Scroll 1 - The Master Craftsman's Tea Vessel

[jemmus]

Minoru and Fuma?

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma was fleeing. Did something happen since then?

[jemmus]

Sorry, I missed that. So Fuma is also running with Kaida and Jinsei. We've had a delay (due to me), so for now to move things along I'm going to assume that Minoru stayed with the nakama and also ran. It wouldn't make sense for him to face the oni alone, and also split the nakama. He has the Rooster role this mission, after all. It's his job to look out for the nakama as a whole and do his best to preserve it intact all the way back to The Village.

We're going into Detailed Time Scale (6 seconds per turn) for combat. Below is when everyone perform actions during the turn. For example, Jinsei at 13 will act first, and he has three actions. (Because of his high Speed attribute, which determines his Maximum Number of Actions (MNA). The first action will be either a Base or Primary Action. Those are when a char can take a major movement action, such as running, charging, or turning and fleeing. Attacks are at full BCS. Jinsei's other two actions are Secondary. The options for actions are more limited. (Please see 1115.0 for the various options). At 1st level, attacks as Secondary actions are at half BCS (round down).

Minoru and Fuma have two actions per turn, Kaida and the oni only one.

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

This is also saved in the Character Sheets thread for everyone's reference. https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 07#p659407

[Grognardsw]

I’m not sure at what point the formal mechanics happen, i.e. the round or turn commences after the oni runs up the ridge? Jinsei started running once he 1) decided the oni wasn’t attacking; and 2) saw a path to follow, taking Kaida’s lead as the story (posts) unfolded.

However, if the mechanics force me to delay if I were to follow the story flow, then Jinsei would not delay and rather see the path and run first.

[ffilz]

Sorry at the beach may be a few days before I get a chance for a detailed response

[jemmus]

I’m not sure at what point the formal mechanics happen, i.e. the round or turn commences after the oni runs up the ridge? Jinsei started running once he 1) decided the oni wasn’t attacking; and 2) saw a path to follow, taking Kaida’s lead as the story (posts) unfolded.

However, if the mechanics force me to delay if I were to follow the story flow, then Jinsei would not delay and rather see the path and run first.

We'll consider the first actions (the oni and PCs running) as not a Detailed Time Scale turn. That starts now. More has already happened than would happen in a DTS turn:
-The oni moved (ran up the slope, a Primary Action);
-The oni turned to face the ninja (Alter Position, also Primary);
-Kaida told everyone to run (Issue Command, Primary) and ran (Primary);
-Fuma ran (Primary, of course);
-Jinsei observed the oni's disposition (it would be an Observe Situation Primary Action, but the oni was in front of him in plain sight. It would only be an Action if Jinsei had to look around the surrounding area.) Jinsei ran (Primary).

[jemmus]

Kawaishi-sensei had finished her quick lesson about oni to the sweaty, exhausted ninja pupils in the dojo. They'd all just come from doing 60 situps, 60 leg lifts, followed by 60 3-fingers pushups. At 10 knuckles pushups, just to keep the knuckles callouses from going soft. She looked toward the ceiling, as if contemplating about whether to share some insight or personal wisdom, tapping her slim bamboo pointer on her calf. Fuma, Kaida, Jinsei, Minoru and the other children and friends of the dojo cohort noticed Kawaishi-sensei absently tapping her slim bamboo cane pointer on an ankle, while she gazed toward the ceiling, lightly held her chin, and considered something....

Suddenly, she spun and whipped the bamboo rod onto tired young Minoru's ear. Ow! The sensei swiftly wove an expert kenjutsu kata path among the seated pupils, accurately delivering blows to ears with alternate forehand and backhand strokes.
Ow!
Ow!
Ow!
Ow!
Ow!
Ow!
Ow!

Kawaishi ended up to the rear of the seated pupils. Even when your body is exhausted, your mind must remain full of energy and attentive. If the alert mind does not guard the tired body, both can easily perish. Fuma-kun! Stand and tell your classmate what you just learned! The poor child was at lost for words. Everyone waited and watched. At last he stood and said, Oni they have horns and big fangs. They will eat you. They like to capture and enslave human women. They're very strong and their bodies can take a lot of damage from weapons or poison. They can throw magic. Fuma put his head at the back of his neck and thought. And they don't move faster than an average country farmer or town merchant? And they're kind of stupid?

