Monoculture - What if it wasn't so japanese?

[Monoculture - What if it wasn't so japanese?]

Size is a thing. It does seem to me that there's a deliberate choice to make Rokugan's size a bit unknowable, with adventures making travel times seem a bit unreasonable. I assumed it was standard unrealistic fantasy distances 'You travel for three months to get to Unicorn territories...' 

 

However! I just had a look at the Atlas of Rokugan...

That being said, having a look at Atlas of Rokugan, there is a scale on some of the provinces but unfortunately it's not useful for an overall size without getting out my ruler and still making a guess. As a rule of thumb, they seem to indicate most provinces are about 30 by 30 miles, and most families have four provinces. So 30x30 by 4 provinces by 4 families by 8 clans is 115200.  This doesn't include stuff unowned by anyone, such as Shinomen Mori and so on, and is a very large fudge factor as the unicorn practically triple this...

Japan's size is 145914m2

 

So...

 

I retract my idea about the clans being so significantly different. I had assumed wrongly that Rokugan is the size of China when in fact it isn't. There'll be significant regional differences, but... I can see the monoculture working a little better in the smaller area, especially if they have been unified and culturally united by ... well, gods.

[Monoculture - What if it wasn't so japanese?]

Heya all -

 

I had a thought some time ago about how L5R is awesome, but given it's size I wonder about how every one of the major clans has a Japanese culture. I know that Lady Doji had an influence in this... but what if there was enough tradition around that while the dominant culture (i.e. Imperial) is japanese, the other clans had other cultures? Would the game benefit from opening up to other cultures?

 

So my thought is -

Lion are similar to the Jurchen of the pre-mongol invasion period - militaristic, strategists, cavalry focused but agrarian.

Unicorn are like the late Mongol empires. Cavalry, herding, semi-nomadic, but settling down with no outward wars to fight. Absolutely filthy rich.

Crane (and the Kuge) are our traditional japanese culture; infantry, highly feudal, but late edo period in tone - like most samurai movie samurai.

Dragon are similar to the Tibetan Empire - a remarkable amount of high quality arms and armour, semi-nomadic, clannish rather than feudal.

Phoenix are like Joseon dynasty in Korea - filled with internal tensions, and while independent are subservient to the Imperials.

Scorpion are traditional japanese also, but more like ashikaga period - warlike and devious. Plus ninjas. 

Crab are (kinda..) like the Zhao empire of the chinese seven Warring states combined with the Qin - wall builders, militaristic, endlessly harrassed by the shadowlands leaving them open to the other clans.

Just some thoughts...

 

What do people think?

 

[Challenge Focus Strike - Iaijutsu Dueling rules]

Interesting about the Kakita duelist - I hadn't considered that.  

 

As for duels being martial fights - I'm entirely fine with that. Duels shouldn't be play time - hence why there's only one 'size up' round and then in to the old skirmish.  It lets the iai people do their special thing, and if it doesn't work it's a fight like any other. 

 

[Challenge Focus Strike - Iaijutsu Dueling rules]

Hmm.  Maho this thread a little but...

 1 dice roll and potential PC death is a bit rough.

 

I like the idea of a 3 dice roll game. 

Hows about this?

 

A duel is a two or three dice roll mini-game. It is resolved completely after the three rolls from both characters. If the fight would continue for any reason (i.e. both people 'missed' by not doing a critical) then follow the standard rules for the skirmish. Depending on the situation, characters may begin with sheathed blades or drawn.

 

Challenge:

First section is simply initiative. Roll initiative and secretly pick the ring that will be used. Bid strife as required.

The ring chosen may have opportunities that can be spent. Air may grant knowledge of the opponent, fire intimidate or infuriate the enemy, etc etc. I'd grant knowledge of rings with opp spent here. Personally I use one opp of air answers a question from a player, two opps for other rings.

 

Focus: 

Characters  may also prepare an item or center, using their void ring regardless of what stance their initiative is in. Then predict the stance of the enemy and record this secretly. (not the predict action) 

 

Strike: 

Reveal stances. If the prediction was accurate, the target suffers a finishing blow - if the blade can be used through Iai techniques or water stance. (Hence prepare an item, above)

If not predicted, take any action desired, such as a strike action as required.

