[COR] Official rulings archive
http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=661166#661166 -In the Nezumi part there's a stick which gives +1k1 to Name rolls. But why would you make such rolls as now Name is roughly equal to glory? This is for Shawn to answer. He did answer this during the January 23rd Imperial Court. Also why Nezumi magic is easier? (TN: mastery levelX5, elemental magic is 10 higher)? That is for Shawn to answer. And one spell makes 2XName k Name in DR, isn't it too much as Name can go to 10? (10k10+10!!! :shocked: ) This is hardly overpowered as a Rank 1 Asahina could do nearly the same damage. Alos Name 10 is very rare. That spell’s Damage Rating is correct. --About carapace: shouldn't the Carapace-reducing ability from heavy weapons be reduced? This isn’t really a rules question, but it is something the Jourei Bengoshi have been discussing. Each point of Carapace reduction is equivalent to adding +5 to the to hit roll to counter act a raise for damage for +1k0 to help get more damage dice to overcome the Carapace. Carapace worked differently in previous editions and it is my opinion that yes, carapace reduction for heavy weapons needs to be an independent number from the amount of armor ignored. It is my opinion that for every 5 points that a weapon reduced armor, it should reduce Carapace by 1. This would make a Tetsubo have a Carapace reduction of 2 instead of the 10 it lists in its description. I am also most of the opinion that a Tetsubo should ignore 1 point of carapace and that the “0” was either a misprint or just gross misunderstanding by the authors of how the carapace system works. As it stands now, the Carapace reduction ratings listed for weapons is correct. Feel free to make house rules to adjust carapace to your liking. My guidelines are a good start. With a tetsubo you ignore EVERY creature's Carapace, including Kusatte Iru's, which is supposed to be immune to normal weapons! Despite a Tetsubo ignoring Kusatte Iru’s Carapace, Kusatte Iru’s is Invulnerable to all mundane weapons. I would advice Carapace-1 for Die Tsuchi and -2 for tetsubo, which is roughly equal to the armor reducing ability (TN-5=one more raise=+1k0 damage= Carapace-1) That is precisely my guideline, but I do not have the power to errata the rules. The Jourei Bengoshi are discussing this issue and are going to discuss it with Shawn Carman. ---Not a question but more a regret: why aren't the Oni Lords'spawn included? We're told Akumas kept attacking the Wall but they're nowhere to be found! Shawn answered these questions during the January 23 Imperial Court. The Oni spawn were lost in editing. I also know that many other creature in the canon are missing from the book and I how to compile a complete list soon. Also, more anecdotical, where is the Ogre Hag? :) I'd wish she would have been included and there would have been more on Free Ogres such as Kayomasai.. Shawn said that orge hags were just female orge, but I understand to which you refer. Free Orges are just orges without the taint. Apart from this (and some minor bugs, like schools with no emphasis or 8 skills :wink: ) I personally like this even if it is likely an error. Non-human cultures do not necessarily have a sense of parity that humans do in regards to having exactly 7 skills with an one emphasis for bushi or two empahsis for non-bushi. My Creatures of Rokugan question regards the naga advanced school. I don't have the book handy, so I can't check up on the name of the school, but the rank 1 technique allows the use of naga Ancestors. However, no naga ancestors are listed. Is this an oversight, an opening for a web update, or do naga use the same Ancestors as humans? I brought this up to Shawn in the January 23rd Imperial Court and Shawn said to use the existing human ancestor mechanics and just change the titles of the profession and drive if you wish. I do hope to make a naga ancestor profession and drive list. The Advantages Great Name and Namebound doesn't exist anymore? That's bad for Nezumi Shamans. The Kakita Rensai Ancestor doesn’t exist anymore and that is bad for Kakita Bushi. We are aware that many mechanics from previous editions do not exits in 3rd Edition. If you wish to use a mechanic from a previous edition, feel free to sue it in your games if you as a GM or you own GM want. Can Nezumi use Void? I thought I read that they cannot. Here it is: Limitations: * Nezumi do not possess Void Points, and may neither spend them nor learn any Techniques or Advantages that requires them to be spent. More on the subject of Creatures questions, I think I asked this during playtest, but I cannot recall the answer: Master of the Akasha 3: Define "available to the naga" does this include human skills, and techniques (as being a naga does not explicitly bar you from learning them) or does this refer to any skill or technique possessed by another naga? It refers to anything that the Naga can take. It does not refer to Techs and skills that “a Naga” can take. This does not refer to special skill and advantages that Naga such as Scouts may take. It refers to Naga Techniques and Naga skills. if the former is true, that's scary. It isn’t. also, if that is the case, can they duplicate techniques such as the Asako that grant insight bonuses? if so, does their insight temporarily change? It isn’t the case. Even if it was, temporary effects never increase a character’s insight. also, if they duplicate (another Asako technique) something that grants a discount on particular skills, can this allow a window in which they may purchase those skills for a reduced cost? Fortunately right now the Master of the Akasha can’t, but I will forward this question in the general case to Jourei Bengoshi also, if the later is true, do Mirumoto Mareshi and Akasha count as Naga for this purpose? The race of the character that has the