Character Sheets

[Marullus]

A character does not receive On for killing creatures. Only Budo.

He is right - I was corrected on that in our previous discussion. On is earned for defeating foes in Battle. Battle is a separate subsystem (large format battles) and not regular combat.

This is where we figured that out:

• Suffering wounds, Winning the Encounter, Taking Heads, and Courageous Action all specifically earn On for Battles.
• On can be earned outside of battle in Contests, Duels, and Research as normal activities (but not for every encounter)
• Characters can still gain On in normal encounters by penalizing their BCS with Flashing Swordplay and Heroic Duty (assuming you've made solemn pledges to to protect the individuals beforehand).
• The main sources of On, therefore, are pre-planned GM arcs - Battles, Pilgrimage, and Overcoming Notorious Threat (i.e. Big Bads from planned encounters.)
• Budo earned for Command is attached to battles (which makes sense). Budo for Strategy is not linked explicitly to the battle sub-system, but as pointed out above likely should be awarded only in consequential encounters.
• Generating Budo (as opposed to On) isn't particularly tied to Battles and should come from all encounters.

So, in this scene, Kentaro has now pledged to protect the Shinto priest. Further encounters in this trave arc can invoke Heroic Duty in doing so. But I hadn't set that up before the last arc.

I can also choose to penalize myself for Flashy Swordplay.

It is up to the GM what On we get for this pilgrimage and for winning over any Boss that is a Notorious Threat.

Someone could also angle for a duel to prove themselves in the city, but that's less likely to be Kentaro's M.O. perhaps for Omi?

1064.1e Overcoming Notorious Threat could apply, if the Shinto priest knew of them, but I expect that to be a whole story not a random encounter.

[jemmus]

Bushido's rules are like The Da Vinci Code. I haven't read the book, but the Code may have required more or less Perception of Hidden Things throws than Bushido. I interpreted this below as PCs get On from fights.

1064.0
Win Encounter: Receive On equal to Budo for winning fight.

Edit: Started writing this post before Marullus posted his and posted it after. Not a rebuttal, a parallel post. What do you guys think? I'm inclined to say PCs get On from regular combat. Because: Surviving a combat means somehow winning a fight. The PCs engaged in these two and could have easily gotten killed instead. Who knew what running down the mountain could lead to? Who knew what going head to head with a o-bakemono meant? Honorable fighting. Ito got the advantage of his full armor, Katsumi got the advantage of his speed. Kentaro and Omi got the disadvantages of their full armor. These considerations and more might be upcoming as you guys move toward 2nd level....

[ffilz]

Taisho Middle Heimin Merchant – Initial On 2 +5 (1st level) 7 + 1 (o-bakemono) = 8 x .1 = .8 personal status.

As I read it, Taisho’s initial on should be 20 for becoming a Gakusho.

[Marullus]

PCs' Current Personal Status
Please update your sheets.

I think the numbers below are a little confused, as Status and On relate but are not interchangeable. On is divided by 50 and rounded down when factored into a Status calculation because On goes into the 100s (and you need 1,000 On by level 6) which would blow the Status BCS out of the water. So, for a Status calculation, On has no effect until you have 50 On. When you get 250 On (halfway through level 4), it has the same impact on status as gaining a level.

Ito (Low Ronin) – Initial On 10 + 5 (1st level) + 2 (o-bakemono kill) = 17. x .6 (bushi) = 10.2 personal status.

(It looks like "Low Ronin" is from him copying my sheet. His second tab shows "High Samurai," which is consistent with how he's playing Ito and the written background)
On: High Samurai = 45 + 2 (o-bakemono kill) = 47
Personal Status: 30 +5 (1st level) = 35 +0 (On less than 50) = 35 x.6 (bushi) = 21 or BCS 4.

Note that he has a High Samurai clan, so his group status factor is likely to be .7 or .8 which is better than just being Bushi. However, his clan status is likely to only be 10 (as a regular member) because Clan Status comes from position/authority within the clan, so not result in a higher BCS. His background states he is out in the world "without the backing of his clan" so doesn't justify a higher internal clan status ranking.

