once upon a time, Ishiken-do were only born
  among the Phoenix, and their power was really astoun-
  ding. Now, however, not only are Void shugenja being
  born outside the Isawa (witness Master of the Void
  Shiba Ningen), but outside the clan altogether, and the
  ability to perceive the Void is fluctuating. Some Ishiken
  are capable of incredible feats of power, while others
  can only glimpse into the Void's mysteries. Curious,
  isn't it?
  Q.  The  Multiple  Schools  Advantage  (page  110)  says
  the  shugenja  or  bushi  may  take  ranks  of  other  schools
  (including  courtier  schools)  and  vice  versa  though  not
  both.  Does  this  mean  that  anyone  can  take  ranks  in
  schools  with  the  monk  descriptor  (Asako  Henshin,  Ize-
  Zumi)?  And  can  they  take  ranks  as  a  normal  monk  later?  
  After  you  have  achieved  rank  5  in  a  school  do  you
  need  to  take  multiple  schools  in  order  to  attend  a  diffe-
  rent  school?  What  about  schools  in-cclan  (hida  to
  hiruma),  out  of  clan  (hida  to  moto)  and  schools  that
  aren't  your  primary  path  (bushi  to  courtier)?
  A. The general rule of Multiple Schools is that Bushi
  can multi into Courtier or Others, Shugenja can multi
  into Courtier or Others, but Bushi and Shugenja cannot
  multi together. Adding monks to the mix is tricky, but
  essentially you can multi into a Monk School from any-
  thing else, but you should never be allowed to take
  ranks in other Schools once you're in a Monk School.
  Q.  The  Lame  Disadvantage  (page  115)  states  that  the
  player  has  a  +10  to  TN  for  all  Agility  rolls.  Does  this
  mean  Raw  Agility  rolls  or  any  rolls  that  have  the  Agility
  trait  as  one  of  its  components
  A. It would mean all Agility rolls, both trait and
  skill.
  Schools
  Q.  What  weapon/item  is  required  to  use  the  various
  School  Techniques  (pages  119-1152)?
  A. Techniques that require specific equipment will
  have such requirements stated in their write-up. For
  example, several Tsuruchi Bounty Hunter Techniques
  specify they must be used with an archery attack. The
  Mirumoto Bushi Techniques do not specify that they
  require a daisho, and therefore they do not require a
  daisho.
  Q.  Do  you  get  the  Trait  bonus  and  the  Skills  of  your
  new  school  when  changing  schools  (i.e.  using  the
  Different/  Multiple  Schools  Advantage  or  by  taking  an
  Advanced  path)?
  A. No.
  � Crab
  Q.  The  Yasuki  courtiers  (page  120)  get  a  Free  Raise
  for  every  2  declared  Raises  made  by  an  opponent  on
  contested  rolls  (Technique  Rank  1).  Does  this  include
  Free  Raises  that  the  opponent  receives?
  A. Yes. Yasuki vs. Bayushi standoffs can generate
  some absolutely insane numbers of Raises on both sides.
  Q.  How  interact  Hida  Bushi  Rank  4.  (page  119)  and
  the  Crab  Kata  Shell  of  Stone  (page  195).  Do  these  stack?
  I.e.  -  Rank  4  Crab  wearing  Heavy  Armor  and  using  the
  Kata  would  have  a  TM  modifier  of  +40  (10  x2  x2)  Or  is
  it  doubled  once  for  each  +?
  A.  It would be 30. Rather than a doubled double, it
  just gains a bonus equal to the base, twice. That should
  have been made more clear to prevent geometric explo-
  sions.
  Q.  Do  the  extra  Void  points  gained  in  rank  3  and  5
  in  the  Hida  school  (page  119)  work  for  contests  of  void?
  A. No they do not. They are used to power the tech-
  nique.
  Q.  How  exactly  does  Rank  5  Hida  technique  (page
  119)  work?
  A. The intent of the technique is indeed that a Hida's
  Wounds permanently double upon taking the techni-
  que, and remain in that state forevermore (unless the
  technique is somehow cancelled - I can't think of any-
  thing off hand that would do that, but don't want to rule
  out the possibility).
  7
  
  � Crane
  Q.  Does  the  Kakita  bushi  (page  122)  initiative  bonus
  apply  only  when  you're  wielding  a  katana?
  A. There is no condition set by the technique on
  when the bonus to imitative is applied. This means that
  the kakita bushi always adds twice his iaijutsu ranks to
  his imitative no matter what he is doing.
