Scroll 1 - The Master Craftsman's Tea Vessel

[ffilz]

Hmm, so you can't follow someone who's BAP is <= your first secondary phase? It seems like if you delay past a secondary phase you would lose the secondary phase.

Anyway, Minoru will initially move the keep pace with Kaida until he gets a better idea what we're doing...

[jemmus]

Kaida runs down the slope, Fuma and Minoru keeping pace with her, Jinsei overtaking her. She stops, turns to face the oni, holds her hands in mudra postures, and whispers "Mother brings rain, so does a spring. Come from the earth...." At the same instant, the oni stabs the thumb a little finger claws of its left arm at Kaida and barks out in the voice like a mixture of those of a pig and a man, Angry soil, furious stone! The energies of elemental water and elemental are harnessed and manifested on the side of the lonely mountain. Simultaneously the leaf-covered ground three yards melts into wet, viscous mud and a circle of earth beneath Kaida's and Fuma's feet suddenly shakes with the violent power of a strong earthquake. Both are tossed up off of their feet and thrown to the ground.

The Angry Earth
Kn: 90. Range: Long. Cost: 10 x LoS. Duration: 1D6 DT.
The Shugenja creates a “pocket earthquake,” with a Danger
Factor equal to the Level of Spell, within an area around his target
point having a radius of 2 yards times his Level. The quake acts upon
people and structures as detailed in Book 2. under Natural
Phenomena. Characters in the SpelI’s area are attacked by the quake
at once,and thrown to the ground in any case. Characters entering the
Spell’s area are attacked on Action Phase 1 of the Detailed Turn in
which they enter it. If their movement would carry them completely
through the affected area, then they are permitted a Speed ST to
complete their movement if the earthquake does not successfully
attack them.

Fuma and Kaida must make a Strength ST at -2 or take 1d10 earthquake damage. They are prone. The other PCs are outside the radius of the effect.

Jinsei must make a Speed ST to keep his footing running down the steep slope with its layers of dry and damp fallen leaves.

The effect number 8 for the Mud spell makes the muck pool both wider and deeper. The rules don't say how wide a normal Mud area is. Let's say 2 yds diameter. This one is 4 yds wide. Mud is Treacherous Ground (-1 for attacks). This one is -2. And the Strength ST to avoid falling down is at -1. (This is an unscientific one-time call. I don't know how Effect Numbers normally affect spells-- and finding that out would require some Bushido rulebooks here and there researching and inference drawing.

The spells happened in phase 5. Other PCs have secondary actions this same phase. Please state them or let us know if you're skipping them. If your character does a secondary action, please RP it happening simultaneous with the spell chanting and spell effects. (Phase 5 with all of the PCs having simultaneous actions might end up being very interesting in the end. I kind of do love the Bushido rules....

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 - Secondary 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

The scale is 1 hex = 3 yds. Brown dots are pine tree trunks. Green areas are bushes/foliage chest high or lower. Both are hindrances penalizing BCS for everyone, including the oni. Maybe especially for him, because of his extra-long naginata polearm. Black arrows show the character's facing.

[jemmus]

A list of available secondary actions is at 1115 Detailed Turn Options for Actions. There's a clickable link in the table of contents.

The dice say that Kaida weighs 106 lbs. Jinsei's character sheet should be able to calculate the encumbrance.

[ffilz]

I'm debating whether Minoru should ready shuriken, otherwise he has his climbing pole. Hmm, wondering if he needs to carry his bo as part of his disguise. What are the implications for travel of being encumbered? Certainly in a fight situation like this he could drop the bo in favor of the climbing pole.

[jemmus]

Partially encumbered: -25% to Deftness and Speed, -1 to all BCS
Fully encumbered: The same, but -50% and -2 to BCS. Encumbrance is pretty serious. I think the character sheet will do the calculations for it(?)

What is Minoru's disguise again?

[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.

Jinsei stopped 15’ from Kaida, or about one-and-a-half hexes (at 3 yards each). As such, is a Speed ST roll still needed? If so, what dice do I roll for that? Thanks.

[jemmus]

The spell's diameter is 12', so Jinsei doesn't need to roll an ST. If he did, it would be Speed/3 (round up or down normally) + PC's level, on 1d20.

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei must make a Speed ST to keep his footing running down the steep slope with its layers of dry and damp fallen leaves...

The scale is 1 hex = 3 yds...

The spells happened in phase 5. Other PCs have secondary actions this same phase. Please state them or let us know if you're skipping them...

Per last post, no ST roll needed by Jinsei.

He is 3 hexes south of Kaida, per scale, having stopped 15’ past her.

Phase 5 action: Is the Oni out of range of a shuriken at about 70”? If so, instead move to edge of earthquake ground and grab Kaida and run.

[Rex]

Fuma

Am I supposed to make a roll for Fuma to get clear?