Katsumi (High Eta Ninja) – 0 On = 0 personal status (outside of ninja clan or not in service to a daimyo). Group Status inside his clan is excellent.

On: 0 (because Ninja)
However, he then has a special rule:

There is an exception to this in the case of the Ninja. Since members of this Profession do not gain On for their actions, their Status derives from their Experience score instead. The Ninja will add his current Budo score/50, rounded down, to his personal Status.

Personal Status: 30 (High Eta) + 5 (1st level) = 35 +0 (Budo less than 50) = 35 x .2 (Ninja factor) = 7 or BCS 1.

Since he's from a High Ninja Clan, he's likely got a Clan status factor of .8 and he's the son of the clan leader sent on assignment, so let's say he's up to a Senior Member (20) with his father's favor (+10) = 30 x .8 = 24 or BCS 4. So, if he's representing his ninja clan in an interaction, he is better off (but wow, that's a specific circumstance!). As Enoch stated, clans get respect because they inspire fear.

There's a situation here NOT covered by the book that I can tell, which is, how do we use status for a social interaction when the Ninja is in disguise? Right now, Katsumi is successfully in disguise as a Budoka (.5) and he could be able to disguise as a Gakusho (.4) or Peasant (.1). I would recommend we use his personal status (he knows how to present himself) with that factor (how he is percieved) to get his BCS.
Budoka: 35 x.5 = 17.5 or BCS 3
Gakusho: 35 x.4= 14 or BCS 2
Peasant: 35 x.1 = 3.5 or BCS 0

Kentaro (Low Ronin) – Initial On 10 + 5 (1st level) + .5 (bakemonon-sho fight) = x .6 (bushi) = 9.3 personal status.

On: 10 + .5 (bakemonon-sho fight) = 10.5
Personal Status: 10 +5 (1st level) +0 (On less than 50) = 15 x.6 (Bushi) = 9 or BCS 1.

If he's recognized and respected among mountainfolk villagers/heimin, he could have a group status of 20 among them, giving a BCS 4 with internal interactions in their villages, but it would multiply by .1 for external interactions and wouldn't be better than just presenting as a ronin bushi.

Katsumi having a BCS 4 representing his ninja clan and Kentaro having BCS 1 as ronin Bushi is part of how the roleplay between them is working. Being from the same mountain with intertwined family history, Kentaro knows the secret identity, and in so knowing recognizes the greater secret-standing that Katsumi holds. The others at this point see Katsumi as a Budoka and BCS 3.

Omi (High Samurai) – Initial On 50 + 5 (1st level) = 55. x.6 (bushi) = 33 personal status.

On: High Samurai = 45
Personal Status: 30 +5 (1st level) = 35 +0 (On less than 50) = 35 x.6 (bushi) = 21 or BCS 4.

Taisho Middle Heimin Merchant – Initial On 2 +5 (1st level) 7 + 1 (o-bakemono) = 8 x .1 = .8 personal status.

On: 20 (reset as Gakusho) +1 (o-bakemono) = 21
Personal Status: 20 (middle Heimin) +5 (1st level) = 25 +0 (On less than 50) = 25 x .4 (Gakusho) = 10 or BCS 2.

Edit: Started writing this post before Marullus posted his and posted it after. Not a rebuttal, a parallel post. What do you guys think? I'm inclined to say PCs get On from regular combat. Because: Surviving a combat means somehow winning a fight. The PCs engaged in these two and could have easily gotten killed instead. Who knew what running down the mountain could lead to? Who knew what going head to head with a o-bakemono meant? Honorable fighting. Ito got the advantage of his full armor, Katsumi got the advantage of his speed. Kentaro and Omi got the disadvantages of their full armor. These considerations and more might be upcoming as you guys move toward 2nd level....

I am fine if we want to use that as a house rule, I think it is sensible. I see it as a GM call - with the other On factors being mostly GM-initiated (eliminating a major threat, pilgrimage to a holy site.... i.e. 'this is what the story is about' session plot hooks) you can balance those rewards with what you choose to give for normal encounters.

