OOC Chat — "Hoshihige Most Auspicious Inn"

[LtTibbles]

I am curious about the void ring/points are they worth investing in?

[Captain Kinkajou]

I may still tweak my character a little more but am pretty much there I think...

Mirumoto Aiko (Dragon Bushi)

RINGS

FIRE 2 // Agility 3 / Intelligence 2

AIR 3 // Reflexes 4 / Awareness 3

WATER 1 // Strength 1 / Perception 2

EARTH 2 // Stamina 2 / Willpower 2

VOID 2

SKILLS
Kenjutsu (Agility) 3 = 6k3
Archery (Reflexes) 1 = 5k4
Defence (Agility) 3 = 6k3
Meditation (VOID) 1 = 3k2
Shugenja Lore (Intelligence) 1 = 3k2
Etiquette 1 (Intelligence) = 3k2
Sincerity (Awareness) 2 = 5k3
Music (Agility or Awareness) 2 = 5k3
Poetry (Awareness) 1 = 4k3
Acting (Awareness) 1 = 4k3
Investigation (Perception or Intelligence) 2 = 4k2
Athletics (Varies) 1 = 4k3 for Agility
Iaijutsu (Varies) 1 = 4k3 for Agility/Awareness, 5k4 for Reflexes

INSIGHT: 100 + 20 = 120 (Rank 1)
GLORY: 2 plus 5

WEAPONS
Katana Atk: 6k3, Dmg: 4k2
Wakizashi: 6k3, Dmg: 3k2
Bow Atk: 5k4, Dmg: 3k2

GEAR
20 Arrows
Light Armour (+5 TN to be Hit)
Travelling Pack
Plain but finely crafted flute
Kimono
2 Koku

Edit: Added Wakizashi and gear.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Rex,

I may be wrong but I was looking at your character and I think the Insight should be 110 + 16 = 126 rather than 116. Unless I'm misunderstanding something.

- Bruce

[Starbeard]

I am curious about the void ring/points are they worth investing in?

Yes I think so, but only if you are actually smart about using them.

You normally regain 1 point a day, but if you have Meditation or Tea Ceremony you can use those to regain them faster. So if you are good about spending them and getting them back, they can really pay off. Otherwise, people become conservative about using them since you can burn them up more quickly than you get them back.

Void is much more important in campaigns, though. To gain higher School Ranks you have to increase your Ring scores, and Void is the most cost effective to increase, since it has no traits.

My favourite character that I ever played was in a friend's campaign towards when we first started to play. I was a Phoenix bushi, and I did almost nothing but put points into Void, Meditation & Tea Ceremony until those were maxed out. He was distinctly average in most things, but at any time I needed to I could drop 5 Void points and get +5k5 to a roll, as long as I planned ahead and made sure I could spend a couple of hours meditating to get it back. Once he got his 3rd Technique nobody could escape him either—with 5 Void points I could get 5 extra move actions, which meant for that round I could sprint 6x as fast a normal human, or like 100mph!

[Starbeard]

Rex,

I may be wrong but I was looking at your character and I think the Insight should be 110 + 16 = 126 rather than 116. Unless I'm misunderstanding something.

- Bruce

Absolutely right, thanks for catching that. When he PMed me with it Void was dropped to 1 and Insight 116, but since then he returned it to 2 and I didn't think to check the updated Insight total.

For the curious, Insight determines your maximum possible School Rank ('rank' gets used in this game lot!).

Rank 1: <150 insight points
Rank 2: 150 insight
Rank 3: 175 insight
Rank 4: 200 insight
Rank 5: 225 insight

If your insight is high enough, you can return to your school and be tested by a higher Rank sensei to be allowed to gain the new School Rank (the duration and difficulty to get the new rank is left up to the GM for his style of game).

[Starbeard]

I may still tweak my character a little more but am pretty much there I think...

Mirumoto Aiko (Dragon Bushi)

RINGS

FIRE 2 // Agility 3 / Intelligence 2

AIR 3 // Reflexes 4 / Awareness 3

WATER 1 // Strength 1 / Perception 2

EARTH 2 // Stamina 2 / Willpower 2

VOID 2

SKILLS
Kenjutsu (Agility) 3 = 6k3
Archery (Reflexes) 2 = 6k4
Defence (Agility) 3 = 6k3
Meditation (VOID) 1 = 3k2
Shugenja Lore (Intelligence) 1 = 3k2
Etiquette 1 (Intelligence) = 3k2
Sincerity (Awareness) 2 = 5k3
Music (Agility or Awareness) 1 = 4k3
Poetry (Awareness) 1 = 4k3
Acting (Awareness) 1 = 4k3
Investigation (Perception or Intelligence) 2 = 4k2
Athletics (Varies) 1 = 4k3 for Agility
Iaijutsu (Varies) 1 = 4k3 for Agility/Awareness, 5k4 for Reflexes

INSIGHT: 100 + 20 = 120 (Rank 1)
GLORY: 2 plus 5

WEAPONS
Katana Atk: 6k3, Dmg: 4k2
Bow Atk: 6k4, Dmg: 3k2

Looks great, everything adds up. Don't forget you also get your wakizashi (2k2) and a final weapon of your choice (or I will let you trade that for some other item of relevance).