  � Dragon
  Q.  The  Mirumoto  has  Kenjutsu  (katana),  and  so  he
  does  get  to  add  his  kenjutsu  ranks  to  his  Iaijutsu  rolls
  (Mirumoto  Technique  Rank  1,  page  125).  However,
  Iaijutsu  (page  102)  does  not  have  emphases,  so  a  Kakita
  does  not  get  this  benefit  when  using  Iaijutsu  in  skirmish
  (Kakita  Technique  Rank  1,  page  122).  Furthermore,
  only  the  skill  ranks,  masteries  and  emphases  are  copied,
  but  not  the  associated  Trait.  So  a  Kakita,  when  substitu-
  ting  Iaijutsu  for  kenjutsu  must  still  use  agility.  Correct?
  A. Not exactly. Here's how it works. The only thing
  that carries over is the skill rank. However, any Mastery
  benefits that still apply in that situation stick around.
  For example: Mirumoto Bill is fighting in an Iaijutsu
  Duel. Bill has 5 Kenjutsu. He gets to use Kenjutsu ins-
  tead of his Iaijutsu rank, but every other part of the duel
  remains the same as normal. He still gets to spend an
  additional Void Point on a single damage roll with a
  katana, because that's a benefit of having Kenjutsu 5 and
  that doesn't go away. (A Crane with Kenjutsu 5 would
  be getting the same advantage in such a duel.) Bill
  doesn't get to add 5 to his Iaijutsu roll for using an
  Emphasis, because Iaijutsu has no Emphases. His Katana
  Emphasis is irrelevant here.
  Now let's look at the flip side. Kakita Ted is fighting
  in a skirmish using Kenjutsu. He has Kenjutsu 5, Katana
  Emphasis, and Iaijutsu 7. He gets to use his Iaijutsu 7 for
  all Skill rolls, but he gains all the normal bonuses a cha-
  racter is entitled to on a Kenjutsu roll. This means he
  gets to spend the additional void point on damage
  (Kenjutsu 5 mastery) and he gets to add 5 to his total
  (Katana Emphasis bonus).
  The only thing that swaps out is the Skill Rank.
  Everything else stays the same. Thus it behooves a
  Kakita or Mirumoto to gather ranks in both.
  Q.  How  many  tattoos  can  be  activated  at  one  time?
  All  of  them?  One  as  a  Simple  Action,  two  as  a  Complex
  Action?
  A. One at a time, simple action to activate.
  � Lion (no entry)
  � Mantis (no entry)
  � Phoenix
  Q.  If  a  Shiba  is  performing  an  attack,  can  he  spend  any
  number  of  void  on  damage  with  his  katana  (page  136)?
  A. No, damage is not an action. It is an effect of the
  weapon's Damage Rating.
  � Scorpion
  Q.  how  does  the  Shosuro  Shinobi  Rank  1  technique
  work  (page  141)?
  A. The Shosuro character is in Full Defense. He
  remains in Full Defense unless one of the following
  things happens:
  1) You are unable to utilize Full Defense, due to
  being restrained or the like.
  2) You take an action that is illegal when on Full
  Defense, such as attacking or moving at more than half
  speed (you then default to Attack Posture).
  3) You just decide not to be on Full Defense, for
  whatever reason.
  If you enter a combat with a Shosuro, he is probably
  on Full Defense already, as if he had declared Full
  Defense posture on his last action and was still enjoying
  the benefits. If he decides to attack you, he is no longer
  on Full Defense.
  Here is the tricky part: A Shosuro does not gain any
  special abilities to declare his Posture anew if he drops
  Full Defense. He has to do it just like everyone else. If
  he gives up his auto Full Defense, he has to wait until his
  next turn to switch it back on again, just like everyone
  else. The technique just prevents him from being surpri-
  sed, and prevents him from being locked into Defense
  mode in the first round of combat as a character milking
  the Defense Mastery Ability typically is.
  If you're that afraid of a Shosuro Shinobi waiting for
  you to miss and then demolishing you... go on Full
  Defense yourself. Call for help. Try yelling “Ninja!” that
  usually works. I guarantee if the Shinobi doesn't quickly
  take advantage of the one-on-one combat, things will
  swiftly turn against him.
  Example 1: Doji Roy, Courtier with 5 Defense.
  Initiative is rolled, Roy sees he's going last. He says
  “I want to go on Full Defense!” He is now locked into
  Full Defense as if he had declared it on his turn. He can-
  not attack now, even if he wishes to.
  Example 2: Shosuro Fred, Shinobi student.
  Initiative is rolled, Fred sees he's going last, he
  doesn't say a thing. He's considered to be on Full
  Defense as if he had declared it last round, even if there
  8
  
  was no last round. On his turn, he can declare posture
  and do whatever he wants just like any character can.
