Starting+Equipment

Rokugan uses a system of getting stuff that is very similar, though not exactly, to that of Feudual Japan.

The basic building block is the Koku, a ovalular gold coin which has a value equal to the amount of rice it takes to feed a man for one year. Under the Koku is the bu, silver coins of which 5 constitutes a Koku. Finally, the there is the zeni, essentially copper coins with square holes in the center (I have a few fake ones if you want to see) 10 of these make a Bu and thus 50 equals 1 Koku.
 * The Coinage**
 * 1 Koku = A years worth of rice for one man
 * 5 Bu = 1 Koku
 * 10 Zeni = 1 Bu
 * 50 Zeni = 1 Koku

In reality however, these coins are hardly used. The Heimen classes of Rokugan tend to barter, trading one good for another (I've got wood for sheep) and generally are alotted the resources to craft what they need by their Samurai Lords. The Samurai can in turn take whatever they wish from the Heimen as they own it already anyways. This rule generally works in a samurai's own lands. They've given the land and the tools to craft things to the heimen and so they own whatever the heimen produce belongs to the Samurai who has given the resources to them. A Samurai in turn recieves his lands and everything on them by his damiyo or another superior such as the Clan Damiyo, or the Emperor. Samurai have little need for coinage because of this. Whatever they need is either given to them or can be requested. Such requests will generally be taken out of their yearly stipend. The Samurai's stipend is an amount of Koku (given in rice) equal to the Samurai's worth to his lord. As for the Eta, no money is given to them. This is because most of the goods produce by people of such a class don't have any material components and also because they are not people and thus don't have wealth. Instead, their "owner" be it a Merchant who runs a brothel or the Imperial Inquisitives who staff a number of coroners and torturers give items to the Eta so that they may continue their trade. (A Geisha side note: Gifts are generally given to Geisha upon visiting one, this is an acceptable practice and thus a Geisha does have more stuff than the average Eta). For these reasons coins are really only used for large buisness transactions and inter-clan/family trading, where carrying a hundred Koku, or even a koku, worth of rice is impractical. Thus a samurai comissioning a legendary blacksmith for a Katana would likely pay in coin as the blacksmith would not want that much rice in his little shop at one time. (Yes, having a Samurai weapon such as a Katana, Wakizashi, or generally anything that isn't a peasant weapon is a large buisness transaction.
 * The Reality**

As noted above, buying weapons is a big deal. A weapon can cost upwords of 2 to 10 koku. Since most weapons of war are only used during war a Samurai might keep a stockpile of Yari (A spear), or Daikyu (Longbows), on hand, but not for general sale. These items are exclusive only to the Samurai and Ashigaru that wield them and a smart lord would keep a number of such items equal to the number of soldiers he intends to raise in a time of war. Weapon Shops are largely non-existant. If a Samurai wishes to have a new weapon he simply gets one forged and most Samurai weapons, the daisho (Katana and Wakizashi set) in particular are passed down from generation to generation.
 * Buying Weapons**