[Captain Kinkajou]

Looks great, everything adds up. Don't forget you also get your wakizashi (2k2) and a final weapon of your choice (or I will let you trade that for some other item of relevance).

Cool. Thanks for the pointer. I'll have a think about that and edit something in.

[Rex]

Thanks on the insight. Starbeard is correct on what happened, I had Void it messed up to start with and when I fixed it I forgot to fix insight. On meditation, is the TN really 20 to get Void back? If so it seems useless unless you have a high void to start with.

[Starbeard]

Thanks on the insight. Starbeard is correct on what happened, I had Void it messed up to start with and when I fixed it I forgot to fix insight. On meditation, is the TN really 20 to get Void back? If so it seems useless unless you have a high void to start with.

Yep, that's the catch! On the other hand, with 2 Void I'm not sure if you really need to meditate. You already get 1 point back every day, and your other point is easier to get back with Tea Ceremony, assuming you have the materials (TN15 & 30 minutes for +1 Void point).

Meditating is more important as your Void point total increases, I think. And of course, you can always spend a Void Point while meditating to get a better roll…

[Rex]

How many points do you get for dropping 1 rank of Void?

[Starbeard]

How many points do you get for dropping 1 rank of Void?

That's easy, you can't! Void is your inner harmony and essence. Nobles who are willing to reduce their Void for points have no soul and therefore no honor, and therefore not fit to be nobles.

I'm looking over my house rules from the last time I ran a game, and we allowed dropping Void for 5 points, but we also had a house rule that made it impossible to have high Ring ranks without a high Void.

So for this we'll just stick to RAW: if there's no rule to reduce Void for points, it's because you can't.

[Rex]

Not a biggie, I was just thinking about the recovery rate. Have we any idea yet on where we will start on the map and should I be working on a back story?

[Starbeard]

Okay, here's our general location setting:

At first I rolled a few times on the map and that wasn't working, since I needed something next to water and that wasn't a huge castle or city.

So instead, I've selected four possible locations for the game (in red ovals), and rolled 1d4 to see where the main action will be.

[1d4] = 3

[Starbeard]

Starting location: [1d6] = 3

So it looks like everyone will start at Otosan Uchi, and the first and most immediate goal will be to travel to the Beiden Pass.


Otosan-Uchi (Rokugan Capital) (location 54): (from the rulebook)
"Otosan Uchi is the capital of Rokugan, and the greatest testament to the power of the Hantei (the Imperial dynasty). The walls guarding the city are so wide that horses can ride along the ramparts. The guards are chosen from Rokugan’s finest samurai. The entire capital exists solely to support the Emperor and his court. Diplomats from all Seven Clans (and many of the minor ones) reside in the Emperor's palace, plotting, bickering and seeking the favor of the Son of Heaven. Policy for the entire Empire is determined here, and those without an invitation may not pass through the gates.

"When the city and palace were built, Crab engineers and Phoenix shugenja worked together to make the palace impossible to infiltrate. Some shugenja say that the walls are enchanted with a powerful spell that renders its streets and passageways an impenetrable maze; only those with Hantei blood may find their way around."

Note: Otosan Uchi is like the Forbidden City, most people never get to see the inside of the city. Because of this, the de facto capitals of Rokugan are the three bustling towns that surround Otosan Uchi: North Hub Village, West Hub Village, and South Hub Village. Each of these are tiny cities that form a metropolitan area. We will start in N/W/S: [1d3] = 2 West Hub Village.

Beiden Pass and the Spine of the World Mountains (locations 28 & 66) (from the rulebook)
"This is the mountain range that splits Rokugan in two. The mountains contain the tallest peaks in Rokugan (including the lengendary Mountain of the Seven Thunders), and the few trails through it are narrows and fraught with peril. The only pass large enough to move an army through is Beiden Pass, and many of Rokugan's greatest battles have been fought to determine who controls it."

The Beiden Pass road cross Three Sides River (34), "Perhaps the most contested body of water in Rokugan. It provides the heart of trade and commerce for three Clans (Scorpion, Lion & Crane)."

The Pass also overlooks the Lake of Sorrows (45), "Stories say that this lake is haunted by the souls who died at Beiden Pass and were not properly buried. Small shrines dot the banks in homage to those who fell and are unremembered."

[ffilz]

Ok, going with the Unicorn Shugenja, Iuchi familly.