I also think that jmcatty has a valid point that Duels are a good source of On as well. (They're the main player-initiated one.) Since we're in a slower play-by-post format, we may have less occasion for such things because our encounters take longer. *shrug*

[jmacatty]

I will of course go along with the group decision, however, I strongly disagree with awarding On for winning encounters. Budo is used to illustrate victory in combat; On should be much harder to come by as it represents the knowledge that others hold about an individual.

[jemmus]

Alright, let's go with no On awarded for ordinary combat. PCs will have plenty of other ways to earn On as we go along. I'll revise the Personal Status numbers after I decipher Marullus's post (above) which deciphers the Bushido rules.

[Marullus]

Also reasonable. For me it just means a little more diligence on the part of the GM, that story hooks come with appropriate On awards.

Of note, the "War camp" storyline in the other game DOES have the potential to involve PCs in an actual Battle, where On is a thing. If the story evolves that direction, I'm kind of excited to see that sub-system in action. Just so you guys level up first.

[jemmus]

Yeah, when I read the Bushido 1E rules way back when, it was the rules for battles that really intrigued me. This game will also have opportunities to participate in battles.

[jmacatty]

I've been involved in actual battles. They are highly remunerative.....and highly dangerous. We typically lost multiple party members in each. And you really had better be on the winning side.

[jemmus]

PCs' Personal Status
Please update your sheets with these calculations, generously provided and explained by Marullus. These are your Personal Status outside of your group. Your Group Status will be different. High Samurai Ito and Omi, keep an eye on your On as we go along. When it gets to 50, we'll recalculate.

Ito (High Samurai) Personal Status: 30 +5 (1st level) = 35 +0 (On less than 50) = 35 x.6 (bushi) = 21 or BCS 4.

Katsumi (High Eta Ninja) Personal Status: 30 (High Eta) + 5 (1st level) = 35 +0 (Budo less than 50) = 35 x .2 (Ninja factor) = 7 or BCS 1.
In guises (house rule):
Budoka: 35 x.5 = 17.5 or BCS 3
Gakusho: 35 x.4= 14 or BCS 2
Peasant: 35 x.1 = 3.5 or BCS 0

Kentaro (Low Ronin) Personal Status: 10 +5 (1st level) +0 (On less than 50) = 15 x.6 (Bushi) = 9 or BCS 1.

Omi (High Samurai) Personal Status: 30 +5 (1st level) = 35 +0 (On less than 50) = 35 x.6 (bushi) = 21 or BCS 4.

Taisho (Middle Heimin Merchant) Personal Status: 20 (middle Heimin) +5 (1st level) = 25 +0 (On less than 50) = 25 x .4 (Gakusho) = 10 or BCS 2.

The house rules post has been revised with the rule about Personal Status for ninja in disguise.

[Marullus]

Takeda no Haruto

Character Sheet.



Takeda no Haruto was born the son of a rural Ninyo in Kai province, in a place called Fujikawa-cho. His mother was an Andoh, Andoh Aiko, the first wife "for love" of his father. His father, Takeda Harukatsu, was a rural land and horse owning samurai. Haruto's childhood was on their country estate in Fujikawa-cho and his father was known as a wise and fair Ninyo. They were young, in love, and happy, but it did not last. Aiko did not recover from the strenuous birth of her youngest son and passed from this world.

Haruto was born under auspicious stars and, her mother's family being well-known Shintoists associated with the Nino-San Shrine, identified him as the fulfillment of a prophecy long recorded at the Fuujin Temple. Fuujin, the Wind God, claimed the child according to the kamunushi, and he was marked for fate. His mother believed this to her last breath, making her husband promise he would see it through. The boy, however, was incredibly frail, unable to avoid illness or recover from even the simplest cold. Even as a child, he was prayed for frequently in visits by the kamunushi, and it was clear that the boy lived on at the grace of the Gods alone.

