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Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan
The Emerald Empire is vast and as varied as the seven Great Clans that control its lands in the name of the Hantei Emperor. Its society is modelled after the Heavens themselves. It is a culture steeped in history and tradition, in a land where decorum and propriety carry the weight of life and death. It is a land where spirits shape the very earth and control the flow of rivers and streams.
Emerald Empire explores the places and people of Rokugan, from small villages of fisherfolk to mighty daimyō in their castles, to deep primordial forests and the spirits that dwell within. This book examines every aspect of life in the Emerald Empire, from food, to dress, to religion and spirituality, and matters of etiquette great and small.
In this sourcebook for the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game, you will find a wealth of information for gaming in the Emerald Empire!
Emerald Empire explores the places and people of Rokugan, from small villages of fisherfolk to mighty daimyō in their castles, to deep primordial forests and the spirits that dwell within. This book examines every aspect of life in the Emerald Empire, from food, to dress, to religion and spirituality, and matters of etiquette great and small.
In this sourcebook for the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game, you will find a wealth of information for gaming in the Emerald Empire!
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 23, 2019
It took me forever to get through this book. Although not enormously long, the 254 pages of Emerald Empire are extremely dense. There is an absolute huge amount of info here regarding life in Rokugan and some of its history. It’s pretty interesting stuff.
The bad news is that it lacks the spirit of place that was in the 4th Edition Emerald Empire book. This one reads more like the land and life of Rokugan’s people as described by an outside narrator - essentially the information is sort of filtered. It ultimately makes it more like a travel book than an immersive entry in the Emerald Empire.
Still, it’s not a bad book by any means. There isn’t a lot of mechanical information here so it might not be that interesting to gamers looking for new character options. Overall, I would say I enjoyed my time with it but it still feels lacking in many ways.
The bad news is that it lacks the spirit of place that was in the 4th Edition Emerald Empire book. This one reads more like the land and life of Rokugan’s people as described by an outside narrator - essentially the information is sort of filtered. It ultimately makes it more like a travel book than an immersive entry in the Emerald Empire.
Still, it’s not a bad book by any means. There isn’t a lot of mechanical information here so it might not be that interesting to gamers looking for new character options. Overall, I would say I enjoyed my time with it but it still feels lacking in many ways.
November 30, 2025
All the wonders…all the life…all the dangers…of living, traveling, and surviving in the courts and cities of Rokugan…
Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan is a massive atlas for the lands and people for the fifth edition of legend of the five rings.
Along with material on all the major clans, their castles, members, and their petty wars…you also get some decent maps that can be a good baseline for your own custom clan or fortress.
Meanwhile several cities, shrines, and monasteries are covered along with plot hooks, NPCs, and a few anecdotes (such as “firefighting gangs”).
Rokugan is a delicate ecosystem of battle, intrigue, and mystery…with thousands of potential stories to be told in a single campaign.
It can be overwhelming if you aren’t already familiar with it, but you’d be hard pressed not to find something that cat cu es your interest.
The maps are a plus to cultivate your own creativity…along with a lengthy timeline of the histories and wars of the various clans and land.
Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan is a massive atlas for the lands and people for the fifth edition of legend of the five rings.
Along with material on all the major clans, their castles, members, and their petty wars…you also get some decent maps that can be a good baseline for your own custom clan or fortress.
Meanwhile several cities, shrines, and monasteries are covered along with plot hooks, NPCs, and a few anecdotes (such as “firefighting gangs”).
Rokugan is a delicate ecosystem of battle, intrigue, and mystery…with thousands of potential stories to be told in a single campaign.
It can be overwhelming if you aren’t already familiar with it, but you’d be hard pressed not to find something that cat cu es your interest.
The maps are a plus to cultivate your own creativity…along with a lengthy timeline of the histories and wars of the various clans and land.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews