OOC Chat — "Hoshihige Most Auspicious Inn"

[Leitz]

Starbeard, I think Kunpu's character sheet is updated correctly per your directions. Please review and let me know if I missed anything. The only changes were in Skills and Technique.

Time to go to work. I'll draft an initial scene for Kunpu, and if anyone wants to play off that then it'll make the transition in easier.

[GreyWolfVT]

Honestly i have no idea what to do with my XP probably just save it up and not use it right now i guess i d k.

[Leitz]

If you go here, and put "japanese" in the search entry, you can get some interesting options. Note that I am not affiliated with the site at all, just found out about it.

[Starbeard]

Honestly i have no idea what to do with my XP probably just save it up and not use it right now i guess i d k.

That's fine. Skill ranks are quick and cheap to increase, but the real money is in raising your traits, which take some XP hoarding before you can do anything.

[ffilz]

Hmm, I notice I'm supposed to get 1 free raise for Water spells - oops...

I also have Technique Rank 1 - 1 free raise for Air spells, I'm not sure what that is, I think it was supposed to be the 1 free raise for Water spells?

[Starbeard]

Hmm, I notice I'm supposed to get 1 free raise for Water spells - oops...

I also have Technique Rank 1 - 1 free raise for Air spells, I'm not sure what that is, I think it was supposed to be the 1 free raise for Water spells?

Yes, that should be a free raise to water spells.

Am I correct in thinking Glory works the same way as Honour i.e. that, with the award of 5 Glory, Aiko's Glory goes from 1;0 to 1;5?

Page 61: Yes.

Yep. The only difference is that Honor goes from Rank 0 to Rank 5, while Glory can theoretically reach Rank 10 or even go into the negatives.

Rolling to impress Lord Nasu:
Iaijutsu + Reflexes (7k4) TN15 (2 raises): [_7d10] = (1+8+7+3+7+10+7)=43
Exploding 10: [1d10] = 10
Exploding 10: [1d10] = 6

So, that's 26+8+7+7 = 48 vs a TN25 (due to the two raises) - I should have done more raises but who knew![/ooc]

FYI, you can only raise as many times as you have ranks in Void (p. 102). I think it's a rule intended to keep Void from being a dump stat.

[Starbeard]

I confess I haven't been keeping particularly good track of Aiko's Honour but I think, with the two points recently awarded, Aiko's Honour is now 3;7. Is that right?

Yep, Rank 3 with 7 boxes is what I have too.

[Starbeard]

Thanks for the input everyone. I think most of the day's events will be pretty straightforward, then we'll move to evening. Classes are starting here on Monday, so I've been having to focus on getting my class plans ready. Hopefully I'll be in a position to wrap up the day and take care of your character actions by midweek.

[Starbeard]

Continued apologies, I'm still lagging behind from getting classes going smoothly. As expected, the start of this semester has been rocky for just about everyone, it seems.

In the meantime, I've noticed that Amazon Prime has a new cartoon of Dororo, an old 60's comic by Osamu Tezuka (the guy who did Astroboy and Kimba). It's set during the Warring States period in 16th century Japan, but has demons and yokai, and magic.

I haven't started watching it yet, but thought if any of you are interested Tezuka and/or Japanese-themed sword and sorcery you might want to give it a try.

[ffilz]

Yea I saw that. I might have a look see.

[ffilz]

I just watched the first two episodes of Dororo. It's quite good so far.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Continued apologies, I'm still lagging behind from getting classes going smoothly. As expected, the start of this semester has been rocky for just about everyone, it seems.

No sweat Starbeard, take whatever time you need. I've been slammed myself so am in no particular hurry.

[Starbeard]

Howdy, all!

Let's chat a bit about how to move forward with the game.

The party's main, superficial goal has been reached: you've successfully made it to Beiden Pass in time for the Festival of Sorrowful Passing 11 days from now. Of course, that goal won't truly be accomplished until the festival actually happens, and you send off prayer lanterns for your ancestors at the Lake of Sorrows, but let's not split hairs.