It was a few years later that the middle-aged widower Harukatsu remarried to someone for political alliance, Takeda Chiyo, and it results in him now being closer to and more involved in the Takeda politics of Kai province. His eldest son is now the village Ninyo at Fujikawa-cho, and Harukatsu is seeking advancement and prestige at the urging of his new wife in the city court, the memory of his wife and of love left in the province. He is a sadder, more pragmatic man in the capital city. Still a child, Takeda Haruto was sent to live full time at the shrine when his father remarried. Chiyo insisted, as the boy's frailty disturbed her and his embodiment of the previous love of his father/mother needed to be gone from what was now her house. She raises her new children in a townhouse of the city, all other older children left with the eldest brother at the rural estate. Harukatsu still lights candles at his Shinto shrine every day to the Kami for his dead wife at sunset. Haruto has secretly watched these prayers many times through spiritual travel, listening to what his father prays for.

It has been almost a decade that Haruto has lived at the Nino-San Shrine. The Kami have guided him and he has grown in wisdom, learning to guide the powers of nature itself under their tutelage, mastering more paths than even others who have studied longer among the Breath of Fuujin, though his skill is still that of an apprentice. Through the mystical arts he has learned to heal his frail body, to summon the wind, to compel the lesser beasts. The whispers have spread of his omened birth and, now that the world is coming to chaos, it is deemed time for him to pursue his destiny. Despite his questioning, the kamunushi revealed little - as a fate must unfold through experience. He did, however, reveal one thing to the boy chosen by the wind, which means it must be of exceptional import... The kamunushi advises Haruto that he should pay his respects to Raijin at his shrine, which is in Kantoh in eastern Japan. The more shugendo Haruto earns under Fuujin, the more Raijin will expect the visit. That's what the old kamunushi believes, anyway.

He also travels with:
Riku, the Riding Horse ("Land")

BAP: 16 (MNA: 1, ZAN: 1)
BMA: 8
AC: 3
HP: 7 / 7
Attack: (self-defense only) 2 Hooves, BCS 7, [1d3+1]
Horse HP: [1d10]=2

Haru, the Akita Inu Guard Dog ("Spring")

Akita Inu.jpg (8.65 KiB) Viewed 4287 times

BAP: 16 (MNA: 1, ZAN: 1)
BMA: 4
AC: 2
HP: 10 / 10
Attack: Bite, BCS 12, [1d6]
Dog HP: [1d6]=4

Initial Status:

From character sheet:

Code: Select all

Group (position)					Group Status:	Group BCS:	Society BCS:
Beloved (Youngest Son of First Wife), Takeda Clan	25			5			4
"Chosen One", Breath of Fuujin  (School/Shrines)	25			5			3
Wandering Shugenja (Personal Status)			25			5			1

[ffilz]

Hiroshi

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... ue&sd=true

[Marullus]

Ri Buruusu

Li Buruusu.jpg (6.22 KiB) Viewed 4255 times

Backstory:
Buruusu was a farmer on Minimoto lands when the Taira came. He learned at the feet of his father, who taught the need to resist when the mistreatment comes, passing down the farmer-fighting methods from his own father... the Ri style.

In his early 20's, Buru had a wife. He had two young children, both sons. He tended rice and worked the mill along the river. When the Taira came, they didn't just name themselves the new owners of the peasants... such things matter little when they occur. Instead, they committed attrocity. Buruusu's wife and sons were slain in the struggle that followed and Buruusu was forced to flee... a man full of sorrow now without a home.

Buruusu Full Sheet

[Marullus]

Ninjas!

• Minoru (Ffilz)
• Fuma (Rex)
• Sakai Jinsei (Grognardsw)
• Kaida (Marullus)

[jemmus]

PC's Detailed Time Scale Action Phases
Jinsei 13 - Base/Primary Action
Fuma 10 - Base/Primary Action
Minoru 10 - Base/Primary Action
Jinsei 8 - Secondary Action
Kaida 5 - Base/Primary Action
Fuma 5 - Base/Primary Action
Minoru 5 - Secondary Action
Jinsei 5 - Secondary Action
Kaida 2 - Secondary Action
effects happen (poison, certain kinds of environment damage, certain spells, etc. take effect) 1

