Campaign Style Discussion

[ffilz]

We've started to have some discussion in the chargen thread about style. I thought maybe we should take that discussion here...

I will definitely be playing up mystical Nippon, so expect to see various critters and kami playing a role.

On the other hand, I don't want to play totally silly or totally disregard the historical society, thus, I suggest that since the characters generated so far lean towards samurai, we play a samurai campaign not a ninja campaign, so ninja PCs are not a good idea.

There is room for discussion about yakuza.

I expect shugenja and gakusho should be ok.

[jmacatty]

I'm certainly up for that. My first character is a type I've been sort of thinking about for years; he's a Ronin, whose main focus in life is learning to use bladed weapons. He has a dream of opening a school to teach blade skills. Obviously that is years or decades in the future, but he will be focused on gaining skills with bladed weapons. He has his eye out for a No-Dachi for his main weapon.

[Faanku]

I was just joking about killing shugenja, coming from L5R where they're treated as sacrosanct and even geeking the enemy Clan's mage as he summons fireballs is considered a breach of etiquette.
As for the campaign style, I was working on the assumption of classic chambara with potentially more spell casting. Admittedly I haven't read the shugenja section fully, so I don't know if magic is standard D&D wizards or more omens and blessings, but the latter would be more preferable thematically, and perhaps mechanically if we're all going mundane as we appear to be.
If the majority vote is for an all bushi game and being yakuza is an issue I can change my career.

[jemmus]

I seems like kind of dilemma about groups/parties is built into the game. There's a lot of emphasis on social things (Caste, Rank, On, Personal Status, Group Status, etc.) There's even a rule about the negative effects of wearing clothing that's too high quality or low quality for your rank. But each PC's Caste and Rank is determined randomly, so that's mostly going to be all over the board for a group of PCs. Then when you add in the different professions, it becomes hard to imagine how this group came together. I had trouble trying to come up a rationale for that years ago when I was working on homebrew for Bushido.

[ffilz]

I seems like kind of dilemma about groups/parties is built into the game. There's a lot of emphasis on social things (Caste, Rank, On, Personal Status, Group Status, etc.) There's even a rule about the negative effects of wearing clothing that's too high quality or low quality for your rank. But each PC's Caste and Rank is determined randomly, so that's mostly going to be all over the board for a group of PCs. Then when you add in the different professions, it becomes hard to imagine how this group came together. I had trouble trying to come up a rationale for that years ago when I was working on homebrew for Bushido.

I think a lot of these games didn't always think about things like this... Random social class should break down in almost any game.

My solution, allow the players to override the social class roll, and we have a discussion about professions. And we play more cosmopolitan than history...

[ffilz]

With 4 PCs complete (we are still waiting on njwilliam), any thoughts how we should handle the Yakuza? Once we settle that, and folks have named their characters and given a basic background in the Google Doc, I will start giving out information relevant to The Valley of the Mists to get you started.

[jmacatty]

I think that how we handle the Yakuza depends on how the group comes together. If we are hired individually, to operate as a group, then the Yakuza is just someone who may have a skill set that the group needs. I don't see that as a problem. Or, alternatively, if he is attached in some way to another party member then he comes along as a useful companion, again, I see no problem here. Ninja are despised because they are Eta, not because of what they do. Yakuza are enterprising soles trying to get along in a chaotic world, where they have little social power.

Just my two cents.

[jemmus]

I'm good with having yakuza too. If we didn't, we'd be throwing out an entire Bushido profession and maybe limiting everybody's enjoyment of the game. I think we can find some plausible way to roleplay it. As Frank said, this is Nippon, not Japan.

[ffilz]

I'm good with having yakuza too. If we didn't, we'd be throwing out an entire Bushido profession and maybe limiting everybody's enjoyment of the game. I think we can find some plausible way to roleplay it. As Frank said, this is Nippon, not Japan.

Yea. I do see a strong argument for not mixing Ninja and Samurai/Ronin, but I suppose if someone actually wanted to play a Ninja we'd figure that out too...

And looking at the Yakuza's character sheet, and considering the available professions, the Yakuza is your money man... Maybe pick one of the PCs for the Yakuza to be attached to.

[Samwell Turleton]

I am also open to having a little variety in the professions with the yakuza.

[ffilz]

I've started thread 000 to get us underway. Check your messages for rumors... More to follow.