OOC Discussion

[Marullus]

Thanks for the invite! I can't add more live games, though. Asynchronous play is my place.

I don't know those Wild West games, unfortunately.

We did try the Deadlands Wierd West remake using Savage Worlds base rules (see here) and I found it pretty solid and enjoyable.

The Casketlands game here was successful only due to the sheer, raw talent of Samwell Turlton to spin whole cloth from nothing. (It is a 'zine ruleset on Apocalypse World foundation - I Kickstarted it and found it unplayable with my own attempt.)

I am running a western feel in Stars Without Number (as you guys know) but that's futuristic and not historic.

I haven't seen much other Wild West stuff lately, but am always looking.

You can try out this small press offering (short game, not campaign): Seco Creek Vigilance Committee.

It is also always worth looking at Dogs in the Vineyard, which is not OSR in the least, but revolves around an escalation mechanic instead to test how far your character is willing to go to be right/win in each interaction. Using those mechanics makes an awesome gunslinger campaign.

[jemmus]

Unfortunately I probably have a TZ problem for a live game. I'm on the East Coast, and would need to wrap up by around 7 PM PST. I can play on Sundays during the day, but that's probably family time for most people.

Thanks for the thoughts about a Western RPG. I'll probably go with Boot Hill 3rd Ed. It turns out that it's just a repackaging of 2nd Ed., and 2nd Ed. didn't change much from 1st Ed. Seco Creek Vigilance Committee and Dogs in the Vineyard both look really interesting. I think I'll go with Boot Hill, because its more open-ended and the system is pretty straightforward. Its an old Gygax TSR game, so people (and the GM) won't have to get used to many new concepts.

I'm thinking the setting will be 1866 Texas and Oklahoma. (I'm originally from Texas, so I can again partly substitute some personal knowledge for imagination). During the past four years of the Civil War, untended longhorn cattle have gone feral and formed wild herds. There's some riches there, if somebody can drive them to markets to the north. Civil War veterans have returned, for better or for worse for the state. The towns in the southern and eastern parts of the state are pretty orderly. But elsewhere everybody is on their own for defense of person and property. Outlaws don't have much of a hard time making a living. To the west, the Comanches control the Staked Plains, with their allies the Kiowas and Apaches. They made a treaty with the U.S. Army not to kill Americans or kidnap their women and children-- but they don't consider Texans to be Americans.

I'm thinking of having the PCs already know each, and all have the same occupation.
-Cattle herding cowboys
-Texas Rangers fighting Indians and outlaws
-Outlaws rustling cattle, stealing horses, robbing stores and banks, and being road agent highwaymen
-Maybe even Comanches or Kiowas. But probably not. Content for adventures for these guys could get repetitive.

So the PCs group would already have a theme and mutual goals.

[Enoch]

I'm also on the US East Coast, and while I'm a night owl, starting at 11pm probably won't work. It sounds like a neat game, though.

[ffilz]

I'm also on the US East Coast, and while I'm a night owl, starting at 11pm probably won't work. It sounds like a neat game, though.

Totally understandable. I've discovered that in the world on online gaming, being on the West Coast sucks. When I started to wonder about population distribution, I looked up the population of each US Time Zone. It turns out about 70% of the US population is in Eastern or Central. And then all those TV shows, especially live shows, that are on 8:00 PM Eastern/7:00 PM Central and such make sense... (what I hate the the live casts of West Coast events that occur at a reasonable time are NOT live... because being live at 8:00 PM Eastern means being re-broadcast at 8 Pacific... Why can't I watch it live at 5:00 PM Pacific? But back to gaming, so most of the population is 2 or 3 hours ahead. And the next Time Zone or two West are basically empty until you get to Hawaii (3 Time Zones) and then New Zealand and Australia (I occasionally get an Aussie or Kiwi player, but that depends on them being free during their daytime - never had a Hawaiian player...).

[Enoch]

Yeah, PST has got to be rough. We have a player in our online live game in California, but luckily he's able to get off work reasonably early, and the rest of us are willing to stay up late. Otherwise, I tend to only game with West Coast folks on weekend games...and those are hard to schedule.

[jemmus]

Hojojutsu binding is pretty elaborate. No use trying to struggle, the force you apply to the rope will transfer to other parts of your body. (Kind of a creepy photo. Like a lot of old photos of bushi).

[Marullus]

...That's so awesome.

[jemmus]

It seems kind of odd that Omi can hit an bakemono-sho with an arrow while it's being grappled. It seems like that would be difficult shot, with a risk of hitting the grappling opponent instead. But the rules say -2 if the target is "in combat," so I guess that covers all situations (combat at Contact range, Short range, etc.)

[Marullus]

Putting out a heads-up early. I'm taking a road trip vacation with my daughter across the US from 14-25 June. I will have my phone and may read things but don't expect to make any real updates until I return. I'll gladly respond to any updates for the next week before I go.

[jemmus]

Thanks for the heads up, and have fun! If you happen to be going through South Texas, I can recommend some good places to eat and fun things to do. (The area around San Antonio is the most enjoyable part of TX, IMO).

[Marullus]

Other side, unfortunately. We're making it from the east coast to Mount Rushmore and back - half camping, half visiting friends who moved away from DC.

[jemmus]

I've done a similar trip, from NYC to Mission, SD. I almost ran out of gas on I-90 going through Chicago. The interstate is really elevated over the city, and this was before GPS so I was afraid to take some random exit and get lost in downtown streets. There was one gas station on the elevated interstate, but no signs about it so I was in the wrong lane and drove past it. Interestingly, the interstate also had a big built-in platform for a McDonald's.

