Scroll 1 - The Master Craftsman's Tea Vessel

[Rex]

Fuma

Bow, bowel-raker damage [2d6]=9 [2d3]=4 +2

Total damage 15.

[jemmus]

Fuma silently takes two steps backwards to under the eaves of the wall's roof. He visualizes himself as blending with the wall and being a part of it, an indefinite shadow of a part of it. The dog stops barking and peers into the darkness. Then it turns its attention to Minoru who has slightly disturbed a roof tile crouching on the mansion's high roof. It barks once, twice... and Fuma's watakushi arrow drives slicing it neck, perhaps through the throat or neck bones, bowling it over backwards and instantly silencing it. It lies in the faint white light of the almost half Moon behind a blanket of clouds.



FYI, the dog had 11 HP-- a strong dog. Arrows can be retrieved, but it takes an action and some time.

Jinsei had earlier let the nakama know that the chirp of a cricket is a warning call.
The nakama had also decided in a signal to Kaida outside the compound's wall know when to cast her spell around the bushi's guard house. Any ideas? The NPCs will need Wit saving throws to suspect something, with modifiers depending what you decide on. As an extreme example, if the sign is a fire starting in the mansion, it wouldn't take much Wit at all for an NPC to alert and react. Kaida is around 80 - 90 yards from the rest of the group, and outside the wall. (Around 14, 15 or 16 on the map. Kaida, location?). viewtopic.php?p=704758#p704758
Actions?

[Grognardsw]

Let us review the plan.

We are in Phase One, 9:45 pm or so. I think Fuma should conceal the dead dog under the house otherwise it’s a dead giveaway that intruders are about.

The two questions: 1) Will the dog bark draw guards? 2) Is now the time to trigger the Kaida distraction? The plan called for the distraction in Phase Two after we break in but before we start looking around.

Our next step is to break in by the north paper wall into the bedroom, the suspected location of the teacup. I guess we don’t want the potential of a guard coming, so a Kaida distraction now would draw attention while we break in and search. I feel we are under the gun on that.

Otherwise, we hide and wait to see if a guard comes. If yes, and we stay hidden, that is good. Jemmus, what is the chance of being seen if hidden? That could help us determine if we do Kaida distraction now or later.

[Rex]

Fuma

First thing is Fuma needs to hide the dog and retrieve his arrow. If that goes wrong then the distraction is a must.

[ffilz]

Minoru will adjust his position on the roof to minimize chance of being spotted if someone comes looking for the dog.

[Marullus]

...Kaida listens for crickets.

[jemmus]

If the bushi approach, staying undetected would require a ninjutsu BCS roll. The bushi get a Wit saving throw to detect the ninja. The result of the effect number of the ninjutsu roll adds or subtracts to the ST. An example: An average man's Wit ST is 3. The ninja's ninjutsu BCS is 10. He rolls a 9. 10 - 1 = effect number of 1. 1 is subtracted from the man's ST. He has to roll a 1 or 2 to detect the ninja.

But let's say the ninja rolled a 19. The effect number is 9. That's added to the man's Wit ST. He needs a 12 or under to detect the ninja.

(I see now that I wasn't handling ninjutsu correctly with the encounter with the dog. I don't know if the PCS or the NPC came out worse for that. But, let's say, to even things up, each PC gets a one-time +2 to add to BCS check, or +1 to add to Saving Throw check. The bonus has to be called before rolling.

FYI, bushi are not known to have high Wit scores. (Bushi PCs start out with a -5 to the Wit attribute to deal with during character generation).

These modifiers from the rules would apply to the ninjutsu BCS.
Ninja wearing correct "uniform" (see appendix 2): +1
Stormy night: +2 (It's cloudy but not stormy, so +1 instead).
Ninja Walking: -1
Ninja Running: -3
Moving in to attack: -5
Trying to avoid contact: +1
Ninja in tree, on roof, etc. (in unlikely place): +2 (Applies to Minoru on the roof and Jinsei under the floor).
Observer within 10 ft: -3
Other modifiers must be tailored to fit the situation.

PCs' ninjutsu raw BCSs
-Fuma 11
-Jinsei 10
-Minoru 12

Kaida would need to be able to hear a cricket chirp from 80-90 yds away. I think she'd need a Wit ST....

[Marullus]

Wit ST (BCS 10) [1d20]=11
So depends on modifiers...

[jemmus]

The night is still and damp, and covered by a low sheet of cloud concealing a dark New Moon waxing to crescent. The grounds of the mansion compound must be soggy from last night's rain. And slowly draining along myriad pathways toward the merchant's artificial dammed "stream." And that feature probably cleverly draining itself in rivulets that flow through the streets, alleys, fields and woods of Kofu to the Kamanashi River. The same river that runs swiftly below the mountain valley where the Village hides. And where the fishermen of the Kumo clan's net and snare most of the children's and old grandma and grandpa shinbobi's sustenance. And goods for trade and use for hensu-jutsushinobi guises.