  He cannot go back into Full Defense once his action is
  complete, unless his action was one that would not
  break Full Defense Posture.
  Basically the Defense Mastery ability gives you the
  option of taking part of your action before it's your turn.
  The Shinobi does no such thing - it just gives you the
  luxury of having a posture's benefits before combat even
  starts.
  Q.  Does  the  Bayushi  Courtier's  rank  5  technique
  (page  141)  stack  with  its  rank  1  technique  (page  140)?
  A. Yes, Rank 5 stacks with the Rank 1. The reason it
  says the target gains no Points is so that he does not
  immediately spend them! The point value, however, is
  still there.
  � Unicorn (no entry)
  � Imperial  Schools
  Q.  The  Otomo  Courtier  Rank  2 Technique  (page
  146)  allows  the  courtier  to  make  someone  automatically
  fail  their  Test  of  Honor.  Do  they  lose  honor  as  if  they
  failed  normally  in  this  instance,  or  is  the  honor  loss
  ignored?
  A. You lose honor normally. Don't mess with the
  Imperial Family.
  Q.  The  Miya  Rank  5  technique  (page  147)  states  that
  the  character  may  declare  raises  after  rolling  on  the
  skills  Defense,  Etiquette,  and  Lore  (Heraldry).  But
  where  are  the  rules  regarding  the  effects  of  raises  on  the
  Defense  skill?  
  A. There is no standard use for Raises when using
  Defense to employ the Full Defense Posture. However,
  the Defense Skill could conceivable be used with any
  number of Traits for other purposes. If such a situation
  ever arises, although admittedly those instances will be
  rare, the Miya gains the listed benefit.
  The Etiquette and Lore: Heraldry benefits are far
  more common and useful, but the Defense benefit is
  there for the rare occasions when it comes up.
  Say, for instance, the Herald is traveling through a
  ruin and the ceiling begins to collapse, raining debris
  upon his head. No one purposefully set this trap, so
  there is no skill roll with which to contest, however,
  Defense would be an appropriate skill to determine the
  courtier's ability to avoid damage. The GM asks the
  player to make Defense rolls vs. TN 20 for four rounds
  as he runs out of the ruins. The player asks if he can run
  outside more quickly by making raises, and the GM
  agrees.
  � Minor  Clans (no entry)
  � Ronin
  Q.  What  exactly  counts  for  the  purpose  of  the  Ronin
  Duelist's  studying  (Technique  Rank  5,  page  151)?  How
  exactly  does  it  work?
  A. Any time Dairya starts leering at you across the
  courtyard for five rounds, I'd play it safe and run for my
  life.
  It's easy for a ronin to begin studying someone to set
  up his Rank 5, but it's also fairly obvious to anyone
  who's a skilled warrior that this guy is sizing you up like
  a piece of meat. Either throw down before he finishes
  using the technique or get the hell out of Dodge.
  The design intent of the Ronin Duelist is as follows:
  the ronin studies you for a number of rounds equal to
  your Insight Rank. If he manages to get that many
  rounds of study off, he can immediately attack without
  having to wait to be told to strike. This attack takes into
  account the increased TN from focusing. If the attack
  hits, make the Contested Void Roll.
  Yes, this circumvents the normal dueling procedure.
  This is a Rank 5 Technique. They're supposed to be
  badass. If you are dueling a ronin who has survived long
  enough to make it to Ronin Duelist 5, you are supposed
  to be afraid of him. If you are a duelist yourself, say for
  example a Rank 5 Kakita Bushi, then you should know
  better than to allow this predator to study you for that
  long. Play to your strengths and deny him his.
  9
  
  Errata
  Types  of  Rolls,  Skill  Rolls (page 158)
  The sentence "More difficult tasks may impose a
  higher Target Number, and may treat a character with
  only a couple of Skill Ranks as Unskilled..." is in error.
  This was part of a system for sliding TNs that was later
  removed because it was overly complicated. This sen-
  tence should have been deleted.
  Special  Combat  Situations  -  Grappling (page 169)
  The Grapple description refers to a non-existent
  Wrestling Skill. This should be the Jiujitsu Skill.
  Kata  -  Tail  of  the  Sun (page 202)
  The Phoenix kata Tail of the Sun references an
  Initiative bonus to polearms that was removed in late
  playtesting. A corrected version of this kata will be
  forthcoming soon. 
  TN  chart  of  difficulty
  The line about the table was supposed to be cut from
  the book, but was missed during the editing process.
  This was done mostly because it was felt that it was to
  arbitary. The table can be found in the Book of Water
  errata.
