Rokugan of Cthulhu

"Rokugan of Cthulhu" is a tabletop roleplaying game that combines the feudal Japanese setting of The Legend of the Five Rings with the cosmic horror and eldritch creatures of the Cthulhu Mythos. In this game, players take on the roles of samurai and courtiers in the land of Rokugan, but must also confront the ancient and powerful beings lurking in the shadows.

The game is set in the Rokugani empire, which is an fantasy version of Japan's medieval period, where the players take on the roles of powerful samurai, courtiers, and other historical figures. They will have to navigate the political landscape of the empire, while also dealing with conflicts and challenges that arise from both within and outside the empire.

However, this is where the cosmic horror comes into play. Rokugan is also home to ancient and powerful deities, Eldritch creatures, and other monstrous entities that threaten the stability of the empire. These beings have been awakened by powerful spells, dark rituals, and other ancient secrets. These eldritch creatures and deities are drawn from the Cthulhu Mythos, and include ancient deities like Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, and others, as well as lesser entities such as Deep Ones, Mi-Go, and more.

Players must contend with these supernatural threats while also maintaining their status in the empire and dealing with political and societal challenges. They must balance their duty as samurai and their loyalty to the empire with their own survival, as they risk losing their minds, their souls, and even their lives if they confront the eldritch horrors too closely.

The game is designed to be dark, atmospheric, and challenging, as players must navigate the political landscape of Rokugan, while also dealing with the ancient and powerful eldritch entities that threaten the stability of the empire. The game is also filled with action and exploration elements, as players must explore the different regions of Rokugan, from bustling cities to remote wilderness, and uncover the secrets that lie hidden within.

Fu Leng is the main antagonist and the embodiment of corruption and evil in the game. He is a powerful dark kami and former emperor who seeks to bring darkness and destruction to Rokugan. He is aware of the existence of the eldritch entities and cosmic horrors, and uses them as part of his plans to conquer the empire. Fu Leng may summon these creatures to do his bidding, offering them sacrifices and making pacts with them to gain their power and assistance. He also creates corrupted versions of these entities by imbuing them with his own dark power.

On the other hand, the forces of Jigkou, the Shadowlands, which is the realm of the tainted, are the main source of the eldritch entities and cosmic horrors in the game. The Shadowlands is full of strange creatures, spirits, and dark magic. The forces of Jigkou can also make pacts with these entities, but they usually do it out of necessity rather than a desire for power. They are aware of the danger that the eldritch entities pose and try to keep them contained to prevent them from spreading their corruption further. However, these efforts are often in vain as the eldritch entities are often too powerful to control and their influence is always felt in the Rokugan.

Thus, Fu Leng and the forces of Jigkou deal with the forces of cosmic horror in different ways, with Fu Leng seeking to use them for his own gain and the forces of Jigkou trying to contain and prevent them from causing more harm to the Rokugan.

    Characters: Each player creates a character based on the feudal Japanese setting of The Legend of the Five Rings. Characters have two attributes: "Lasers" and "Feelings."

    Lasers: This attribute represents the character's combat skills and physical abilities. A character with high Lasers is good at fighting, sneaking, and other physical tasks.

    Feelings: This attribute represents the character's social skills and mental abilities. A character with high Feelings is good at persuasion, diplomacy, and other social tasks.

    Traits: Each character also has three Traits, which are special abilities or characteristics that set them apart from other characters. Traits can be anything from a specific weapon mastery, to a powerful spell, to a noble birthright.

    Dice Rolls: When a character attempts a task, they roll two six-sided dice. The total of the roll is added to the relevant attribute (Lasers or Feelings) to determine if they succeed or fail. A roll of 7 or higher is a success, while a roll of 6 or lower is a failure.

    Cosmic Horror: The game also includes elements of cosmic horror and eldritch entities from the Cthulhu Mythos. These beings have their own attributes (Lasers and Feelings) and abilities, and can be encountered by the characters throughout the game. When the characters are in a situation where an eldritch creature is present, the creature will roll its own dice for any actions it takes. If a character wishes to act against the creature, they roll their own dice and compare the results to the creature's roll.

    Insanity: Characters who are exposed to the eldritch entities for too long can suffer from insanity. When a character fails a roll against a creature, they must roll on a table of insanity effects, which can range from temporary hallucinations to permanent madness.

    Sanity Points: Characters also have a number of Sanity Points, which are lost when they suffer from insanity effects. When a character loses all their Sanity Points, they become permanently insane and are removed from the game.

    Conclusion: This ruleset uses Lasers and Feelings as a simple and fast way to simulate the feudal Japanese setting of Rokugan and its characters while adding the element of Cosmic Horror and Eldritch entities from the Cthulhu Mythos, which makes the game more exciting, challenging and atmospheric.