L5R Minor Clan Creation Tables

Inspired by the Space Marine Chapter Creation Tables for Deathwatch, this article presents a series of 20 questions that allow you to create your own minor clan for use with the Legend of the Five Rings RPG, albeit without actual in-game rules. Note that while these tables were made with FFG’s 5th Ed in mind, they could easily be used for any of the AEG editions.

Clan Origins

1. What is the Clan's namesake symbol? (d6)
1	Mammal
2	Bird
3	Insect
4	Fish
5	Reptile or Amphibian
6	Supernatural Creature

2. When Was The Clan Founded? (d10)
1	2nd-3rd Century - The foundation of Rokugani society
2	4th Century - Rise of the Gozoku conspiracy
3	5th Century - Gaijin are banned after the Battle of White Stag
4	6th Century - The First Coming of Iuchiban
5	7th Century - Time of the Great Famine
6	8th Century - Second Coming of Iuchiban
7	9th Century - Return of the Ki-Rin
8	10th Century - Birth of the Perfect Land sect
9	11th Century - A century of peace
10	12th Century - The modern era, the Scorpion Coup occurs in 1123

3. Who was the Clan's founder? (d10)
1-4	A Great Clan samurai (Roll d7)
5-7	Ronin, a masterless samurai
8	Non-samurai (monk, heimin, gaijin, etc)
9	A supernatural creature (Kitsune, one of the Five Races, etc)
10	A union of two groups (Roll twice)

4. How was the clan formed? (d10)
1-3	The founder and their followers claimed a piece of land, growing in size and power until they were granted a title as recognition of their claims.
4-5	he clan’s founder or “founder” honorably sacrificed themselves or something valuable of theirs for an important samurai, and they or their next of kin were rewarded in gratitude
6-7	In response to a recent crisis or in preparation for one that may occur, The Emperor created a minor clan with an imperial mandate to protect Rokugan from a particular threat.
8-9	The clan’s founder achieved some great victory or victories for themselves and/or Rokugan as a whole, earning a family name and land in recognition of their glorious accomplishments
10	The clan’s founder was actually a criminal or other dishonorable individual who gained enough power and political connections to be granted land and a title in spite of their actions.

Territory and Geography

5. Where is the clan located?(d6)
1-3	The clan was granted territory that used to belong to one or more of the Great Clans, and may even be an enclave. To determine which clan it claimed land from, roll a d7 or use the clan it’s founder is from.
4-5	The clan is based on land that belonged to the Imperial families, or was otherwise unclaimed such as an off-shore island
6	The clan claimed territory on or perhaps even outside the borders of the Emerald Empire, separating themselves from Rokugani society as a whole outside of those few samurai who travel to the capital to pay the clan’s annual taxes

6. What is clan’s territory primarily like?(d6)
1	Rocky and arid, extreme cold or heat
2	Alpine, rocky hills and sparse trees
3	Open grassland, sparse tree cover
4	Temperate forests and gentle hills
5	Thick, tangling woodland
6	Wetland marshes and flood-planes

7. How suitable is the land for growing food?(d6)
1	Bad or nearly inhospitable
2	Poor, needs other sources of food
3-4	Average, could fluctuate higher or lower
5	Pretty well suited for rice farming
6	Blessedly fertile, can grow anything

Clan Demographics

8. How large is the clan?(d10)
1	Tiny, Ex: Oriole (Automatic 0 on Questions 9 & 10)
2-3	Relatively small, Ex: Tortoise (-1 to Questions 9 & 10)
4-7	Average size for a Minor Clan, Ex: Badger, Dragonfly (No bonus)
8-9	Fairly large, Ex: Falcon, Hare (+1 to Questions 9 & 10)
10	Absolutely massive, Ex: Mantis (+2 to Questions 9 & 10)

(9. How many vassal families does the clan have?(d6)
0-2	None
3-4	One small family
5-6	One large or two small families
7+	Two large families

10. How many different schools does this clan have?(d6)
0-2	One
3-6	Two
7	Three

11. Which role(s) does the clan’s school train in?(d20)
1-5	Bushi
6-10	Courtesans
11-14	Shugenja
15-17	Monks or Shinobi
18-19	Something weird, Sages, Artisan, etc.
20	Combination - roll twice and combine