  FAQ
  General
  Q.  How  many  zeni  are  in  a  bu?
  A. 10 zeni per bu. See page 181.
  Q.  Will  there  be  an  update  to  the  martial  arts  rules
  presented  in  Way  of  the  Open  Hand?
  A. Way of the Open Hand is, in my opinion, one of
  the best books we did during the d20 period so you can
  bet that a web supplement adapting it for 3E is a high
  priority. In the meantime, consider all of the martial arts
  in WotOH to be Jiujutsu Emphases. More detailed rules
  will be forthcoming.
  Raises
  Q.  What  is  the  maximum  number  of  Raises (p.  159)?
  A. Characters may make a maximum number of
  Raises equal to their Void or Skill Rank, whichever is
  higher, just as is indicated. 
  Q.  Can  you  use  a  Free  Raise  for  a  +5  bonus  to
  damage?
  A. If you have a Free Raise for damage, it adds 1k0
  to your damage roll. You cannot add +5 to damage with
  a Free Raise. Free Raises are given on attack rolls for the
  purpose of increasing damage. They are not given on
  damage rolls, because you cannot Raise on the damage
  roll.
  To be specific: the Free Raises conferred on Matsu
  Rank 1 are on the attack roll, and may only be used for
  the increased damage option detailed on page 168.
  Honor,  Glory  &  Status
  Q.  When  making  a  test  of  honor  for  a  failed  roll
  (page  192),  you  can  substitute  your  honor  for  the  skill  or
  trait.  What  if  you  substitute  honor  for  a  skill  you  don't
  have?  Would  the  roll  be  made  as  if  the  samurai  had  the
  skill,  thus  allowing  10s  to  explode,  or  would  they  just
  get  the  extra  dice  to  roll?
  A. It's counted as if you had the Skill, though you do
  not magically gain Emphases if they are required for
  that use of the Skill.
  Q.  Concerning  special  rules  for  Monks  with  regards
  to  Glory  and  Status,  which  page  is  correct?  Page  190  or
  page  250?
  A. Page 190 is correct, page 250 is not.
  Duels (page 170)
  Q.  In  a  duel,  does  only  one  samurai  get  to  make  a
  duel  attack,  or  will  the  second  get  a  chance  to  make  the
  same  attack  if  he  survives  the  first  blow?  
  A. The second may still strike, assuming he survives
  the blow (see page 170, last paragraph of the first
  column).
  Q.  Why  Kenjutsu  is  not  on  the  list  of  skills  one  can
  learn  about  their  opponent  while  dueling?
  A. It is not included because nine times out of ten a
  duelist would be discovering information about the cha-
  racter that is not related to the duel at all. It would be
  like me playing someone in basketball (hahaha) and
  suddenly receiving a flash of insight along the lines of
  "Hey, this guy cheats on his taxes!"
  Yes, I realize that Iaijutsu and Kenjutsu are far more
  closely related than Taxes and Basketball, but you get
  the idea.
  10
  Book of Fire
  
  Q.  Is  it  dishonorable  to  use  a  void  point  to  raise  your
  TN  to  be  hit  in  a  duel?  Also  is  it  dishonorable  to  use  a
  Void  point  or  school  technique  to  prevent  damage  in  a
  Iaijutsu  duel  to  the  death?
  A. You are confusing mechanics and setting. The oppo-
  sing duelist cannot complain to an impartial judge that
  you spend all your Void points on a duel. There is no
  dishonor in doing either of these things. In fact, if
  someone is dueling to the death, and they fail to use
  their Void to alleviate damage as described in your
  second question, then they are most likely what my
  great-grandmother would have lovingly referred to as
  an "idjit."
  Combat
  Q.  Can  you  spend  Void  Points  on  damage?
  A. The section for Void Points (page 164-165) details
  when you may use them and what they may be used for.
  That section specifically stipulates that you may not use
  Void Points for damage, because that has been a point of
  confusion in past editions and we wanted to be very
  clear about it.
  The Void Points-related abilities included in indivi-
  dual weapon (ie. swords) descriptions are the exceptions
  to the rule. They are listed there because they are speci-
  fic to those weapons, and not generally available under
  other circumstances.
  In a nutshell, you cannot normally spend Void
  Points to increase damage. Swords are an exception to
  the rule. With them you can.
  Q.  How  to  determine  Initiative  (page  165)?
  A. You roll "Reflexes/Insight Rank", which means
  you add your Reflexes to your Insight Rank, roll that
  many dice, and keep as many dice as your Reflexes Trait.
  If you do not have insight then it is a Raw Reflexes roll.
  Q.  How  does  Tides  of  Battle  (page  166)  interact  with
  Combat  Reflexes  and  the  Kakita  techniques  that  are
  based  on  how  much  they  beat  their  opponent's  initiative
  roll  by?