 

If at any time a character would become compromised, they also immediately suffer a finishing blow.

 

Special notes:

For judged, ritual duels to first blood, the winner is the first to critically hit and wound the enemy, regardless whether it's with the iai strike or not.

If both draw and cut it's a draw, but judges will say there's a winner based on severity of critical hit, then on who had the higher initiative.

 

For nonlethal duels, assume warriors can choose to 'pull' their critical hits, holding the blade to a throat or what not for the same opportunity spend. 

 

For normal dirty duels to the death, just keep on fighting with the skirmish rounds. 

 

 

Just had a thought though - if you compromise in skirmish, anyone within range gets an immediate finishing blow.... hmm...

 

 

I welcome feedback! 

 

 

 

 

[Hit and Run with Teleportarium and Murder-Servitors]

Very well. All this in mind with the idea that in my PC's wanted a Teleportarium and Murder servitors, there's two short campaigns.

 

I could assume most ships of a more military bent would try to have a barracks, which gives + 20 (All command tests involving boarding or hit and run). Thats a fairly cheap trick, and not something I'd like to pull more than once though.

Murder servitors only work when used to conduct a hit and run action, not defend. Hence, between these two components, I would rate the Barracks as over-all more effective.

 

* Requested Example*

 

The problem is that I think you are looking for an 'average', 'standard' fight. The PC's are not and the bad guys should definately not be 'average'. The bad guys may be equal and opposite, but shouldn't all come with Barracks for instance. Each ship should be unique; they aren't all stock standard ships, they are ancient things. For example, a different weapon loadout -

Let us imagine two RTs in battle. One with a fast Raider and a standard Macrobattery and a Lance Battery (Something I think no more difficult to obtain than a standard lance cannon), the other in a cruiser or frigate with a teleportarium/servitor combo and more standard weapons. Using appropriate piloting rolls, that ship could stay at distance 6, or attempt to as much as possible. Stripping and damaging the opponents ship. With some creative use of distance (Tactics), they can attempt to minimize the time they are in distance 5 or less, and maximise 6 or greater. This equalizes the combat to a greater extent. Due to staying at range as much as possible, they are playing to their strengths. Is this a problem? Only for the PC's with the murder servitors who want to use them. Due to attempting to stay out of range, and the 1 - 5 critical that is delivered, chances are high people who would normally be doing things like boarding are now doing things like fixing the criticals.

 

This I assume is added to by the rogue trader who has things such as Iron Discipline and a decent Command skill. And a RT who doesn't prepare to repel murder servitors is asking for it.

 

This is what I think of as a challenge to the PC's. Do they get to use their combination? Sure! But they need to think strategically to put themselves in the position to do so. Will the party need the servitors to win? Nope. They can still trade cannon fire, but at an equal level.

 

Are there other ways to use different abilities? No problem. I might say it is very difficult to teleport anyone onto anything with a ghost field without an Auger check, though that is a house rule. Don't forget that a few ships may have Tenebro Mazes, which means the ships owner chooses the critical, not the hitter and runner. With Murder servitors, I might even say they get to choose between 1 and 6.

 

Let alone alien entities or ships with no critical hits to be had, or places to be unpowered or unpressured.

 

Does the ability win fights? It may do. Will it win them all? Nope. Try it against an Orky ship and see it work and the orcs board and kill you all.

 

 

 

I have provided a few examples where murder servitors won't win the fight ultimately, and where other ships will do perfectly well. But the murder servitors will be fun when they do get used.

 

That being said -

 

Teleportarium + Murder Servitors is a powerful combination. But if you let the PC's feel good about having such a combination, and just give them appropriate challenges, it makes the thing useful instead of overpowered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hit and Run with Teleportarium and Murder-Servitors]

Honestly, the people suggesting they weaken the ability are going to ruin the fun of it. Don't ruin it for the PC's! Why make it so their awesome ability is no longer awesome? Let them be awesome. That doesn't mean they win, but they do get to shine in their element.

 

Just because it is a good combination doesn't make it overpowering. Add that to the shields down thing and there should be no drama.