The first set for Fantasy Flight Games’ new version of the Legend of the Five Rings role playing game will release in Q3.  This will be an introductory boxed set called Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Beginner Game.

Set in the same Japan-inspired world of Rokugan as the Legend of the Five Rings Living Card Game, the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Beginner Game puts players in the kimono of samurai, driven by honor and duty to face the schemes of nobles, calamities of nature, and spiritual turmoil that constantly threatens the peace of that land.

Intended for 3 to 5 players, including the gamemaster, this boxed set features four pre-generated characters representing the Lion, Crane, Phoenix, and Dragon Clans to get players into the adventure quickly.  The story centers around the "Topaz Championship," a coming-of-age rite in which young warriors face off against members of other clans to prove their worthiness and compete for the coveted title of Topaz Champion.

The game mechanics are built on Fantasy Flight’s Genesys Roleplaying System combined with the "Roll and Keep" system used in previous editions of Legend of the Five Rings.  Players roll the game’s custom dice, which not only determine success or failure, but also add side story elements, both positive and negative.

The Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Beginner Game will include 4 illustrated character folios, a rulebook, an adventure book, a map of Rokugan, custom dice, and tokens.  MSRP is $39.95.

Fantasy Flight ran a 12 week long beta test of the new game system late last year (see "Dawn Breaks on New ‘Legend of the Five Rings RPG’").