[Marullus]

Kaida has a secondary action on phase 2

[Grognardsw]

Shinobi Sakai Jinsei.xlsx

[ateno]

Ishikawa Shōzō

Background:
Ishikawa Shōzō was born in Kōfu, the capital of Kai province, a rugged land of mountains and fertile valleys. His family, high-caste merchants, specialized in rare books, calligraphy supplies, and scrolls imported from distant provinces. The Ishikawa household bustled with the quiet rustle of paper and the scratch of brushes; Shōzō’s childhood was steeped in classical learning. His hand was steady, his brushstrokes precise, and his knowledge of literature deep. He quickly learned the delicate balance of trade and scholarship. Shōzō also trained in the samisen, and his delicate playing was a favorite among visiting nobles and patrons.

Kai was governed in the Emperor’s name by the Takeda clan, renowned for their unbreakable discipline and elite cavalry. The province’s rich valleys produced the finest horses in Nippon, and the Takeda samurai were infamous for their martial prowess and intolerance for weakness. The Ishikawa family, though merchants, maintained ties with the Takeda through patronage and service.

At sixteen, spurred by both a desire to test himself beyond the merchant world and a sense of duty to his province, Shōzō enlisted in the Takeda army. His literacy and sharp mind quickly elevated him from ashigaru ranks. By eighteen, he had become a senior sergeant, a crucial bridge between the samurai officers and the illiterate peasant soldiers. Shōzō translated orders, wrote reports, and managed logistics. His nights were often spent by candlelight, quill in hand, preparing briefings from the officers’ scrolls for his men.

Yet, the battlefield demanded more than scholarship. The Takeda’s war with a distant cousin branch of the imperial family was vicious and relentless, full of night raids and skirmishes in the valleys and mountain passes. Shōzō led his men on silent approaches, slipping through enemy camps like shadows. His stealth was honed not in training halls but in the cold, whispering dark of the mountain forests, where a misstep meant death. He learned the patience of the predator and the swift decision-making of the commander. His mastery of sword, bow, quickdraw, and stealth were not gifts but hard-earned survival skills.

During his service, Shōzō met Kaida. She appeared at first as a shy young shugenja apprentice—an unassuming girl from a remote rice-fish village, pale and reserved, with an unquenchable hunger for books. She had slipped into the Takeda encampment during one of the long winter campaigns, offering her services as a scribe and herbalist. Shōzō recognized her keen mind and gifted penmanship, which belied her supposed peasant origins. She helped him transcribe complex messages and orders, eagerly absorbing every kanji and phrase she encountered. Kaida’s true reason for assisting was to improve her own literacy; she was desperate to learn, to gain mastery over the words that connected the world of power and knowledge. Shōzō, seeing her hunger to learn, often allowed her to copy scrolls and practice reading passages from his collection of books, turning a blind eye to rules that would have forbidden such privileges for someone of her station.

But Kaida was more than she seemed. During one covert night operation against enemy supply lines, Shōzō witnessed her vanishing into the shadows, moving with an uncanny grace. Rumors whispered through the camp about her origins—an outsider in the Kumo ninja clan, a child born of a mortal and the Sui Riu, the dragon of the rain. Her fierce loyalty to her clan and her secret power over the storm were closely guarded. Her presence in the Takeda army was no coincidence; she was sent to observe, to serve the kami of her shrine, and perhaps to sway fate.

Despite knowing—or perhaps because of it—Shōzō respected her deeply. He valued her rare combination of insight and otherworldly power. Their connection deepened over shared nights of quiet conversation and samisen music played softly in the glow of the campfire or the flicker of lanterns in the officers’ quarters.

When the war’s tide turned, and the Takeda reclaimed their dominance over the rival clan, Shōzō returned to Kōfu, older and wiser. He resumed his family’s trade, but his heart carried the scars and secrets of the battlefield. The samisen’s strings still whispered of longing, of battles in shadowed glens, and of a girl named Kaida who was neither fully human nor fully of the spirit realm, but always listening for the next story she could one day read herself.