  A. There is no difference between "Initiative score"
  and "order." The two are inseparable. If Hida Dwayne
  has Combat Reflexes, and the order is as follows:
  Kakita Vance: 43
  Mirumoto Angelica: 22
  Hida Dwayne: 19
  Then Hida Dwayne can change it to the following:
  Kakita Vance: 43
  Hida Dwayne: 22
  Mirumoto Angelica: 19
  Very straightforward, nothing complicated. Just like
  it's stated in the rulebook.
  Q.  How  does  the  Combat  Postures  mechanics  work
  (page  167)?
  A. See the Appendix 1 at the end of this section for
  a detailed example.
  Q.  How  does  the  Feint  mechanics  work  (page  168)?
  A. See the Appendix 2 at the end of this section for
  a detailed example.
  Q.  Where  can  I  find  the  generic  rules  for  two  wea-
  pon  fighting?
  A. Look at the Weapon skills. Some weapons offer
  Mastery bonuses that grant lesser penalties or free raises
  toward gaining an additional attack when you wield one
  in your offhand. Included in this number are the sai,
  tanto, and tessen.
  Generic rules for using two weapons that apply
  regardless of skill would be just that—generic—they
  would inevitably either undermine the uniqueness of
  the Dragon and Mantis schools that are known for two
  weapon fighting, or (in an effort to avoid stepping into
  their territory) be so weak as to be useless. Instead we
  struck a compromise here—you can do two weapon
  fighting effectively if you:
  1) Use weapons that lend themselves toward such
  tactics.
  2) Become rather skilled with them
  Kata
  Q.  How  long  do  the  benefits  of  a  kata  last?
  A. All advantages and benefits of a kata last only for
  the duration of that kata unless the kata says otherwise. 
  Q.  Does  it  take  an  action  to  activate  the  kata?  
  A. I would say no, as that would dramatically limit
  the usefulness of kata.
  Q.  If  you  spend  double  the  preparation  time
  (Preparation  Time,  page  193),  does  it  mean  that  the  kata
  lasts  for  the  entire  day  or  that  you  can  simply  turn  the
  kata  on  at  any  point  during  the  day?
  A. You can turn it on at any point during the day.
  Q.  Does  it  also  mean  that  you  can  turn  the  kata  on,
  then  off  then  on  again?
  A. You can turn it on, then off, but turning it off ter-
  minates the benefit, and thus it cannot be turned on
  again.
  11
  
  � Kata  -  Tsuko's  Storm  (page 199) 
  Q.  This  kata  negates  any  advantage  my  opponents
  attacking  me  from  the  sides  or  behind  could  have...
  what  are  those  advantages?  A  number  of  abilities  are
  restricted  to  if  you  are  aware  of  the  attack...  does  this
  kata  let  you  respond  as  if  you  are  always  aware  of  attacks
  on  you?
  A. This definitely could have been worded better.
  It's a limited resistance to being Surprised (also on
  page 169).
  Essentially if someone is surprising you in melee,
  and you are capable of defending yourself, you suffer no
  penalty. (A character surprising you by firing at you
  from range or attacking in darkness still gains all bene-
  fits of surprise.)
  Q.  Further,  it  insists  I  declare  "a  Full  Attack"  each
  round...  Is  it  suposed  to  say  I  need  to  declare  "the  Full
  Attack  *Posture*"  each  round?  Do  I  have  to  declare  the
  posture  and  hit  something  (anything,  nearby  flowers
  perhaps,  if  no  enemy  is  handy)?
  A. No you just have to be in the Posture.
  � Kata  -  Prayer's  End  (page 201)
  Q.  When  making  two  attacks  you  make  one  attack
  roll,  rolling  extra  dice  equal  to  your  peasant  weapons
  skill,  and  then  rolling  damage  dice  normally  for  each
  attack.  What  about  raises  on  the  roll?  Does  it  apply  to
  each  roll?  Separately?
  A. All Raises must be made on the one and only
  attack roll.
  Q.  What  if  I  want  to  make  3  Raises  for  a  knockdown
  as  part  of  the  first  attack  and  make  2  Raises  for  1k1
  damage  increase  on  the  second  attack?  If  opponent’s  TN
  to  hit  is  25  and  I  roll  a  35,  would  I  fail  the  knockdown
  because  it  was  a  40  TN,  but  get  the  extra  damage  because
  it’s  a  35.
  A. No. In the most basic version (no Raises) you roll
  once, get a 25+ and then roll damage normally twice.
