OOC Discussion

[jemmus]

Just a group of two or three ninja would make sense, too. Instead of having a big conspicuous party of them.

[ffilz]

Just a group of two or three ninja would make sense, too. Instead of having a big conspicuous party of them.

Yep.

[jemmus]

That could be a more traditional adventure RPG, too. Lots of action. Always being on a specific "quest" (mission). Not much social/cultural RP, because ninja normally don't want to interact and be noticed. And it could be pretty tactically challenging. You couldn't just march down the hallway and start hacking and bashing, you'd have to observe and make a plan. It would probably need lots of detailed maps of compounds and interiors. Which could be very fun.

Actually, thinking about it, a spy/assassin team campaign could be fun in about any game system. You know exactly what your specific goal is. You don't know yet how to do it. You have to use your wits as a player and your PC's in-game abilities to get it done, without getting killed along the way.

Here are some missions that just occurred to me.... (No, on second thought, not going to say. Just in case we decide to do this, or something similar. )

[Marullus]

I like the idea of focused Ronin, Samurai, or Ninja game. Ffilz stated he is struggling with Sandbox style and the setting. TbH, I am still struggling with the setting, too - I am constantly confused about Minamoto and Taira, which we are, who is allied with whom, etc.

I am all about espionage play. A Ninja-centric approach would be fun.

Perhaps an Eta Shugenja for team support? A family member with eldritch Chi instead of traditional Ninja training?

I think we need to be clear about a job-then-downtime cycle in deciding this. The Training component is too critical to advancement.

[ffilz]

I like the idea of focused Ronin, Samurai, or Ninja game. Ffilz stated he is struggling with Sandbox style and the setting. TbH, I am still struggling with the setting, too - I am constantly confused about Minamoto and Taira, which we are, who is allied with whom, etc.

I'm not so much struggling with the sandbox, but more struggling with how to think and act within the culture.

I am all about espionage play. A Ninja-centric approach would be fun.

Perhaps an Eta Shugenja for team support? A family member with eldritch Chi instead of traditional Ninja training?

That would be nice, but how many players do we have. I guess we could do a one ninja, one shugenja if we wanted to stick with one PC each. I guess we could do two PCs each, I'd then try and build two different ninja with very different attribute distribution.

I think we need to be clear about a job-then-downtime cycle in deciding this. The Training component is too critical to advancement.

Yea, building in more of that training time would be nice.

I wonder too if a more "super heroic" start might be fun? Boost the starting attribute pool by more than just the handful of points that we got in Marullus's campaign after the TPK...

[jemmus]

We can tone down the historical and cultural part and play more of just a traditional RPG. More action and less talk also.
A shugenja could be good, but they'd have to find ways to be as stealthy as the ninja and not draw notice while on missions. Maybe there are spells for that.
I'll let you guys decide on whether you want to start with basic characters (with the karma rules bonuses), or more super characters. I was already thinking of starting the PCs at 2nd level. But then I thought, since as players we'll be learning how to run a ninja PC, RP-wise it wouldn't make sense start at 2nd level. But that may not matter. D&D Adventurers League DMs have complete rookie players start with PCs at higher levels.

Regarding training, it's what makes a character really grow in power. More than leveling up, like in other games. Buru's start with pre-training made him a serious badass PC from the start. I'm not sure where I saw it (probably in the rulebooks), but it's advised that GMs not give PCs too much access to too much downtime for training. By the way, you'd probably also want downtime for making (and inventing) ninja gimmicks.
RP-wise, I think the ninja clan wants the best-trained and most effective agents possible. But they also have a limited number of agents, and more than plenty of work for them all of the time. So the clan heads have to balance field assignments with training downtime.
Game mechanics-wise, training is kind of expensive. That's one thing that will naturally limit training time. But ninja live in mountain villages, rather than in inns like standard PCs do. So they don't have daily rent and meals to pay for, so less expenses. Anyway, let's discuss how much downtime we want to give the PCs for training and making gimmicks.

I'll do a little reading and post in the Game Setting thread how things in the gameworld work for ninja. I think things might be pretty different than for ordinary adventurers.

[ffilz]

Less of the historical and culture stuff sounds good.

[jemmus]

Shujenda PCs are of course very welcome. Bearing in mind the absolute need for getting in and out undetected for ninja. I think you'd need the right spells for that-- and I wouldn't doubt that Bushido provides a few.