Correct, Kawaishi-sensei said. But let me clarify. An oni is not good at figuring out a puzzle, or how to operate a device such as a spinning wheel. But it is cunning, hateful, and well designed for catching, killing, and eating humans. Do not forget that though it has a monster's physical body, it is a demon from the kakuri-yo. The Buddhists say that oni are hell's prison guards, and the damned suffering torment from them day and night. It wears the bipedal body of an ugly, fearsome human monster as a mockery of the Buddhist goal of attaining enlightenment and perfection of spirit. And to play on the childhood nightmare of the snatching ogre of the night. The master gakusho say that the oni themselves aren't aware of that, though they innately have the powers on Earth as shugenja. But the greater and more self-aware dai-oni-- and therefore more evil and sinister-- do know that. Some Buddhist gakusho say that there is kind of spiritual military-like campaign to absorb the natural world of Nippon back into the kakuri-yo.... She stopped and appraised her young half-grown students. But that is for another day. Perhaps Minoru and Kaida can teach us all about such things someday. She noddded to the studious apprentice shugenja girl and the oddly philosophical and contemplative spy-assassin trainee boy.

Jinsei-kun, how does a ninja counter something what is strong, hard to kill, slow and not especially intelligent? Jinsei stood. A ninja does not try to be as strong and hard to kill? He becomes the opposite of the enemy's weakness. He is fast against the slowness and smart against the dumbness?

And if you have someone in your nakama who is not fast or intelligent? What do you do? Jinsei considers that. The nakama protects the slower one.

Close. The nakama defends, but also attacks and uses the powerful weapon of unexpected, surprising actions. It uses most of its members to exploit its fast and intelligent advantage. And-- depending on the situation-- always depending on the situation-- it leaves one member to watch for the safety of the other. Who would that be? Jinsei thinks for a moment. The Rooster.

Correct. And if the Rooster is the slower in body or mind one? Jinsei again think. He defends himself, and lets the nakama most efficiently do its work.


Correct again. Well done, Jinsei-kun and Fuma-kun. All of you, remember this moment and how your while your ears are smarting while your bodies are exhausted. You will not forget what you have learned today about oni. And your mind alertly guarding your body when it naturally wants to relax, the same as the body. Are their situations in which the body guards the mind? Yes, that is the situation with every breath of the day. Will their be lessons about that in the future? That is for you to think upon.

***

The neophyte ninja and shugenja turn and run to put distance between them and the huge oni. Kaida chooses to run directly down the mountain slope, rather than traversing and wending the way they'd come up it. Staying afoot among the tree trunks, boulders and layers of damp dry leaves running headlong down that steep sleep will require skill.

A Speed ST will be required each turn of running not to fall and suffer 1d10 subdual damage. The alternative is to angle off and traverse the slope. Which should allow the oni to also angle and try to cut you off.

Base Movement Allowances (BMAs) from the character sheets, in yards/turn (x2 for Run action).
Jinsei - 8
Fuma - 7
Minoru - 6
Kaida - 4

This means that the ninja PCs will overtake Kaida if they run at full speed this DTS turn. (We'll assume that the caught up with her and stayed close behind her during the initial moments as everyone starting running and she chose which way to go). It also means that they can slow to Walk and keep up with her, or almost stay up with. Thereby avoiding the need for a Spd ST.

The current range between the PCs and the oni 13 yds for Kaida, -1d4 yards for each of the ninja. Spell ranges range from Touch to 10 yds/level of the caster. The rules say oni are 2d3 level.

Detailed Time Scale Turn 1
Please state your Primary Actions. The ninja PCs go before Kaida. It remains to be seen when the oni goes. This is PBP, we can post when ready to, then revise later in reaction to an earlier event if needed. It hasn't been a problem at all so far.

[ffilz]

Minoru will keep pace with Kaida as best as possible to reduce chance of falling.

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei recalled the teachings of Kawaishi-sensei about oni as he applied a burst of speed to catch up with Kaida. (primary action). He then slowed to keep pace and protect Kaida.

They sprinted through the trees and undergrowth. Jinsei glanced back for signs of pursuit, or oni spell casting, and to make sure his fellow ninjas were following.

[jemmus]

Take your time and have fun, bro!

[jemmus]

Noted. Alight then, it's on.

[Marullus]

Kaida's movement is 5, not 4. So her move is 5 and run is 10.