  In your case, you made a total of 5 Raises, for a final
  TN of 50. A 35 would mean the whole attack failed. If
  you’d rolled a 50+, the opponent would be knocked
  prone and would suffer the extra damage on the second
  damage roll.
  Only one attack roll is being made, and it's all or
  nothing. 
  Q.  What  about  if  you  make  4  Raises  for  an  additio-
  nal  attack?
  A. I would not allow that, because it would be modi-
  fying the kata, which is by its very nature a pre-establi-
  shed maneuver with its own benefits. However, the let-
  ter of the law does not prohibit this, so mechanically I
  don't see why you couldn't do it if you wanted.
  Q.  On  this  attack  roll  is  the  raises  effecting  both
  attacks,  one  of  them,  or  none  of  them?
  A. Any Raises made on the attack roll must be split
  up between the two damage rolls. You should specify
  how the Raises are being split up before making the roll.
  Q.  Can  the  two  attacks  be  a  Feint  then  a
  Knockdown?  Or  a  feint  and  an  extra  attack?
  A. Yes. 
  Q.  If  you  make  two  raises  for  damage  does  each
  attack  get  1k1  or  does  each  attack  get  1k0?
  A. One attack could gain 1k1 or you could give 1k0
  to both.
  Appendix  1 - Rich  Wulf  on  combat  postures
  Rufus is fighting Bill and Ted. Bill and Ted both get
  higher initiative than Rufus.
  Round  1
  Rufus goes Full defense, as he has Defense 5. Ted
  swings and misses. Bill swings and misses. Rufus uses
  Tides of Battle to reduce Bill's Initiative. Technically
  Bill and Ted can do this as well because they didn't take
  any damage either. Let's say Rufus gets lucky and gets
  initiative on Bill, but Ted is still ahead of Rufus.
  Round  2
  Ted swings and misses Rufus, who is still enjoying
  Full Defense. Rufus now goes on Full Attack and demo-
  lishes Bill. Bill, being dead, takes no action. Tides kicks
  in again but for the sake of argument we'll say Ted
  maintains Initiative superiority.
  Round  3
  Ted goes first, gets three Free Raises because Rufus is
  still suffering Full Attack penalties. Rufus dies. Badly.
  Had Rufus gone first, he might have been able to go
  back on Full Defense or even regular Attack and prevent
  this unseemly fate. Poor Rufus.
  12
  
  Anyway that's just meant to illustrate when the pos-
  ture effects kick in and go away.
  Appendix  2  -  Rich  Wulf  on  the  uses  of  Feinting
  Let's take a look at Feint, because it's a mechanic
  designed to be subtle. It's not something that you're
  going to notice as being particularly potent right away -
  and you'd better not. After all, it's a Feint.
  The advantage of a Feint over a Focus is that if your
  target moves out of range, your Focus is wasted.
  Basically in a Focus, you're attempting to gain the same
  benefit a duelist would in a formal Iaijutsu duel, where
  both opponents generally stand still, concentrate, then
  cut one another to pieces. Thus if your opponent even
  takes a step back as a simple action, forcing you to fol-
  low, the Focus is wasted. (Focus is a great deal more use-
  ful for snipers, who can wait till an unsuspecting target
  relaxes for a bit then put an arrow through his skull.)
  Feint in and of itself is not *intended* to be some-
  thing that's easy to use or obvious in its utility. The rea-
  son is simple, but I will put it in its own paragraph for
  emphasis:
  If feinting were easy, everyone would feint. All the
  time.
  If you could declare any amount of Raises you
  wished but, if you missed, apply those Raises on your
  next attack, why would I not feint on EVERY attack?
  Generally in my experience players call one or two
  Raises against difficult opponents anyway. What risk is
  there if they can now do this with wild abandon, kno-
  wing that if they miss they will gain these Raises (along
  with any additional Raises they might call) on their next
  attack?
  Feints are intended to help you in pulling off extre-
  mely difficult maneuvers, as they give you a Raise you
  may utilize in addition to those required by your Void.
  They're best used when your opponent's retaliatory
  strike is a non-issue because (as others have noted)
  sometimes the return strike is not worth the risk.
  A  few  good  uses  for  Feint...
  1) If your ally is knocked down, disarmed, or heavily
  wounded. You can use this to set up a coup de gras
  without fear of being harmed in return.
  2) If you have an ally nearby boosting your TN
  somehow, either through the Guard action, magic, or a
  rank tech such as the Tamori shugenja's. With the
  luxury of more time to prepare your attack, you could
  launch a more devastating assault.
  3) If there's an attack you really, really, really, really,
  really, really need not to miss. So much so that it's bet-
  ter than having the two attacks. What if you've only got
  one jade arrow? Making a feint with that club at first
  would be a pretty handy way to gain some insurance.
