L5R 5e: Emotions, Drama, And Making It Happen

One of the magical things about the time we're living in is that it seems almost all the big RPGs from my youth are now on their 5th edition. What is also interesting is that in that 5th edition many games are embracing the story telling, role play, and drama aspects of their games. This is seen in D&D 5th Ed's embracing of the three pillars of adventure which bring the focus to exploration and social interaction. In games like Legend of the Five Rings, which always had a stronger focus on narrative and drama if in the suggestions for how to run if not mechanics, developers are bringing in gameplay mechanics like composure, where by a simple mechanic in the game a character is forced to either bring their emotions into play, or suffer a significant mechanical penalty.

Today, I want to talk about that.