Master of the Akasha School is irrelevant. The Rank 3 tech DOES NOT say “a skill or technique that is available to the character”. Another note: The 'mandatory' Shapechanger school gives a +1 Willpower bonus, but the Creature entries for the various Shapechanging species indicate that they all have Willpowers of 2. CoR actually says, “They may not attend a School, but rather are automatically considered to begin play a Rank 1 in the Shapeshifter School describe below.” In the same way that not all humans have a school rank, not all Shapeshifters have a schools rank. All Shapeshiter characters however do. The Shapeshiters in the creatures section of CoR Third Edition do not posses the Shapeshiter School. On the other hand, with the exception of the Tanuki, they all have Reflexes of at least 3. Perhaps a change in the School Bonus is in order (or an increase in Shapechanger Creature Stats). The Reflexes 3 is not from the School. In the same way that humans without a school have CP and XP to raises stats, so do NPC creatures. The creatures listed are simply a typical member of that type. Next Comment: The Spirt points listed under each Shapechanger species, is that the total number of starting Spirit Points for the species, or do you add on 10 Spirit Points for Shapechanger Rank 1. Each race type has a starting amount of Spirit points from the race. The Shapeshifter School also has an amount of Spirit points. Shapeshiters without the Shapeshifter School (such as the ones on the creature section) have a number of spirit points equal to their race amount. Shapeshiters with the Shapeshiter School have an amount of spirit points equal to their race amount plus 10 for each rank of the Shapeshiter School. How does this interact with Alias and with Multiple Schools? Normally, Shapeshifter characters must begin with Rank 1 of the Shapeshiter School. The Alias Spirit Power allows a character instead begin a School of the Clan of the character’s Alias. The Spirit need NOT first gain a Rank of the Shapeshifter School. The Character may later pay for multiple Schools to enter the Shapeshiter School as normal. The Character MAY also, start with a Rank of the Shapeshifter School and then later buy Multiple Schools to take a school of the character’s Alias Clan. I have quite a few questions as well on the shapeshifter school: For the Kitsune creature entry, are they suppose to have Spirit Qualities like all the hengenyokai entries at the back of the book? This seems like a typo as every other hengenyokai (who has a corresponding shapeshifter school) possesses it. I will forward this question to Shawn. Also, how are GMs suppose to interpret the Shapeshifter school and the hengenyokai entries at the back of the book? The Spirits Shapeshiters in the back of the book do not posses any ranks of the Shapeshiter School, but a GM can always give those creatures Shapeshiter School ranks. The creature entries at the back of the book lack void rings, but the shapeshifter school states that they have void rings (just can't spend void). May “creatures” that should have Void (Lost Bushi) do not. For creatures that should have a Void, give them a Void of 2. Also, what kind of parity should be expected between the entries at the back of the book and the corresponding shapeshifter school? Do characters with the shapeshifter school gain the powers from the creature entries at the back of the book? What about vice-versa? All the Shapeshifters in the back DO have spirit points equal to the race’s amount. GM are free to assign these points individually for each spirit. GMs can also give these Spirits a Rank of the Shapeshiter school for additional Spirit points. Curiously, I seem to recall someone official stated awhile ago (I can't find the post) that schools like Monks which gain kiho (or tattooes if they are Three Ordered Monks) or Shugenja which gain spells every insight rank effectively freeze if they take another school (with Multiple Schools). What about the Shapeshifter school? I am aware that the Shapeshiter school says Insight rank” for how many Spirit points they get. Do we assume the school freezes as well if that character decides to Multiple School and as such the shapeshifter: Yes. For all purposes, the school should say “School Rank”. 1.) Does not receive extra spirit powers when they increase in insight rank They do only if they take a Rank of the Shapeshifter School. 2.) Cannot spend XP for spirit points. Forwarded to the Jourei Bengoshi and Shawn. I am pretty sure that XP spent on extra Spirit points needs not be done when the character Ranks up nor only if the character’s last School rank was the Shapeshiter School. 3.) Does not gain five points of taboos every insight rank Correct. Does the entry for Shapeshifter creatures that states "Spirits may not use Void Points, although their Void Ring counts toward their Insight and determines the maximum number of Raises they may make on any given roll" mean that spirits cannot also use their skill rank as a measure of maximum raises? No it does not. It means they may use their Void to determine the number of raises they can make. This does not prevent them from using the Skill to determine how many raises the can make. Essentially do spirits just use their Void Ring or use their Void Ring and Skill Rank (which ever happes to be higher) to determine the maximum number of raises they can make on a given skill roll? Spirits use the same rules for raises that humans do. Thus, they can make a maximum number of raises equal to their Void Ring or their Skill which ever is higher. Also, can Shapeshifters buy spirit powers multiple times? Some powers like Versatile Spirit and Shapeshift: Spirit seem to be more useful if they can be bought multiple times (especially as these two are Mastery Level 5 powers), whereas powers like Spirit Brother, Extraordinary Healing, and