  What if you're a Shiba Bushi who plans to spend all his
  Void on a single perfect strike and wants just that little
  bit of additional insurance to make sure you haven't
  wasted your time?
  4) Set and spike. Full attack is dangerous. Very dan-
  gerous. If you're going to Full Attack someone, you
  should really make sure they die. Feinting while still
  under the benefit of the normal Attack Posture then
  switching to Full Attack with an additional Raise for
  damage could take that bad guy straight the (expletive
  deleted) out.
  5) Miscellaneous - the Feint as described in the book
  is a baseline mechanic, an action ANYONE can do. A
  courtier with no combat abilities whatsoever can pre-
  tend he's trying to kick his enemy in the goodies and
  gain the Feint bonus. Then there are specialists, charac-
  ters designed to make use of Feint. Some Schools take
  this benefit and build on it, creating a more impressive
  technique. Witness: Bayushi Bushi Rank 2, Daidoji
  Harrier Rank 4, Usagi Bushi Rank 4, Bayushi Bushi
  Rank 5, Usagi Bushi Rank 5, and whatever possible
  future techniques may take advantage of this mechanic.
  All of these techniques would be overpowered if Feint
  were moved out of its current form to the alternate ver-
  sions suggested in this thread.
  13
  
  Errata
  Counterspell (page 227)
  The information found in the Book of Air regarding
  all Shugenja Schools possessing the spell as an Innate
  Ability is correct.
  Spell  -  Yari  of  Air (page 230)
  The following sentence was omitted from the spell
  write-up: "This weapon is wielded like a normal yari,
  but you may use your School Rank plus one in place of
  the Spears Skill."
  Spell  -  Everburning  Rage (page 242)
  The duration of this spell should be Full
  Concentration. 
  Playing  a  Monk (page 250)
  The information regarding Status is incorrect. The
  entry should read “All monks have Glory 2 and Status 0.
  A monk’s Status never changes, although they may gain
  Glory. See the sidebar page 190 for more information.”
  FAQ
  Spells  Duration
  Q.  Certain  spells  list  a  duration  of  "concentration  +
  X"  does  this  mean  that  the  spell  lasts  X  if  the  shugenja
  stops  concentrating?
  A. Correct, as per page 225. 
  Q.  Then,  can  he  resume  concentration  if  the  spell  is
  still  active?
  A. No, once concentration has ended, the spell ends
  at the appropriate time.
  Q.  Can  he  forgo  concentration  altogether  and  have  it
  last  X?
  A. No, the concentration is a required element of the
  ritual.
  Spells
  Q.  What  can  the  Sense  Void  spell  (page  244)  actually
  sense?  Does  it  just  sense  inanimate  objects  and  emo-
  tions?  At  what  distance  can  these  emotions  be  sensed?
  A. As the spell description indicates, it allows you to
  perceive inanimate objects, the presence of spirits, and
  the emotions or feelings of living creatures. The distance
  is at normal human perception limits. You could not tell
  that a guard was angry from one hundred feet away, but
  from ten or perhaps twenty feet, you could. Use real
  world distances as a means of making such determina-
  tions.
  Q.  Can  you  still  attack  while  using  Breath  of  the  Fire
  Dragon  (page  240)?  
  A. I see nothing in the description that prohibits
  taking other actions save for the obvious, and I don't see
  why you couldn't do so.
  Kiho
  Q.  The  Kiho  One  with  All  (page  258)  allows  me  to
  take  five  rounds  and  succeed  at  a  skill  check  roll.  Does
  this  roll  include  raises?
  A. This technique is only intended to allow you to
  succeed at a basic task (i.e. a skill roll with no raises,
  even a really difficult one).
  14
  Book of Air
  
  15
  Errata
  There is currently no errata.
  FAQ
  Q.  Where  are  the  stats  for  horses?
  A. You can find the stats in the table below.
  Book of Void
  Rokugani  Steed
  Earth  2  
  Stamina 4
  Water  3  
  Strength 6
  Fire  1  
  Agility 2
  Air  2
  Kick attack to hit: 2k2
  Kick damage: 4k2
  TN to be Hit: 10 (15 at a gallop)
  Wounds per wound level: 8
  The  Gaijin  Riding  Horse
  Earth  3
  Water  3  
  Strength 6
  Fire  1  
  Agility 2
  Air  2
  Kick attack to hit: 3k2
  Kick damage: 6k3
  TN to be Hit: 10 (15 at a gallop)
  Wounds per wound level: 10 
  The  Utaku  Steed
  Earth  3
  Water  3  
  Strength 6
  Fire  2
  Air  2
  Kick attack to hit: 3k3
  Kick damage: 6k3
  TN to be Hit: 10 (15 at a gallop)
  Wounds per wound level: 12
  Special: Riders gain one Free Raise
  with any action that uses the
  Horsemanship skill.