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[jemmus]

IC background on an all-ninja campaign posted in the Game Setting thread here: https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 36#p648136
Here are the ideas.
-Start in and around Kai province, which we already know.
-Start on the day of the tragic lightning strike end of the last party. But as far away hidden mountain fortress ninja.
-PCs start at 1st level, with no pre-training. (We'll start with simpler and easier jobs and learn how to run ninja. After that, players can expect exponentially more challenging-- for themselves and their PCs-- along the way).
-This will tactical and problem-solving game. Not problem solving as in dungeon clues from a DM. But being assigned specific mission objectives, and using your PCs' abilities (skill scores and die rolls) to try to achieve them.
-The PCs are members of the Kumo ninja clan.The Kumo clan specializes in scaling castle walls and jumping (karumijutsu) and swimming (suiei). +5 to initial bugei scores, and there will be training bonuses for those bugei. The clan has never favored use of edged weapons such as swords, knives and arrows, although they appreciate their value. -3 to initial bugei score for those, but no training minuses for them.
-The clan will provide downtime training, upon the completion of a mission. The clan values ninja who manage to return, and are eager and diligent students. Such is the lifeblood of the clan. The elders of the clan discuss among themselves and approve, according to the needs of the clan at the moment.

All members of the clan always expect these types of missions:
a) Deliver the message and bring back the reply -- Mostly for young, energetic trainees. Except for when the messages are between daimyo of provinces. And there's a third unknown daimyo client involveds.
b) Map the magnate's compound. For the use of future teams or your own future use. Mostly just stupid ronin guards, barking dogs and such.
c) Map the general's or daimyo's castle. Here is where the karimijutsu climbing and jumping and suiei moat-swimming skills named above might prove useful.
d) Penetrating, listening, reporting back in.
e) Planting incriminating evidence.
f) Infiltrating an important household or office as a worker or servant. A long-term requiring great cunning and infinite patience. (Not likely a mission for PCs, unless somebody likes that kind of thing. Maybe for a second character).
g) Gaining an important personage's trust and confidence as a mistress or lover. (Also probably only for NPCs).
h) Scouting an army's location, observing its numbers and forces, escaping detection and rapidly reporting back.
i) Sabotage, planting rumors and disinformation, sowing discord and discontent.
k) Counter-intelligence. Detecting rival/enemy ninja and eliminating them. For the client, or for the clan.
l) Assassination of important persons. And reporting back-- if you can manage that also.

[Marullus]

I am looking forward to exploring a ninja/shugenja - it may be a week or two until I can sit down and do it, though.

[jemmus]

OK, sounds fun. No hurry of course.

[Marullus]

May need to switch back to Kenjutsu, because awesome tiny girl with a big nodachi is already a thing...

[jemmus]

Done with the crunch season at work and I'm about ready to post an announcement for a ninja-themed Bushido game. But I need to do some more work on the first adventure first. (Working on some strategic scale and tactical scale maps, placing some NPCs, etc.)

I've already said that the NPCs know that the first mission is a training mission-- map some kind of compound. Very old school dungeon-like, in many ways. You may need graph paper and pencils. But instead of walking through corridors with torches, you have to do... ninja things. The clan will first send you on a simple approach, explore, observe, map, and report back mission. Simple, no combat, much less assassination, required. It's only a matter of traveling there and back, and avoiding the detection of any bored low samurai or ronin bushi guards. And the detection by Takeda clan samurai bushi patrolling and sealing the wartime city of Kai. And also inside the compound-- the ears and noses of any sleeping dogs. A simple first training mission for graduates of the clan's ninjutsu school.

[Marullus]

That's a tough one for Kaida, who is not a graduate of the Ninjutsu school. There will need to be a reason they choose to send her. (Magic claims to be investigated?)

Seriously though, I only got to pick one Ninja skill to start so assumed hensu-jutsu was most important. Should I switch it that they taught her ninjutsu first? Or can thus mission be accomplished with some distraction/inside work by a hensu-jutsu masseuse?

(Invisibility, i.e. Shadow Cloak spell, requires far more mastery of my watery illusions school than can be mustered without training.)

[jemmus]

I don't know. These things are very hard to say as yet. We haven't really had an active ninja character so far. Akemi only did some strategic scale scouting of the Taira army for the Takeda. Offhand, I'd think that ninjutsu would be more useful. Staying undetected seems pretty crucial.

[jemmus]

Post above revised to be a little more helpful.

[Marullus]

Offhand, I'd think that ninjutsu would be more useful. Staying undetected seems pretty crucial.

Fixed.

[jemmus]

Sorry, was semi-catatonic the first time around. I've just about recovered from the by March 17 deadline at work I mentioned.

[jemmus]

Just checking to say that I'm working on the first adventure, will probably have it ready this weekend.

[Marullus]

Ffilz, if you are stuck on Ninja-making, you could just re-use the Katsumi sheet and reskin who it is for this clan. It looks like I won't be able to cajole Enoch back just now for RL constraints and it is a pretty awesome build with three actions per turn, Ninjutsu 14, and a BMA 8.
https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 91#p542291

I also took the tangle-fight with rope weapon, if you want the same or to try out a different one.