Please ask a GM if you have any questions, especially if they are not addressed below.
1. Characters begin the game with 55XP, with up to 10XP worth of disadvantages. This XP may be distributed as you see fit. Traits and Skills are limited to an initial value of 4.
2. Disadvantages past 10XP will not award XP back. E.g. If you take 12XP worth of disadvantages you will only receive 10XP back to spend on your character.
3. Characters gain 10 additional XP which may only be spent on the following, to show why you have garnered the chance to watch the Championships.
Allies; Gentry; Way of the Land (Any, but Lion is a good one); Fame; Virtuous; Perceived Honor; Great Potential; Friend of the Brotherhood (but clarify if it's Gorinno, or non-Gorinno); Absolute Direction; Crab Hands; Crafty; Different School; Hero of the People; Languages; Quick Healer; Social Position; Wealthy (up to 3 ranks)
4. Characters may not exceed a starting Status of 4.0 (Clan magistrate level).
5. Several Clans and Families differ from those listed in the L5R 4e Core book as this game is set during the Heresy period. Please read the Available Clans/Families thread for more information.
6. You may not possess Shadowlands Powers during character creation. You may not begin play with 1 full Rank of Shadowlands Taint or more.
7. Characters may not exceed a starting Honor of 8.5.
8. Characters may not exceed a starting Glory of 6.0 or Infamy of 3.0.
9. The mechanics for Ancestors, Heritage Tables, and Honor Rolls will not be used in this game. Kata will be allowed.
10. Human characters only, please. No Goju, Naga or Lost. Shapeshifter characters (from Enemies of the Empire) will not be allowed; this includes characters with the Child of Chikushudo advantage.
11. No EXPY characters. Taking inspiration from a character in another medium is perfectly fine, but you shouldn't be using their art as your avatar, nor should your character's background be a carbon copy of the other character.
12. Characters may not start the game with forbidden skills (e.g. Craft: Explosives) without the relevant advantage to earn them and sufficient background justification (e.g. Being a Kolat and purchasing Lore: Kolat or being a witch hunter or Jade Magistrate and having ranks of Lore: Maho). They may be purchased during play normally with sufficient justification. Crab Clan characters may purchase ranks of Lore: Shadowlands during character creation with minimal justification, as appropriate for the number of ranks in the skill.
13. Bloodspeaker or Maho-Tsukai characters should take the Dark Secret (Bloodspeaker) or Dark Secret (Maho-Tsukai) disadvantages. As a reminder, Bloodspeakers are part of the Bloodspeaker Cult that worships Iuchiban, while Maho-Tsukai are not members of the cult.
14. Kiho will be allowed. Shugenja and Ninja may both learn kiho, but ninja must spend an additional +2 xp for each kiho they wish to learn. Henshin monks are allowed to learn kiho, but cannot benefit from a kiho while they are under the effects of a mystery or riddle, and vise-versa. Tattooed monks, similarly, are allowed to learn kiho, but cannot benefit from a kiho while under the effect of a Tattoo, and vice-versa. Non-Brotherhood characters may never know more kiho than their total Monk, Shugenja, or Ninja school rank.
15. Shadowlands Powers and Maho will be allowed. We will be using the rules for Balanced Maho, which limits characters to learning maho spells whose Mastery Level does not exceed their current Insight Rank, taking any affinities into account as normal. Any Shadowlands Powers or mutations you may receive at character creation or through the course of the game are entirely at the whim of Jigoku (and thus the GMs). Don't be expecting Dangerous Beauty.
16. You can ask for help, ideas and clarification.
You are welcome to discuss how advantages, disadvantages, background and NPC connections will work with the GMs as part of character creation. The GMs wish to be helpful, so do ask questions and queries please.