So from here on out, you have free reign to do whatever you like in the scenario. Keep in mind that this isn't a linear adventure, there are no story beats you have uncover or specific things you are required to investigate in order to move forward. There is just an overall timeline of events that will occur between now and the Festival (and beyond), which of course may or may not be affected by your own actions (and some I think that definitely won't/can't). It all depends on what happens in play.

There are definitely several conspiracies, mysteries and adventures afoot, but they aren't all necessarily interrelated, and we couldn't even resolve all of them before the Festival anyway, so my suggestion is to just find a hook that sounds interesting and pursue that. If you have a bee in your bonnet about a mystery and think you know where to start investigating, give that a go; and if you just want to explore an unknown place that's likely crawling with monsters, give that one a go.

Plus, I am making heavy use of encounter and location tables to fill in the gaps, which have already taken the game in unexpected directions a couple of times. Whatever you do, I'm sure something will happen to occupy our time.

Don't forget the rumor threads you've already explored before (link: Current Rumors and Events post).

Here is a basic layout of Beiden Pass, with short descriptions you've learned about the main locations: Gazetteer of Beiden Pass

[GreyWolfVT]

Personally I can see Osaru going after Shota (I think that was the name not looking back) the man he once knew that is now killing merchants and other such folk. But that would be more of a personal vendetta or rather goal of trying to capture or kill him before he murders any more folk.

[Rex]

Kenta doesn't really have any personal goals, so he would support the others in what they want to do. Certainly stopping Shota would be something he is up for.

[Starbeard]

Updated correction on the Beiden Pass locations guide: I said that the daimyo and the monastery are on fairly neutral-good terms, but that's wrong. Not sure why I said that (probably not looking at my notes closely enough).

In fact, the daimyo and the monastery have always been at odds. They control several villages he believes should be his ("monks should pray and let the bushi rule the land"), and so is always trying to pressure them into handing over the keys by refusing donations, acting blasphemously, etc. This is a big contrast to his father, who was a pious supporter of the monastery.

It's actually the mountain shrine (location 3) that has a very strong relationship with the daimyo. Your impression of the local politics is that there are 4 sides: the Castle+Mountain Shrine, the Monastery, the Scorpion, and the Lion.

[ffilz]

Do you think Shota might be in the pass? I say we investigate some of the goings on in the pass.

Sean, could you mark the "not on the map" places on the map?

Senichi would at least like to pay a visit to the mountain shrine and talk to the shugenja priest and see if there are any more clues about any of the goings on here. And then a visit to the Dragon Spring Caves to see if possibly they are a source of some of the wrongs here.

[GreyWolfVT]

Well it was said that Shota is staying in location 2 on the last map in Quiet Village. So that would be a place to start looking.

[Starbeard]

Do you think Shota might be in the pass? I say we investigate some of the goings on in the pass.

Sean, could you mark the "not on the map" places on the map?

Senichi would at least like to pay a visit to the mountain shrine and talk to the shugenja priest and see if there are any more clues about any of the goings on here. And then a visit to the Dragon Spring Caves to see if possibly they are a source of some of the wrongs here.

Oh sorry, by "not on map" I mean they're way off the map. If you travel off the right side of the map and keep going for a while, you'll eventually reach the ruined temple, and after another long while you'll eventually reach Soft Wind Village. I'll make that more clear in the map, maybe with arrows.

[ffilz]

Do you think Shota might be in the pass? I say we investigate some of the goings on in the pass.

Sean, could you mark the "not on the map" places on the map?

Senichi would at least like to pay a visit to the mountain shrine and talk to the shugenja priest and see if there are any more clues about any of the goings on here. And then a visit to the Dragon Spring Caves to see if possibly they are a source of some of the wrongs here.

Oh sorry, by "not on map" I mean they're way off the map. If you travel off the right side of the map and keep going for a while, you'll eventually reach the ruined temple, and after another long while you'll eventually reach Soft Wind Village. I'll make that more clear in the map, maybe with arrows.

Oh, ok. I do also want to go back and investigate the ruined temple, with a stronger force to repel the goblins should we encounter more.