11/20/2025
🏯 Throwback Thursday: Legend of the Five Rings (1997) ⚔️
Before grimdark fantasy became mainstream, Legend of the Five Rings brought a different kind of intensity to the tabletop — one built on honor, duty, and the razor’s edge of a katana.
Published by Alderac Entertainment Group in 1997, L5R wasn’t just a roleplaying game… it was a full on cultural experience.
Set in the mythical empire of Rokugan, L5R blended samurai drama, political intrigue, spiritual warfare, and clan loyalty into a vibrant setting where every decision mattered. You didn’t just play a character — you upheld their honor, their ancestors, and sometimes their entire clan’s survival.
L5R introduced a level of narrative weight few games matched at the time. The Roll & Keep system allowed for cinematic heroics that felt both deadly and poetic. The game didn’t shy away from tragedy, sacrifice, or the consequences of pride, AEG made it a cornerstone of story-driven RPG design.
Major story events in the card game affected the RPG and vice versa — meaning players literally influenced the future of Rokugan through their victories. Few settings have ever offered that level of player-driven canon.
Whether you marched with the Lion, plotted with the Scorpion, communed with the Phoenix, or stared down the Shadowlands, Legend of the Five Rings offered a world where legends were forged… and honor was everything.
Art by the amazing Urbach.