  HORSES
  
  Q.  When  will  we  see  a  second  print  run  of  Legend  of
  the  Five  Rings  3rd  Edition?
  A. When we sell out of the first one.
  Q.  When  can  I  expect  to  see  my  favorite  school  updated?
  A. What schools that weren't updated for Lotus
  should be seen in a web supplement that is due out
  around August. The Lotus book should come out in
  September.
  Q.  I  know  that  all  of  the  Schools  will  hopefully  be
  updated  in  that  web  extra,  but  will  it  also  cover  Paths
  and  Spells?
  A. Paths, Ronin bands, and Advanced Schools are all
  included in that. Spells are not.
  Q.  Why  do  some  schools  designed  for  certain  fami-
  lies  have  the  same  stat  bonus?  For  example  the  Yasuki
  family  and  their  matching  school  the  Yasuki  Courtier
  both  have  a  stat  bonus  to  Perception.  This  would  make
  them  excellent  tacticians  but  I'm  not  sure  why  this  is
  the  case  for  a  Courtier  school  on  trading.
  A. It is occasionally appropriate to double up. The
  Yasuki specialize in reading a person and determining
  what they want. Perception is an excellent means of
  representing that. Yes, if a Yasuki were to turn their
  natural talents toward battle, they would be quite capa-
  ble, but then they wouldn't have the same Techniques
  as the Lion or the Perception bonus from their Courtier
  School. So I think it all balances out quite nicely.
  Q.  Why  do  the  Shiba  family  get  a  +1  Stamina?
  Originally  it  was  +1  Intelligence,  this  coupled  with  the
  school  meant  a  +2  intelligence,  then  the  school  changed
  to  +1  reflexes.  Now  for  some  reason  it's  gone  to  stamina
  and  reflexes?  what  happened  to  the  learned  training  of
  the  Shiba?
  A. Granting a bushi family a non-physical Trait
  bonus is somewhat hindering them. It can occasionally
  be appropriate, such as Perception for the Akodo for
  Battle purposes, but generally speaking Intelligence
  does not serve the Shiba particularly well. They can cer-
  tainly purchase additional ranks during creation if they
  want to be scholarly, but there's no good reason to force
  that on a character who wants to make a capable and
  martially focused bushi who is a Shiba.
  Q.  How  far  are  we  to  take  the  school  types?  In  par-
  ticular  I  am  interested  in  the  (Monk)  descriptor.  Are  all
  Asako  Henshin  possessed  of  strange  Glory/Status  rules,
  or  are  they  allowed  to  take  the  Ascetic  Disadvantage?  If
  they  buy  Hands  of  Stone,  how  much  do  they  pay?  What
  about  the  Martial  Arts  rules  from  Way  of  the  Open
  Hand?  Do  they  qualify  for  cost  reductions  based  on
  being  monks?
  A. For any mechanical advantage that requires a
  Monk, the Monk descriptor covers you. That's why the
  descriptors were introduced.
  Q.  Are  there  going  to  be  any  releases  for  the  rest  of
  the  year?
  A. The Lotus book (The Four Winds: The Toturi
  Dynasty From Gold To Lotus) is the last release for this
  year. Typically there will be about three books a year.
  Q.  What  can  we  expect  for  next  year?
  A. The title of 2006's first book is as yet quite muta-
  ble. We are referring to it in working documents, howe-
  ver, as Creatures of Rokugan 2.0.
  The outline submitted (but not yet approved) inclu-
  des a hearty chapter on the Naga and another on the
  Nezumi, including a full Time line for each, examina-
  tion of their culture, and, of course, a metric buttload of
  mechanics. Revised Schools (and a few new ones), new
  Advantages, Bloodlines/Tribes, magic, you name it, it'll
  be in there. If you want to play a Naga or Nezumi in any
  period of Rokugan's history, this book will have the
  information you need to do so.
  Following that, the meat of the book will be the stats
  and brief story description of EVERY SINGLE CREA-
  TURE that has appeared in L5R during the history of its
  existence. At last blush, the outline had over 200 crit-
  ters, and I've found a few I missed since then. If it was
  in the first CoR, it's in this book. If it had a card in the
  CCG, it's in this book. If it appeared in any of the pre-
  vious RPG source books, it's updated in this book.
  16
  The Oracle Pages
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Legend of the Five Rings/3rd Edition/Core/Legend of the Five Rings - (3rd Edition) Errata & FAQ.pdf