Quick reminder: a single Clan school should not combine more than three roles

12. How large is the clan’s military?(d6)
1	Little more than a neighborhood watch
2	More like a glorified militia than an army
3-4	Small army of ashigaru and bushi
5	Fairly large, a notable size for a minor clan
6	Huge, a significant threat on its own even to a Great Clan

Clan Culture

13. How wealthy is the clan?(d6)
1	Barely above subsistence farming
2	Poor for a clan but can afford some small luxuries
3-4	Moderately successful but not a major economic force
5	Wealthy enough it can afford to flaunt what its got
6	Filthy rich, comparable to a Great Clan family

14. What aspect of bushido does the clan hold higher than the others?(d8)
1	Compassion (Jin)
2	Courage (Yū)
3	Courtesy (Rei)
4	Duty & Loyalty (Chūgi)
5	Honor (Meiyo)
6	Righteousness (Gi)
7	Sincerity (Makoto)
8	None of them - skip Question 15

15. What aspect of bushido does the clan hold lower than the others?(d8)
1	Compassion (Jin)
2	Courage (Yū)
3	Courtesy (Rei)
4	Duty & Loyalty (Chūgi)
5	Honor (Meiyo)
6	Righteousness (Gi)
7	Sincerity (Makoto)

16. What's the clan's overall demeanor?(d20)
1	Grim and serious
2	Jovial and easy-going
3	Sneaky and backstabbing
4	Artsy and creative
5	Hard-working and focused
6	Stubborn and hard-headed
7	Aggressive and warlike
8	Peaceful and spiritual
9	Bookish and smart
10	Wild and boorish
11	Polite and courteous
12	Tricky and cunning
13	Loud and boastful
14	Quiet and meek
15	Brutish and stupid
16	Cruel and sadistic
17	Energetic and care-free
18	Mysterious and cryptic
19	Cold and withdrawn
20	Complex and hard to describe - roll twice

17. What is the clan's greatest pride? (d10)
1	A famous dojo that other clans barter to send their children to study at
2	Producing goods and products desired in all the highest courts
3	Fulfilling a great (and maybe secret) duty given to the clan's founder by the Emperor himself
4	Having achieved a great victory over a formidable foe
5	A powerful relic or nemuranai, cherished as an heirloom
6	Blessings from one or more of the Fortunes
7	Direct ties to the Imperial families themselves
8	A bustling town or city that draws travelers from across Rokugan
9	An ancestor whose heroic deeds brought great renown and glory to the clan
10	Numerous allies and friends to call upon in dark times Roll an additional time on Question 19

18. What was the clan's darkest moment?(d10)
1	A great defeat that left the clan a shadow of its former self
2	One of their own betrayed the clan to their enemies
3	A failed gambit to seize power from another clan
4	Infiltration by a secretive cabal with nefarious designs
5	An ancient curse passed on through the family
6	The clan's leader was blackmailed into subservience to another
7	A secret to their origin that could damage their reputation or legitimacy
8	An investigation by the Emerald Champion found the clan guilty of a crime
9	Forming a secret alliance with a forbidden group (Roll on Question 20, take as an ally)
10	Starting a bloody feud with a former ally (Roll on Question 19, take as an enemy)

19. Who are the clan's closest allies?(d20)
1	Crab Clan
2	Crane Clan
3	Dragon Clan
4	Lion Clan
5	Phoenix Clan
6	Scorpion Clan
7	Unicorn Clan
8-10	Mantis Clan
11-15	Another Minor Clan (Choose one)
16-17	Brotherhood of Shinsei
18	A group of honorable ronin or merchants
19	A Supernatural Race (Five Races, Kitsune, Naga, etc)
20	The clan is well-liked by many, roll twice

20. Whom are the clan's greatest enemies?(d20)
1-5	Tainted (Oni, Lost, Mahō-tsukai, etc)
6-9	A Gaijin culture (Ivory Kingdoms, Qamarist Caliphate, etc)
10-12	Secret Cult (Kolat, Perfect Land sect, etc)
13-14	Criminal organization (Bandits, ronin gang, etc)
15-19	A Samurai Clan or other group, roll on question 19
20	The clan has two major enemies, roll twice

Don't forget to give each major or vassal family a name, and try to expound more on each of the answers you rolled to the questions above to flesh the clan out. Then congrats, you're done!