1st Scroll - The Will of Nobles - 1st - 3rd Days

[spanningtree]

Ito take Taisho-san's recommendation and steps behind a grouping of trees as well. They may find Kentaro-san's horse of interest, unfortunately, but we can observe how this plays out.

[jemmus]

Ito and Taisho
A roughly human or monkey shaped thing, like a thick and wide bow-legged man, emerges from the forest and peers around the fire site. It’s around five feet tall and it has a crude face, a wild shock of thick black hair with stubby horns poking through, and warty tan skin. It is wearing a rabbit-skin breechclout and a peasant’s shirt with some large blood stains. It has a short but stout knotty wooden club. A smell like rotten carrion and something else is in the air. The travelers have never seen one before, but they know what it is-- a bakemono-sho. Part beast, part kami. Or a crude kami embodied in physical form.

The thing again looks all around the little clearing, sniffs the air, and fixes its gaze on Kentaro’s horse. The horse lowers its head, snorts, and tries to back up. But its reins are tightly tied to a strong pine. “I eat that rice that horse,” it announces to itself in a guttural Nipponese.

Three more heavy footsteps sound from the trail and a big humanoid strides into the circle of the firelight. It’s built like the other creature, but 6.5 feet tall and with bright red, comparatively smooth skin. Two longer horns poke at its forehead rise above tangled black hair that hang from its huge head to past its shoulders. The thing is naked except for the skin of a boar around its waist. A hard, wide pot belly protrudes above that, and a thick arm holds the end of a club of knotty oak root that rests on its shoulder. Around the wrist is a great silver bracelet with domed studs. It also peers around the clearing and its eyes light on the horse. The other, non-carrion smell in the air grows stronger.

An o-bakemono. But perhaps a juvenile one? It’s big, but not as big as the tales tell. And it doesn’t seem to have the face of a very experienced, grizzled demon in a body. Having never seen an o-bakemono, Taisho and Ito have no way to know.

The bakemono-sho says, “I eat that rice.”
The o-bakemono opens its great wide black hole of a mouth, white-ish fangs showing, and a deep voice like a cross between that of a young man’s and hog’ says, “You don’t eat. Where are the humans?”
“No humans. Rice and horse,” the -sho says.
“Stupid little!” the red one booms out. The smaller creature starts and backs away. “If there’s rice and a horse, there's a human. Find it.”

The two begin circling around fire, peering into the brush, sniffing in and snorting out great drafts of air. The big one looks directly at where Taisho is hiding, the smaller one at Ito. They look to each other, both making a kind of satisfied hnn hnn huh laughing sound. Hideous mouths part, showing hard teeth. The smaller one has upper fangs, the bigger one lower ones. The big one ignores Taisho in front of it and peers long at where Ito is concealed. It seems to be appraising the situation. It speaks.

“Unnn. You humans have been bad. Very bad for humans. Was it you, armored bushi? I think so. Don’t try to lie. You woke up the singing girl ghost. You killed something on the mountain and it had a name. If you run I won’t chase. I’ll eat the rice and the horse. I think so.”

“I think so,” says the smaller, warty, and blood-stained shirted one. “Maybe samurai’s mistress from village? Where meat?” Copious drool escapes the thing’s mouth and drenches its chin.

The big red one whips its head to the right and hiss-grunts, “That one is mine!” It takes its eyes off of Ito, shifts its club to the other shoulder, and its eyes upraised in thought. A flood of drool escapes its black mouth and rains down on the leaves of the forest floor. “If the woman then also the man. The meat of the mistress and the samurai on the mountain. Take us to the meat armored bushi. You too.” [Glances menacingly at Taisho]. If you do it, we’ll just eat the humans, the rice and the horse and not chase you down the mountain. Not until the Moon sets. I think so.”

“I think so.” The –sho casts an eye upward at the floating Moon and grins a black grin. Kentaro’s horse tugs hard at its reins, trying its best to break free.

The bakemono-sho is around 8 ft in front of Ito and the o-bakemono 8 ft in front of Taisho. You can take Actions during the o-bakemono's speech if you’d like. (In which case the PCs won’t hear the whole thing).

Katsumi, Kentaro and Omi
The bushi and shinobi are on the trail back to the campfire. About halfway up, they hear from up ahead something like the voice of a hog yell, “That one is mine!” And then it continues talking. “Horse,” “singing girl,” “bushi,” and “I think so” can be made out.

You are 75 yards away, on the trail, 20% reduction to BMA. Uesigi Omi (only) is moving encumbered.

[jmacatty]

Omi says, There is combat ahead, we must move quickly.
He draws his Katana, and moves as rapidly as possible towards the camp.

[ffilz]

I suspect using magic is the best bet for Taisho, probably an Exorcism but not sure if there are other options. Also, not sure if there's any magic chargen steps I missed...

[jemmus]

I suspect using magic is the best bet for Taisho, probably an Exorcism but not sure if there are other options. Also, not sure if there's any magic chargen steps I missed...

I still owe you a review of your character sheet, sorry about that. I'll have to review the rules for gakusho chargen. I've only personally done chargen for a bushi.

[Marullus]

Omi says, There is combat ahead, we must move quickly.
He draws his Katana, and moves as rapidly as possible towards the camp.

"Tafu!" exclaims Kentaro, hearing strange voices in his camp speaking of his father's horse. He also draws his sword, the massive no-dachi filling his beefy hands, and breaks into a full run towards the camp. With his concern for Tafu, he no longer follows Omi out of propriety, out-pacing the slower, heavily-laden Samurai.

BMA 5 *20 yards/minute of run, which is 100 yards, which with a 20% penalty is still 80, to cover the 75 yard distance. So, Kentaro reaches them in just under a minute. With Omi encumbered, his BMA drops to 4, which is 80 yards/minute * .80 = 64 yards per minute. When I reach them, he'll be about 12 yards behind?