[Marullus]

Location Location Location.

[jemmus]

That's some heroic posting from the road!

[jemmus]

Nobody needs to worry about perfectly RPing social actions in this game. Please just consider the situation and what your character would best do in it. Bushido is kind of unique with its Reaction die roll modifier table. (The Land of Nippon rulebook, p.2) The game earned early praises for a quantified system for tracking a PC's reputation for honor or dishonor. Not that there are no alignments (Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil) in Bushido.

Here are the base guidelines, for GMs caught in a spot where they need to randomly roll about encounters with NPCs. No need to know more about this games' Nippon culture than this. No penalties, but plenty of hints about who's more confident and who's less will be incoming. Your words may determine where your naked weapons end up....

Reaction die roll modifiers
PCs rule, boorish, insufficiently courteous:
PCs careful to use correct mode of speech, courtesy, etc.:
PCs overly polite for status of NPC addressed:
PCs previously on hostile terms with the NPC:
PCs previously on friendly terms with the NPC:
PC’s Status superior to NPC’s:
PC’s Status inferior to NPC’s:
PCs and NPCs of same Caste:
PCs and NPCs of differing Castes:
PCs make “good offer” to NPCs:
PCs make inappropriate or niggardly offer:
PCs uses appropriate Art, Status roll, etc. to set tone of meeting:
Ninja in PC party dealing with non-Ninja NPCs: -20
[/ooc]

[jmacatty]

I apologize for being out of pocket the last few days.

[jemmus]

I think this is a good guide for thinking about the expense of things in Nippon. A meal and a night in an inn is 5 copper for most people. For buke 5 silver. Ronin kind of get the raw end of that deal. But that's what ronin are for. Short end of the stick, stuck between two worlds, not accepted by either. No wonder so many become brigands.

Please assume in this game that the extra 1 cp or sp for use of the bathhouse as assumed to have been spent. The people of Nippon, high to low, kuge to eta, are washed. Better clean and hungry than smelly and full. Only a rebellious criminal would be so outside of society as to flaunt the conventions and be a smelly and deliberately unkempt barbarian.


In comparison, a forged steel katana, with iron hilt guard, shark or ray skin hilt wrapping, silk cords hilt wrappings, and custom lacquered wood sheath costs 100 sp. Average quality. A warhorse costs 500 sp.

The rules say that to feed for a horse for a day or more expensive in Nippon than a stay at an inn for a human. I'm going to propose that fodder for a horse costs 8 cp/sp per day. Stabling a horse (stalling it, removing the saddle, wiping it down, curry combing, feeding grain, etc.) cost an additional 2 coins.

Please keep track of your daily expenses: 6 copper or silver per night at a road inn. Another 8-10 to feed per day to feed and/or stable your horses.

Unless otherwise specified, prices are in copper for non-Buke and
in silver for members of the Buke and higher classes. Naturally, the
service rendered is appropriately modified to suit the consumer.

(1002.3)
Night at inn (includes meal) - 5
Use of bathhouse - 1
Geisha services- Geisha’s social standing in silver
Physician’s attention - 5
Shiatsu massage - 3
Evening at the theater - 5
Party for peers - Host’s social standing
Visit to teahouse - 10
Kago (palanquin) travel per Ri - 5 copper
Fee for being carried across river -
Person - Social standing in copper (minimum 5)
Equipment or goods - 2 per 10 pounds
Service by craftsmen - 1/2 group status in copper per day

If a character wishes to demonstrate his wealth or generosity, he
may pay for the services in the next more precious metal. Thus, a
member of the Heimin would pay in silver and a member of the Buke
would pay in gold.

[Marullus]

Yikes! Just noting that's mostly quoted from 1102.3 SERVICES on page 54.

I have been RPing Kentaro's poverty based on the monetary system being based on rice - 1cp is the cost of one day's food and he has only 6 coppers. The idea that he needs to spend 5sp for a single night in an inn explains why he's pushing hard to move before sunset or camp outside of town...

Night at inn (includes meal) - 5
Use of bathhouse - 1

My PDF of the book doesn't show those numbers (they are missing) and I don't see it in the Errata file. Does yours have them?

[jemmus]

Sorry, that's correct. 1102.3, not 1002.3. Yes, that text is copied from my version of the rulebook. I'm pretty sure I got it from drivethrurpg. Here's what it says on the fifth page. Edit: I think the errata info is incorporated into this edition. (I like the part below about how they'll try to answer rules questions if you send them a stamped, self-addressed envelope).

Copyright @ 1981 by Robert N. Charrette and Paul R. Hume. All
rights to this book are reserved. No part of the book may be used
or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles
or reviews.
Box, cover art and all illustrations are copyright 1981 by Robert
N. Charrette. For information regarding this game contact
Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc.:
213 N. Gilbert Rd., Gilbert, AZ 85234

The designers will attempt to answer any questions regarding the
game. Please type the question allowing space for the answer on
the same sheet and enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Send the letter in care of Fantasy Games Unlimited.

[jemmus]

I have been RPing Kentaro's poverty based on the monetary system being based on rice - 1cp is the cost of one day's food and he has only 6 coppers. The idea that he needs to spend 5sp for a single night in an inn explains why he's pushing hard to move before sunset or camp outside of town...

Toshizo is in an identical situation in the other game. Down to a few coppers, and has an inherited horse to maintain. So he had to take the very first job that came along. He had to offer his services to the war camp bushi, without knowing who they are or what they're planning.