[jemmus]

Jinsei doesn't need an ST for the Angry Earth earthquake. But he needs a Speed ST to stay on his feet while moving straight down the slippery leaf-covered slope. A hex on the map is 3 yds, so at 15' Jinsei is 5 hexes away from Kaida. The oni is 13 hexes away, so 39 yds.
Distance In Yards up to:
User's Strength ST +O to BCS and damage increased
1.5 x User's Strength -2 to BCS and Normal Damage
2 x User's Strength ST -4 and damage reduced
Jinsei's Strength is 15, so the oni is out of range for shurikenjutsu.

Phase 5 is a secondary action phase for Jinsei. (He used his primary phase for a Run action). The secondary action options are:
Attack (at 1st Level, at half BCS)
Draw Weapon
Parry
Sheathe Weapon
Perform Action (some other one, at GM's discretion)
Jinsei can do a Run action to grab Kaida as his primary action next turn. Or he could Run to close range on the oni on his primary and Attack (throw shuriken) as his two secondary actions.

Fuma is outside the radius of the spell, so no ST is needed. He can do a secondary action this turn from the list if he'd like.

I think of secondary actions as little extra things that a character can do after their primary action this 6-second turn. To prepare for the next turn's Primary Action. A low level, secondary action attacks at half-BCS don't have much chance of success. For example, a kenjutsu attack by a typical ninja as a primary action might be BCS 11 (55% chance). But a secondary action attack would be at BCS 11/2 = 5.5. BCS always rounds down, BCS 5 (25% chance).

But-- a roll of 1 is always a Critical Success and a roll of 20 is always a Critical Failure. Either of those can have cascading catastrophic effects, for the opponent if it's Crit Success or for you if it's a Crit Failure.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma will ready his bow.

[Grognardsw]

Sorry, I think the confusion is in feet vs yards, a D&D habit on my part (15” = 150’, 15’ is 15 feet) As a 3 yard hex is 9’ (1 yard = 3’ , x 3 = 9’), my stopping 15’ past Kaida is roughly one-and-half hexes south of her. I assume you interpret my 15’ as 15 yards, which is 5 hexes.

When you said that the spell area is 12’, you mean 12 yards (4 hexes)?

So I should think in yards going forward?

That said, per the post Jinsei stopped 15 feet because he wanted to be close enough to Kaida to protect her. Does this current distance 1) put him in the spell range; 2) make a shuriken attack viable; 3) make grabbing Kaida possible as its 15 feet not 135 feet?

This will determine secondary action.

Maybe I’m overestimating the oni, but I still think we should avoid combat.

[Marullus]

Sorry for the delay - busy week.

Spell area:
Whatever you decide(d) is fine. My analysis is: Mud is 2 Power and unspecified area (but with the special effect). Tretcherous Ground is almost the same and has 2 power per 5' radius.

Retcon decisions:
So, when the Oni was thought to be further, I ran first because I didn't think it made sense to make a small mud-spot he can just avoid. When you said he was 13 yards, I asked to change it because that was in-range. Now that he's 23 yards, it again doesn't make sense to have cast it. That said, I don't want to retcon again, so I'm rolling from here.

Earthquake
making sure I understand. There's an Earthquake for 6 detailed turns. I failed my save and fell. To escape I must:

• Survive the 1d10 damage
• Spend my primary action with Alter Position to stand up
• If I stood, I must pass another STR save so I don't fall (or survive more damage)
• Only after I pass a STR save can I spend my primary action to move instead of standing up, so I then can to the SPD save to escape the area

...right?
In which case, staying on the ground and not doing more saves seems the smartest? Ride the earthquake out and hope for no Landslide or Fissure effects?

STR ST (BCS 5) [1d20]=15 Damage [1d10]=7
HP now 3 / 10.
This turn:
Kaida cries aloud as she falls, the violently shaking ground bruising her badly. She reaches out for the tall tree next to her, hoping to stablilze herself as she rides out the earthquake. She whispers to herself, pulling the power of the earth into herself to mend her wounds...
Pure Flesh (BCS 11) [1d20]=15 [1d6]=2
But she is too frazzled by the tossing earth to focus properly.
No healing. Still costs 1 power on failure. Power 24/25.

[jemmus]

Yes, everything in Bushido is in yards.
Wow, I'm confused by my own map. That's correct, Jinsei should be 1.5 hexes (15 ft) from Kaida. Here's a revised map.

Jinsei and Minoru were not in the oni's spell's radius and weren't affected.

Jinsei maximum range for a shuriken is 30 yards (2 x Jinsei's Strength of 15), and the oni's at around 32 yards. And Jinsei is not facing the target. Unless-- you want him to have about-faced at the end of his run. Jinsei's BMA is 8 yds, x2 for running equals 16 yds. Turning 60 degrees counts as moving 1 yd, so 180 degrees is 3 yds. Jinsei had enough BMA left at the end of his short run to do that.Fuma and Minoru do too. However, Fuma is prone from the oni's spell.