Unnatural Speed would be excessively powerful. Forwarded to the Jourei bengoshi and Shawn. How do spirit powers interact with the maximum number of rank techniques? Are we treating them like Monks which don't gain techniques as far as how spirits gain extra spirit points (akin to monks gaining kiho)? I don’t understand this question. The only Technique of the Spirit is the +10 Spirit points and +5 Taboos points or what ever other schools the Spirit has. The Spirit powers are in a way like Kiho in that the Spirit powers themselves are not Techniques. If a Shapeshifter uses Shapeshift: Spirit to become a specific spirit that could have school techniques (like Returned Spirit, Naga, Ratling or Kenku), do they have access to them or would they have to learn them? They do not gain learned school technique without learning them. I will forward the matter of shapeshiting into a Kenku and gaining the Kenku School to Shawn, but I am 99% sure that the Spirit does not gain access to such techniques. Akin to this question, what happens to characters that excessively use Humanity to become mortal and try to learn regular techniques? They are still devoting an Insight Rank toward the Shapeshiter School. The must gain an insight rank and devote that new insight rank to any new non-Shapeshifter school ranks. Do they learn techniques as if they didn't possess the shapeshifter school or are they treated to still have pseudo-phantom ranks in the Shapeshifter school that limits them to what they can learn? They are still devoting an Insight Rank toward the Shapeshiter School. For example: a Rank 1 Shuegnja who uses all his spells for the day and doesn’t get his slots back cannot just learn a new school technique for his Rank 1 Insight Rank. Also, what happens if a Shapeshifter decides to learn Kata (with school requirements) while they are mimicing a specific individual (with Shapeshift: Imitate) that has those requirements? Tentative ruling: If you can even learn a kiho, and later you no longer have the requirement to have learned it, you cannot use it while you do not have the requirement. If, however you later mimic a person or ability that lets you use that kiho, you can use it while you meant the requirement. Do they still retain the kata, when they transform out of that person's form? Yes, but just like Kiho, they cannot use it unless they currently have access to the Kata’s School requirement. Is there a maximum number of techniques a shapeshifter can learn from Shapeshift: Imitate or can they learn all their target's techniques. You gain access to all their Skills, Advantages, Techniques, and other such learned abilities. Remember however that you still cannot use void points. Thus, you still cannot effects that require the spending of void. Since unlike Nezumi who simply do not have void points, Spirits cannot spend them. So even if a Spirit gains access to Void spells and uses Kharmic Intent to share their void points with another, a Spirit still cannot “Spend void” themselves. This will prevent a Spirit from using imitated effects that require void expenditure despite “gaining access” to them. This access does not override the limitation of spirit being unable to spend void. Also, are there any restrictions to shapeshifters if they attend a bushi or shugenja school with alias and then try to use Shapeshift: Imitate to gain the other type as well? There is no restriction on being able to use a Bushi School Tech and being able to cast spells in the same form. The only restriction is that Bushi cannot gain ranks of a shugenja school, and vice versus. No such effect is occurring. Without restrictions, it sounds like someone can create a normally illegal character with shugenja and bushi abilities like Togashi Yokuni. As I have stated, a Bushi character with Shapeshift: Imitate who Imitates a Shugenja is not violating any restrictions. Can a shapeshifter with Alias begin play in a non-shapeshifter school? Yes. If so, do they have to pay for Different School on top of Alias? No. Do they still get their species specific special abilities (or do those wait until they've actually taken a rank of Shapeshifter)? They gain all their race special abilities and limitations. If a shapeshifter with Alias wishes to join a non-shapeshifter school after character creation, do they have to buy the Multiple Schools advantage? Yes. The Different School advantage? No. Do Shapeshifters with specific alternate forms in the Back portion of the book need to take those forms when they first learn "Enhanced Animal Form?" No. For example, does a Kitsune have to take the form of the 9-Tailed fox? Does a Fushicho have to take the form of a Houhou? &c. No. For Ratlings on Wounds: What do we do for the Out Level? Is it Earth x 3 Wound Ranks per Wound Level or Earth x 5 Wound Ranks per Wound Level? At this time, “Out” for all creature with wound / rank listing is Earth x 5. For Shapeshifters: *For Deadly Howl (Mastery Level 1 Spirit Power), do you round up or down on your highest ring when figuring the Fear Rating? Down. *For Ghost Tongue (Master Level 1 Spirit Power), can use this power on humans as they are denizens of Ningen-do? The first sentence of the power indicates it is possible and the second sentence doesn't seem to prohibit it. No. The first sentence is flavor. I will forward this to Shawn for verification. *For Animal Tongue (Master Level 2 Spirit Power), where is the line drawn by the developers on animals? One could assume that could mean anything as creatures like humans, naga, or nezumi could be considered animals. My guess on the intent is regular animals like Lions, Tigers, and Bears. You guess is correct. Animal Tongue does let the character speak with naga, nezumi, spirits, or humans.

It's ogres, and not ogers. Anyway, I can work something on the Nagas ancestors when I get the book, and checks some stuff.