As the others catch up to her, Kaida slows, laying a clever trap for the dim Oni. Her blood is pumping frantically - she forms a mudra with her fingers, focusing her ki, then she then looks over her shoulder, whispering to the mountainside. "Mother brings rain, so does a spring. Come from the earth..." she entreats. As she lures the Oni just a bit closer, the ground beneath its feet and before its path burbles with mountain spring-water. The soil becomes slick and sticky just as the Oni tries to catch them as its prey...

Focusing Roll (BCS 5) [1d20]=2 Mud (BCS 12) [1d20]=7
Wow! So she focuses her Ki, spending 3 for a +3 BCS bonus. Which means I have an Effect number of 8 on the spell. What that effect number means is up to the GM. The range of the spell is 10 yards and the Oni is 13 yards. By the time it is her turn the Oni may be close enough to summon the mud directly around him. She then can only move 5, not 10, non-running.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma will catch up to Kaida then slow down.

[jemmus]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Fuma and Jinsei start the 1st detailed turn caught up to Kaida. It sounds like both want to stay with her and not pass her. Both PCs still have all of their actions available for this turn.

I don't think Kaida has Ki available to focus at first level(?). She will get one Ki point when she levels up, master's a skill, etc.
Cast Spell and Walk are both Basic Actions. Kaida can do either, but not both on her Primary Action Phase.

So, to summarize the situation:
The party is all together, each ninja a yard behind or to the side of Kaida.
Fuma, Jinsei, and Minoru can run or walk past Kaida in their Base/Primary Action Phases. Or do some other action. Jinsei has not used his action at phase 13 or secondary action at phase 8 yet, nor have Fuma and Minoru used any of there actions.
Jinsei has an Secondary Action at phase 8 and Fuma and Minoru ones at 5. Kaida's BAP is at 5 also, as is Jinsei's second secondary action. If everyone waits to see what Kaida will do, they'll lose all of their actions this turn. But, there's an exception. They can Hold their actions for phase 5, and do them in phase 4, 3, 2 or 1.

(Sorry to be so rules-heavy, but this first encounter is a good chance to get some rules concepts out of the way).

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma will match speed with Kaida.

Depending on her action this may be his only action. If she stops and he needs to make another action he will shoot an arrow at the Oni.

Going over the rules in depth helps me.

[Grognardsw]

Looking over Jemmus’ rules explanation... hmmm, it’s an interesting pickle Kaida delaying or losing our actions. Perhaps Jinsei becomes “horse” and scoops up Kaida and turns on the speed That seems unbecoming of a ninja, though practical. I’ll think over final declaration of action and post tomorrow.

[Marullus]

I don't think Kaida has Ki available to focus at first level(?). She will get one Ki point when she levels up, master's a skill, etc.

Shugenja begin with more Ki... they x2 all initial language skills so they begin with several skills mastered. Both Haruto and Kaida had/have 5 Ki. The downside being shugenja can't really do anything cool with it. Ninja ki is AMAZING for everyone else. I can only use it for power points or BCS and then only when lucky.

Cast Spell and Walk are both Basic Actions. Kaida can do either, but not both on her Primary Action Phase.

Ack! I was thinking OSR/5E where can both move and act. Crap.

Kaida running/stopping/running doesn't make sense. I also thought the Oni was MUCH further away than 13 yards. Can we retcon that to have her cast first, then run?

...but really though... why on earth do they have both walk and run as Basic Actions in Detailed Time? The difference makes sense in Tactical Time but in detailed time it seels really superfluous. Run for double if unengaged or Close to Engage and you get both regular move AND an attack. What is Walk for?? </grousing>

[jemmus]

Wow, I didn't at all know that about shugenja and Ki. So Kaida casts a good Mud spell in phase 5 this turn.

[jemmus]

Correction: The range from Kaida to the oni is 23 yds, not 13. I miscalculated how far Kaida moves when running. Sorry about that.

The Walk action might actually be useful in this particular situation. The faster PCs can walk down the steep slope and avoid having to make the Speed ST, while still pretty much keeping up with her.

And yes, we can retcon to have Kaida cast the spell this turn and run next turn. She'll need to say which direction she runs-- straight down the slope (SPD STs needed if running) or angling off to traverse the slope (no STs needed, but oni my try to angle and cut you off).

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei saw Kaida’s characteristic mannerisms and concentration that denote she was casting a spell. Realizing his pace would cause him to lose sight of Kaida, Jinsei stopped 15’ beyond her. There he could guard her before they fled together.