(Message masero:283)
Subj: Masero on Questions about Upcoming Sourcebooks and the Minor Clans
From: ShadisAd@aol.com

  To: l5rrpginfo@frpg.com
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 12:15:49 EDT
-- /blue/homes/cowell/Mail/mhl.format --

My Dear Honorable Doshi, 

Ohayo-gozaimashita!

> Can anyone tell me:

    I believe I can field this one for you...

>   Unexpected Allies

    Already out.  It released on Monday, July 26th.

>   Way of the Shadowlands II:  Bearers of Jade

    Releases August 9th, but will be available at GenCon next week.

>   Tao of the Naga

    September

>   Way of the Minor Clans

    October

>Will there ever be any sourcebooks covering:
>   Ronin, Ashigaru, and Bugei
>   The Brotherhood of Shinsei

    Probably, but not until next year (2000).

>Does anyone know if the Minor Clans sourcebook will give Family/Clan Trait 
bonuses for >each of the Minor Clans?

    I hate to say this, but if you;re asking the list, in general, then 
you're asking the wrong people.  Questions like these need to be addressed to 
myself (Otaku Masero), Ree Soesbee (Mizuko) or Scott Gearin (Shiba Toma).  
We're all on the design teams for these products.
    To answer your question, the current thought is to continue to present 
all of the Minor Clan in the same format as the Wasp & Mantis have been 
presented.  Thus the answer to your question would be "no."

>Also, the Mantis Outfit description says of their starting weapons:  "any 1 
weapon (no swords, >bows, or daggers)".  Whatever happened to all samurai 
having a wakizashi as a symbol of >their status?

    Exactly!  The wakizashi is a decorative symbol of their status within the 
samurai caste, that doesn't mean that every samurai that wears a wakizashi 
knows how to use it.  The Mantis rules don't say that they can't wear a 
wakizashi as a symbol of their samurai status, it just says that they do not 
begin the game in possession of one.  You may have noticed that most of the 
shugenja starting kits do not begin in posession of a wakizashi as well.  
They're still samurai, too, and they can also wear a wakizashi.  All this 
means is that the first act of role-playing this character would be to 
request from your lord a wakizashi to prove that you are samurai.  That's all.

    That's the official two koku!

Sayonara, 

Otaku Masero
Unicorn Clan Stable Master

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