L5R shugenja Schools
This is mostly because I’m bored and thinking about L5R a lot recently, so I am going to do a review and comparison of the various schools in 4th edition. This post will focus on the Shugenja Schools.
Kuni Shugenja School:
Given the martial skill set and the school technique it seems very odd that the school outfit only gives a wakizashi and not a “any one weapon” like some others, especially given that the school grants a weapon skill in the school skills. That being said this school is utterly amazing at what it is supposed to do: control and destroy shadowlands creatures. The school raise is useful on the spells it applies to, but there are only a grand total of 7 jade spells in the whole book, so not the most useful bonus there.
Asahina Shugenja School:
Ironically this school starts with more weapons than the Kuni school (even if that extra weapon is a bo). I’m not sure I like the flavor of the school technique and raise, they both are only useful in a battle. Considering that the whole philosophy of the Asahina is to avoid conflict as much as possible, it doesn’t really make sense for them to have their technique. That being said they are actually quite good at defensive magics. Between their -0k1 damage technique and the raise to defense spells they can quickly become some of the safest characters on the battlefield (or their allies can be).
Tamori Shugenja School:
This is a fairly solid school with one of my favorite techniques of all of the shugenja schools. Their ability to store a spell and then have it go off later as just one action to enact can make them terrifying at higher ranks. This way you can put the raises that would have gone into reducing time towards a more potent effect, and if the spell fails, well, you are still several hours before you need it, so plenty of time to retry.
Kitsu Shugenja School:
Once again a school with a more martial bent, but they don’t get any weapons other than a wakizashi and a knife. The technique is a bit weird and I usually consider it fair, except for its’ ability to negate the ishken-do advantage and as such strip a void shugenja of their favored element. Especially as the kitsu is very likely to succeed at the activation roll (spell casting roll TN 5xtarget’s willpower).
Moshi Shugenja School:
This school has some problems with Timeline neutrality, as it went from a fire aspected school to an air aspected one. That being said their technique tries to bridge that gap with a unique mechanic. And the raise to the thunder keyword helps make these shugenja fairly effective in combat.
Isawa Shugenja School:
First off I should state that this has always been my favorite shugenja school and likely always will be. This incarnation of the school is quite powerful with a free raise to every spell of the character’s affinity. That being said, while they are likely the most powerful school between that and the lack of a deficiency, they are also now one of the most boring. Sure a free raise to all spells in a chosen element is powerful enough to count as the school technique, but it is not nearly as interesting to play.
Agasha Shugenja School:
I do like how they worked in the Agasha’s unique study into the basic technique of the school, and it can prove quite a boon to a shugenja who wants to use a great variety of spells instead of focusing on one element.
Sohsi Shugenja School:
The bonus to illusions along with the ability to utilize subtle magic makes the scorpion very good at what they are supposed to do: trick opponants in one way or another. Between the divinations and illusions that air offers these characters are very well suited to becoming an invaluable tool in a courtly setting, although they do suffer somewhat on the battlefield.
Iuchi Shugenja School:
About exactly what one would expect from the unicorn clan: a slightly militant school that is more mobile than anything else in the entire empire. When paired with a bushi this school excels, as water has many buff spells to aid an ally.
Kuni Shugenja School:
Given the martial skill set and the school technique it seems very odd that the school outfit only gives a wakizashi and not a “any one weapon” like some others, especially given that the school grants a weapon skill in the school skills. That being said this school is utterly amazing at what it is supposed to do: control and destroy shadowlands creatures. The school raise is useful on the spells it applies to, but there are only a grand total of 7 jade spells in the whole book, so not the most useful bonus there.
Asahina Shugenja School:
Ironically this school starts with more weapons than the Kuni school (even if that extra weapon is a bo). I’m not sure I like the flavor of the school technique and raise, they both are only useful in a battle. Considering that the whole philosophy of the Asahina is to avoid conflict as much as possible, it doesn’t really make sense for them to have their technique. That being said they are actually quite good at defensive magics. Between their -0k1 damage technique and the raise to defense spells they can quickly become some of the safest characters on the battlefield (or their allies can be).
Tamori Shugenja School:
This is a fairly solid school with one of my favorite techniques of all of the shugenja schools. Their ability to store a spell and then have it go off later as just one action to enact can make them terrifying at higher ranks. This way you can put the raises that would have gone into reducing time towards a more potent effect, and if the spell fails, well, you are still several hours before you need it, so plenty of time to retry.
Kitsu Shugenja School:
Once again a school with a more martial bent, but they don’t get any weapons other than a wakizashi and a knife. The technique is a bit weird and I usually consider it fair, except for its’ ability to negate the ishken-do advantage and as such strip a void shugenja of their favored element. Especially as the kitsu is very likely to succeed at the activation roll (spell casting roll TN 5xtarget’s willpower).
Moshi Shugenja School:
This school has some problems with Timeline neutrality, as it went from a fire aspected school to an air aspected one. That being said their technique tries to bridge that gap with a unique mechanic. And the raise to the thunder keyword helps make these shugenja fairly effective in combat.
Isawa Shugenja School:
First off I should state that this has always been my favorite shugenja school and likely always will be. This incarnation of the school is quite powerful with a free raise to every spell of the character’s affinity. That being said, while they are likely the most powerful school between that and the lack of a deficiency, they are also now one of the most boring. Sure a free raise to all spells in a chosen element is powerful enough to count as the school technique, but it is not nearly as interesting to play.
Agasha Shugenja School:
I do like how they worked in the Agasha’s unique study into the basic technique of the school, and it can prove quite a boon to a shugenja who wants to use a great variety of spells instead of focusing on one element.
Sohsi Shugenja School:
The bonus to illusions along with the ability to utilize subtle magic makes the scorpion very good at what they are supposed to do: trick opponants in one way or another. Between the divinations and illusions that air offers these characters are very well suited to becoming an invaluable tool in a courtly setting, although they do suffer somewhat on the battlefield.
Iuchi Shugenja School:
About exactly what one would expect from the unicorn clan: a slightly militant school that is more mobile than anything else in the entire empire. When paired with a bushi this school excels, as water has many buff spells to aid an ally.