I haven't spent my 25 points yet, so far have

Fire: Agility 2, Intelligence 2
Air: Reflexes 2, Awareness 3
Water: Strength 2, Perception 3
Void: 2
Earth: Stamina 2, Willpower 2

Skills (I'm not sure what they start at):
Calligraphy
Defense
Herbalism
Horsemanship
Hunting
Meditation
Kenjitsu

Spells:
3 water
Blessings of Purity
The Path to Inner Peace
Reflective Pool
2 fire
Biting Steel
Evil Ward
1 earth
Benevolent Protection of Shinsei

I'm inclined to spend my 25 points:
8 +1 Agility
8 +1 Strength (brings Water ring to 3)

For 8 of my remaining 9 points, I could go with +1 Intelligence (to bring Fire ring up to 3), or total +2 Agility or +1 Perception, or 8 skills
Last point to be spent on a skill (though the Way of the Land Advantage for 1 point sort of sounds cool - but you wanted to avoid Advantages/Disadvantages)

p.s.

Hmm, maybe I got those spells wrong...

Looks like the only Earth spell I'm eligible for is Elemental Ward? And probably got the others wrong also.... I think I need some advice here...

[Rex]

Looks good to me. I would go with another +1 to one of your traits (Int is what I would do). Then the 1 skill into herbalism, but I am biased because I have medicine 2 and the herbalism 2 would be a nice compliment. I think all your base skills start at 1.

[Starbeard]

That is looking very good ffilz. I think Rex has a good point about going with +1 Intelligence to bring Fire up to 3. It will help your Fire spells a lot, and in general traits (roll & keep) are better than skills (roll & drop).

I'll be happy to accept Way of the Land as an Advantage. Without it, your party will have to guess or maybe make an Intelligence roll to know which roads lead where, what kind of bandit activity to expect, what prominent ghost stories there are about a place, etc.

If the party takes the Imperial Road to Beiden Pass, you'll mostly be in Crane territory. If you go by river you'll be mostly in Lion territory. Once you get to Beiden Pass itself, most of that area is neutral (I will let you take Spine of the World Mountains as your 'province' too).

[Starbeard]

On spells, I've added the 1e spells to the Dropbox.

Here are the basics to remember:
1. You can pick any spell, as long as it's in the right element.

2. The spell comes as a scroll that you keep with you. You have to get it out and use it to cast the spell (it doesn't disappear). Having to use individual scrolls is one of the neat things about L5R magic, I think.

3. You can learn to Master a spell so that you don't need the scroll anymore. Your Ring + School Rank has to be ≥ the spell's Mastery Level, and it costs 3 character points. During the game you can spend 3 xp to Master a spell too.

4. You can replace any of your starting spells with Counterspell. Because of the scroll rules, Counterspell works best if you learn to Master it.

5. Each day, you can only cast as many Fire spells as you have ranks in Fire, etc. Each day you regain one spell slot from every ring, and also if you use meditation/tea ceremony. You can also spend Void points to cast an extra spell if you have to.


Water: These all look like good choices

Fire: These look like good choices.

Earth: Benevolent Protection of Shinsei is good, but also has TN20 to cast, which will be difficult for you unless you spend a Void point to cast it. But it is also a ritual spell, so if he gets a bonus for every other shugenja who assists him in casting the spell. Up to you, really. Otherwise, Elemental Ward seems like a good alternate choice, and is very easy to cast.

[LtTibbles]

Mirumoto Koga - Dragon Clan Bushi

RINGS

FIRE 3 // Agility 3 / Intelligence 3

AIR 2 // Reflexes 2 / Awareness 3

WATER 2 // Strength 2 / Perception 2

EARTH 2 // Stamina 2 / Willpower 2

VOID 2

SKILLS
Kenjutsu (Agility) 3 = 6k3
Archery (Reflexes) 1 = 3k2
Defence (Agility) 3 = 6k3
Meditation (VOID) 1 = 3k2
Shugenja Lore (Intelligence) 2 = 5k3
Sincerity (Awareness) 2 = 5k3
Music (Agility or Awareness) 1 = 4k3
Investigation (Perception or Intelligence) 2 = 5k3/4k2
Law (Intelligence) 2 = 5k3
Athletics (Varies) 1
Courtier (Awareness) 2 = 5k3
Heraldry (Perception) 1 = 3k2
History (Intelligence) 1 = 4k3
Etiquette (Intelligence) 1 = 4k3



INSIGHT: 110 + 23= 133 (Rank 1)
GLORY: 2 plus 5

WEAPONS
Katana Atk: 6k3, Dmg: 5k2
Wakizashi Atk: 6k2 Dmg: 4k2
Bow Atk: 3k2, Dmg: 3k2

EQUIPMENT
Light Armor
Travelling Pack
Kimono
Fue (Bamboo Flute)
2 Koku

I am a little confused on the weapon damage math so my sheet could be off sorry about that if it is.

Also could I drop my extra weapon that I get at character creation for an instrument instead?

[Rex]

I think you have it right. Wakizashi damage would be 4k2 I think. I am not sure if Strength adds to bows or not. Good looking character. I think we are shaping up nicely as a group.

Ronin Monk (Bushi)
Dragon Bushi,
Unicorn Shugenja
Dragon Bushi

Did I miss any?