Which sourcebook describes the Fox-clan and the Kitsune-families?

Question

Back in 4th, the Fox clan was a staple minor clan (or branch of the Mantis) and available from in the 4th edition core book.

When 5E came around, they revamped the whole character creation process, and slimmed down the possible options: The 5e core rules only contain great clan families and clans as choices, but at least mentions the Fox-clan when showing off all the minor clans on page 18.

Emerald Empire brings the imperial families and a Kitsune Impersonator school, but that is for Fox-spirits, not human members of the Fox-clan lead by the Kitsune-family. While the latter happens to have Kitsune-spirit members and descendants, this is not a class for the normal Fox-clan.

Path of the Waves describes a little bit on the fox clan lands and an example monster for both a mundane fox and a trio of Kitsune-Spirits as an encounter, but no explicit rules for making members of the Fox-clan.

Shadowlands has the minor Falcon-clan and its Toritaka-family & -dojo... but no Kitsune here either.

Courts of Stone brings the minor Deer-clan and its Shika-family, but again, no Fox.

Celestial Realms delivers the Centipede-clan and the associated Moshi family and school. The Fox and Kitsune family are mentioned in the adventure seeds.

Fields of Victory brought the Badger and their Ichiro family and schools. The Fox are mentioned once - as the remnants of the Kirin.

Writ of the Wilds has the Dragonfly, because they pretty much belong to the Dragon Clan, and their associated Tonbo family. Oh, and a little something about Kitsune of the Yokai type.

Which book do I overlook that hides the minor fox-clan and its families or might it not have found publication yet?

Answer 1

Fox clan material hasn't been published yet (as of July 2023).

When Fantasy Flight Games took over the L5R product line, they reset the timeline. It seems likely they are specifically focused on the creation of new content instead of rehashing existing content. There are also a couple DLC that suggest perhaps that is how they will distribute that rehashed content.

In the meantime, while making an entire school would require some amount of work (and likely would be easiest to base it on another school), creating Clan and family bonuses should be a trivial exercise. Below I've added some potential homebrew for your convenience. Understand that these are merely suggestions loosely based off of 4th Edition.

Fox Clan

Before becoming part of the Minor Clan Alliance and later the Mantis, the Fox essentially just focused on surviving. Obviously their claim to fame is their association with Chikushudo, but that is best represented by the school and not their clan or family.

• Ring: +1 Earth (Earth is the Produce approach for Trade skills.)
• Skill: +1 Labor
• Status: 30 (Existing minor clans are 25-30, Unicorn is 30)

Kitsune Family

• Ring: +1 Earth or +1 Void
• Skill: +1 Medicine, +1 Survival
• Glory: 35

5e does not include rules for vassal families, but on the off-chance you're making a Fox-focused campaign I thought I'd include them.

Byako Family

• Ring: +1 Air or +1 Void
• Skill: +1 Survival, +1 Theology
• Glory: 30

Shudo Family

• Ring: +1 Fire or +1 Water
• Skill: +1 Fitness, +1 Medicine
• Glory: 30

I'm not going to create a school from whole cloth right now, but since "Commune with Spirits" is already a ritual that permits talking to non-elemental spirits, my suggestions for the shugenja school would be:

• A new "Summon Spirit of Chikushudo" ritual that is a starting technique for them, since I think the "Elemental Gift" effect of the Commune ritual requires you to already be dealing with a spirit of the appropriate type. If you want to make it available as a general Ritual, I would probably set it at least Rank 3 to maintain the feeling that the Kitsune are 'special' in this regard.
• A school ability that allows you to communicate with Chikushudo spirits without using "Commune with Spirits" (so you can use Social skills, etc. instead of being limited to the effects)
  • Possibly make the ritual or even the school more or less specific depending on your preferences. You could make a Chikushudo Adherent that both the Bat and Fox could use, for instance. Or you could make the ritual a "Summon Spirit of [Choose Realm]".