As soon as he comes into view, Kentaro calls out, "If you threaten my father's horse, I shall introduce you to this, my father's sword as well. Step back from our belongings lest you be slain as robbers, too."
At a run, he gets no perception checks, so I assume he doesn't have a clear view of them by the time he's yelling at them.

[spanningtree]

Ito unsheathes his katana, while walking out of hiding. Making it clear he is not afraid: You will all turn around and leave this camp.

[jmacatty]

OOC please let me know when I arrive at the camp, or near enough to see the situation.

[jemmus]

I suspect using magic is the best bet for Taisho, probably an Exorcism but not sure if there are other options. Also, not sure if there's any magic chargen steps I missed...

I did a little research and Exorcism won't work against bakemono. They don't have a Spirit Ranking to reduce to 0. They're more like a Beast.
I emailed you about your char sheet. Looks good.

Everybody-- Remember to add your level to your BCS for your Bonus Skills. I'm not sure if the char sheet's main page (not the chargen page) does that automatically. Marullus's revised sheet might.

[ffilz]

I suspect using magic is the best bet for Taisho, probably an Exorcism but not sure if there are other options. Also, not sure if there's any magic chargen steps I missed...

I did a little research and Exorcism won't work against bakemono. They don't have a Spirit Ranking to reduce to 0. They're more like a Beast.
I emailed you about your char sheet. Looks good.

Everybody-- Remember to add your level to your BCS for your Bonus Skills. I'm not sure if the char sheet's main page (not the chargen page) does that automatically. Marullus's revised sheet might.

OK, sounds like I defend myself as best I can with bojitsu and hope the Bushi get here fast...

[jemmus]

Ito and Taisho
The smaller warty thing’s eyes briefly narrowed into a kind of silent hatred of all things good. It skipped forward crouching, aiming a blow of its club to the side of Ito’s unarmored knee. The wood of the knotty root instead connects with a thick maple sapling beside Ito's knee. It bends deep and flexes. Autumn leaves swish back past Ito's face, from the right and then the left. The club springs away from a warty thing's grip and spins away into the darkness.

At the same time, Ito hears the sound of heavy feet bearing down from the above-right. The heavy crush of a great gnarled club comes down on the braided armor plate protecting his right shoulder comes down. It kicks ups and curls. He has time to hear the pig voice coming from the great red grinning head, "I will eat you, armored bushi." His steel katana is out of its crafted wooden scabbard. The white light of the Moon briefly reflects from the polished steel to the leaves and needles of the trees above.

Ito's BAP is next, followed by his Secondary Action Phase (Zanshin 1, second action at half Base Chance of Success. Contemplative Taisho moves last. Then we start Turn 2, with again the bake going first. We need Katsumi's Action. But no hurry. The fight at the campfire proceeds in the meantime....

[spanningtree]

Ito takes a swing at the owner of the "great red ginning head" with his katana, missing.


Itos first swiing: [1d20]=16

OCC: pretty sure that was a miss and he attack again as his secondary?

[ffilz]

Is there a defensive option with bojitsu? Though I guess if nothing is actually swinging at Taisho, he could bop one of them...

[Marullus]

You have Armor Class from your armor, plus a Defense bonus equal to your level, plus bonus for Parrying if you give up your attack to defend.

Read the Parry rules in section 1115.3.

If you have more than one action, use your last one to Parry - it stays in effect until your next action (which includes all their higher initiative faster attacks.)

[jemmus]

Ito takes a swing at the owner of the "great red ginning head" with his katana, missing.


Itos first swiing: [1d20]=16

OCC: pretty sure that was a miss and he attack again as his secondary?

Ito quickly slashes at the big head, but the feral o-bakemono reflexes lean it back. The tip of the katana just misses slicing through the creature's stubby nose. Its eyes widen slightly and the gin disappears from the great broad mouth.

Yes, please take your secondary action. Ito has Zanshin 1 (like all 1st level PCs I suppose), so BCS is halved. Fractions are rounded down.

[Enoch]

Katsumi approaches the camp at a light-footed run, unwinding his kyoketsu-shoge from around his waist as he does so.

[jemmus]

Unless something unexpected happens:
Omi will arrive on Turn 12
Kentaro will arrive on Turn 10
Katsumi will arrive on Turn 6.
We're currently in Turn 1, of course.

Next up are Ito's Secondary Action in Phase 4 and Taisho's Primary Action in Phase 2. Then we go to Turn 2.

[Marullus]

As we advance, please let us know what turn Kentaro will be shouting to divert attention onto himself, and since Omi brought his bow, what turn he is in range to use it.

[jemmus]

Kentaro begins Turn 1 75 yards from the campfire. Even in the woods, I think the big guy's voice would carry 75 yards in this clear, calm weather. At what range or Turn does he start shouting?

Omi would currently be at Short range (41-90 yards with his STR figure and 3-Man dai-kyu). +0 to BCS. It's fairly dark, but the targets are silhouetted by the firelight. But there's foliage in the way, so arrows can't be arched as high. I'm going to say range is reduced by 50%. So Short Range is 21-45 yards. Omi is currently at Long Range (46-90 yards, -4 BCS). He'll reach Short range on Turn 5.

Point Blank (+2 BCS) is 16-20 yards. Omi will reach it on Turn 9.

At whatever range, Omi gets a +3 to BCS because of his 3-Man dai-kyu. (That's what I make of the unexplained Man-Rating Modifier info on the Archery Table on p.11).

[jmacatty]

The man rating modifier is an adjustment for over-bowing or under-bowing. It doesn't apply here. I'm not sure how you got the point blank rating. Also, will you allow me to walk up as I shoot arrows?