Jinsei needs a Speed ST to remain upright after moving faster than a walk down the steep mountain slope. If he remains standing, please let me know his facing at the end of his Primary Action run move (the one he just did). b]Minoru[/b], please let me know the same. Both ninja, please also let me know your secondary actions (if any) from the list in post #90 above.

Fuma and Kaida - You are prone, and we need a Strength ST from Fuma to avoid 1d10 subdual damage. I don't see that you can do any very significant secondary actions from a prone position. Standing from prone would be a primary action for next turn (Turn 2). (Notice how detailed the time scale in Bushido combat is? Just knocking an opponent down costs them their main offensive or defensive move the next turn. They have to use their primary action to stand up (Alter Position).

[Rex]

Fuma

Strength ST [1d20]=4

[Grognardsw]

ST [1d20]=12

Jinsei bounds 15’ to the prone Kiada, who is at the edge of the earthquake zone. Jinsei pauses at that edge, grabs Kaida, and pulls her to safety out.

“Run!” Jinsei yells to the others. The strong ninja carries Kaida down the ridge.

Assuming Jinsei can move faster carrying her than she can herself. If not, he’ll let Kaida move on her own.

[jemmus]

Carrying Kaida would take Jinsei to 119.95 lbs, which for his Strength is Fully Encumbered. (With .05 more lbs (0.8 oz) he'd be at 120 lbs and Over Encumbered).
At Fully Encumbered, Jinsei's Deftness and Speed would be at 50%. BMA would go from 8 to 4. Kaid's BMA is 5, so it's faster for her to walk on her own than to be carried.

[jemmus]

Unless someone has a secondary action for Turn 1....
The ring of earthquake makes the earth under Kaida's and Fuma's feet rise and fall like ocean waves under a small boat. Their feet instantly fly up and as soon drop down. It's impossible to stand. Fuma has the bodily strength to somewhat control his fall, but Kaida drops headlong. Her head dashes against a large granite stone partially projecting above the leaves and pine needles carpeting the forest floor. It's a ghastly blow that takes close her to the brink of unconsciousness.

Jinsei sees that. It's an odd sight, a narrow circle of ground trembling violently within an otherwise still and empty mountainside. He starts to move to act.

Turn 2, basic/primary actions phases. Speedy Jinsei acts first in phase 13.
The earth is still shaking violently when Turn 2 opens. If Fuma and Kaida use Alter Position to stand as their primary action, the spell's effect of throwing them down will repeated, and the same Strength ST will be needed to avoid 1d10 of subdual damage. (Subdual damage makes a char unconscious, lethal damage (such as from a katana) kills them). Both Fuma and Kaida realize that trying to stand this turn would just mean being thrown down again and another risk of being injured.

To pull Kaida out of the earthquake zone by dragging her with his arms, Jinsei would have to enter the circle, be thrown down, and roll the Strength ST to avoid injury. Then he'd be in the same position as Fuma and Kaida are in now. The quake will last for 1d6 detailed time scale turns.

The Angry Earth
Kn: 90. Range: Long. Cost: 10 x LoS. Duration: 1D6 DT.
The Shugenja creates a “pocket earthquake,” with a Danger
Factor equal to the Level of Spell, within an area around his target
point having a radius of 2 yards times his Level. The quake acts upon
people and structures as detailed in Book 2. under Natural
Phenomena. Characters in theSpelI’s area are attacked by the quake
atonce, and thrown to the ground in any case. Characters entering the
Spell’s area are attacked on Action Phase 1 of the Detailed Turn in
which they enter it. If their movement would carry them completely
through the affected area, then they are permitted a Speed ST to
complete their movement if the earthquake does not successfully
attack them. [Emphasis added].

ffilz and Marullus, feel free to offer Grognardsw and Rex explanations and hints along the way. As GM I've been throwing a lot of Bushido jargon/game concepts and plenty of tactical crunchiness at them. Newer players, my one piece of advice about Bushido so far is: think of a Detailed Time Scale turn as only 6 seconds. Divided with this crew into 13 phases of 0.46 seconds (from Jinsei's 13 phase down to the 1 phase). Every physical motion or mental action your the chars does during those semi-seconds is tracked, or not just done and lost, as not worth it. And everything costs something-- for both you and your NPC opponents.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma will try to roll out of the earthquake zone.

[jemmus]

Fuma

Fuma will try to roll out of the earthquake zone.

That will be a movement primary action for Turn 2. This being Bushido, I'm going to ask for an ST. Vs. Speed, with +2 to BCS. Both Fuma and Kaida are right at the edges of the earthquake zone.