The young shugenja waits alone outside the wall outside the two ignorant bushi's guardhouse inside. The dog from last night has started barking inside the great yard, maybe 80 or 90 or 100 yards away. A good sign. Maybe Jinsei, Fuma, and Minoru have crept the wall and silenced it. And are ready for a sudden alert and fight from the armored and bowed bushi. She listens attentively for a loud cricket chirp. And prepares a loud one of her own. And wonders if any of her nakama mates still understand and remember the map of her internal reconnaisance of last night.

And when she gets tired along the way during the long minutes from evening to night, Kaida nods off. And fights to wake up and think things through. The mansion's maid only invaded the once, and she was bleaching clothes in a washtub, somewhere in the mansion building. A children's song. Dragonfly's eyes are shiny shiny eyes/Dragonfly's eyes are shiny shiny eyes/Won't you come get me back to Kyoto and my love? Good friend? I know where the old master put it. And then she fades off. And in the one second, Kaida wakes up. And alerts to the sound of tired samurai and ashigaru spearmen about to turn a corner. 100 yards up the street.

[Grognardsw]

So is the concensus to:

1) hide the dog and wait to see if guards show up/spot us, if not then break in; or

2) hide the dog, signal for the distration, and break in

[Marullus]

Are we currently past curfew?

Do the logs and brush pile by Kaida provide suitable concealment for her to hide (without ninja skills)?

[Rex]

I lean towards #1 and if the guards show up signal for the distraction.

[ffilz]

I lean towards #1 and if the guards show up signal for the distraction.

Sounds good.

[jemmus]

The dog's body with the feathered arrow shaft through its neck lies at the dim edge of the standing stone lantern's circle of light. Fuma's young but trained eye tells him that it's 11 paces away.

Please state how Fuma moves to the dog's corpse (Walking, running, climbing the fence wall and moving along it in the darker area, etc. If he's using ninjutsu, please make a roll, which will be subject to the usual modifiers). We'll be using the Detailed Time Scale (6 seconds per turn). Fuma's Base Movement Allowance (BMA) is 7 and he's not Engaged. (I.e., he's not in a close range encounter with an opponent).

Please also state whether Fuma takes the time to retrieve the arrow from the body. For a watakushi, that would take 1d3 turns, minus one turn with a successful Strength throw.

Walk
The character may move a number of yards equal to his Base
Movement Allowance. This Option may not be chosen while the character is
Engaged by an opponent.

Run
This Option, available only to Unengaged characters, allows the
character to move up to twice his Base Movement Allowance in
yards.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma runs to the dog, using Ninjitsu.
Ninjitsu [1d20]=17

He will retrieve his arrows and hide the dog once there. But, that action will depend on what happens with his failed Ninjitsu roll.

[jemmus]

Retrieve watakushi arrow [1d3]=3 18 seconds

As stealthily and silently as possible, Fuma runs across the turf and drags the dog's body into the darkness under the north wall's roof. He pulls his fork-headed arrow out of the body with some difficulty, then turns and runs back the way he came. He hears the faint sound of his own feet on the grass. He stops and looks in the direction of the guards' house. He sees no motion.

Compound map (posted in the game setting thread)
viewtopic.php?p=711441#p711441

[jemmus]

Are we currently past curfew?

Do the logs and brush pile by Kaida provide suitable concealment for her to hide (without ninja skills)?

Yes, it's past curfew. The logs or brushpile would provide concealment. But with no ninjutsu, any characters nearby would have a chance of hearing Kaida moving. (A Wit ST, with some modifiers, depending on the distance). However, it's very dark in the "alley" between the roofed walls of the compound and the neighboring compound. It would take a sharp-eyed bushi to spot Kaida standing there.

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei motioned Fuma to join him in hiding under the house.

The ninja waited patiently for several minutes, watching, listening for the better-positioned-to-watch Minuro’s cricket of warning of approaching guard or signal of distraction.

If all was clear, he signed to Fuma to proceed. He and Fuma stood up. Jinsei listened at the north paper wall (assuming it was dark within), made a one-inch slice to peer inside with his magic nightvision. If all was clear, he lifted out the panel and they stepped inside.

Previous discussions indicated one could remove a panel instead of slicing through it.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma follows Jinsei's lead.

[Marullus]

Kaida mentally curses herself for falling asleep on her first mission. Such shame! I will never be qualified for the nakima. She does quick mental calculation... to set the distraction now would only draw the soldiers in, increasing risk for my companions. No, I must get the guards to continue on before I can now act. Dragon-mother, forgive me...

Kaida slips back into the darkened hallway and hides herself, hoping the guards pass by. Quiet as a mouse...