neilcell
-
Content Count
277 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by neilcell
-
-
-
Bushi rather than Courtier? So your Samurai thinks he is a spoony bard? That has to be a barrel of laughs.
-
9 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:Since (like, I suspect, a lot of RPG players with access to the internet), Goriate's player and I are big fans of Journeyquest, the exchange "Have you taken many blows to the head?" "Hundreds!" has become pretty standard at our gaming table, especially given that he is (a) a bouncer and (b) plays in our county American Football team as a defensive lineman*.
* Obviously, Hida Goriate is not in any way a bit of a self-portrait.
Then you may or may not be interested to hear that the lady who did that project had the University of Michigan buy her entire helmet testing apparatus, but also gave her a full ride scholarship to include room and board for the entire 4 year course. They were so impressed that they wanted her to continue her experiments, and this was before the revelations about football and head trauma trends. Turns out that there is only one independent helmet testing facility and most of the manufacturers treat the data as proprietary information. So your athlete-gamer may want to keep tabs on the research coming out of Michigan.
DSalazar and Magnus Grendel reacted to this -
On 12/7/2020 at 8:03 AM, DSalazar said:The plot didn’t so much thicken as it became a non-newtonian liquid 😂
Love that analogy.
Incidentally, that reminds me of a project my father reviewed at the ISEF international science fair several years ago. The young researcher was experimenting with different materials for helmets, particularly hockey helmets. One of the most promising used a bladder and orifice through which a non-Newtonian fluid passed through when the helmet was hit, allowing it to be used multiple times. Now imagine Goriate wearing such a combat helmet.Magnus Grendel and DSalazar reacted to this -
4 hours ago, DSalazar said:What about Goriate’s tasks? Just raise mayhem?
I have one for him, but it may be a bit mundane. Any good siege master would be horrified at the missing arrows and would go about looking for them. Or at least account for why they are missing and track down the malcontents responsible for their disappearance. I am surprised that Suiren didn't mention them to the resident crab.
-
-
9 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:- Suiren decided to skulk in the shadows, whilst the magistrates approached, Horonigai lighting an improvised torch as she did so.
To use the line spoken by Tris from the Divergent Series Movie, Insurgent "off doing scary boyfriend things".
Magnus Grendel reacted to this -
I suspect the Kochako Family have been entrusted with possession of the Scorpion Ancestral Sword Itsuwari and it is this family who hands out the four copies and only this family's Daimyo who has any actual insight as to the identity of person who bears the real sword
Also, I think the Nanbu and Kaito would be on really good terms considering that the Empire at large considers them hickish. -
1 hour ago, Magnus Grendel said:It's also a good way to inflate the size of the Lion, who are often shown as having a numerical edge of soldiers, without making the Clan families stupidly huge relative to other clans.
A yojimbo family makes sense, but I was wondering why Shujenga particularly?
I don't see any reference to that in the background, and the Matsu (whose vassals they are) have no particular shujenga tradition that would require a specialist yojimbo school like the Isawa/Shiba pairing. Certainly neither Goseki Itto nor Goseki Hanako (the two former Goseki we've seen in the background) have any particular spiritual pretensions suggesting they're used to dealing with shujenga. I'd just stick with a yojimbo family - that's fair enough, and it'd explain why they seem to have pull with the Ikoma, since they'd be the family most likely to want their services.
Lion Shujenga would naturally imply the Kitsu family and their subordinates. They would be a good pairing in addition to the Ikoma.
-
1 hour ago, TheHobgoblyn said:The Dragonfly are just an extension of the Dragon and could have been a vassal family, the Tortoise are just an extension of the Imperials and similarly could have just been a vassal family like the Tsi or Yotsu.
To be fair, in the AEG canon, the Dragonfly were much more independent of the Dragon. FFG seems to have made them more subordinate the the Dragon. As for the Kasuga family, while they may nominally work for the Imperials, they have a LOT more latitude than one would expect for a vassal family of the Imperials. Add to that, their founder was a Dragon Shugenja and many of the early members were Gaijin, so that only creates more reason why they should be kept at a distance from the throne.
-
The City of the Rich Frog (Toshi Kaeru) is currently divided between the Lion, Unicorn, and Dragon with the Dragonfly being the representatives of the Dragon (they seem to be straddling the line between minor clan and vassal family, or at least blurring the line between the two). I think the Kaeru "family" is effectively playing the three factions off each other, though it does seem like they are on best terms with the Lion.
-
8 hours ago, TheHobgoblyn said:More than any other clan by nearly double... and the first two amounted to "wiped out by the Tsume and have no other canonical info."
Yeah, that is crap.
-
10 minutes ago, MB -Fr- said:Oh the RPG was never really in the devs' motivation, it was more an afterthought, an opportunity they took to expand on their CCG sales. So they never really tried to develop its lore as coherent
Rokugan and its power balance in lore was defined by the official CCG tournaments' winners. Hence the need they had to find an excuse to remove the previous tournaments winners factions from power in lore and regularly killing old characters so new ones could be sold, which they solved by inventing a cosmic menace nearly every tournament
That can work for a CCG. But then try to create a logical RPG setting out of it... Not really very manageable. Hence the RPG lore quickly became a mess
Which is sad considering that it has so much RPG potential. I am glad that FFG is putting more input from the RPG into the setting than AEG did, but they could do more. I DO buy the cards, but that is more so as to enhance the RPG experience. I used the Generic CCG cards as stand-ins for NPCs, sometimes placing them on the table in place of character tokens. And, if I want to randomly select who the players meet, well, just shuffle a clan deck and draw to see who shows up.
TheHobgoblyn reacted to this -
40 minutes ago, Diogo Salazar said:AEG did that, not FFG. FFG just went with the Unicorn Thunder being called Utaku since forever.
When i said "new canon" I thought that implied that FFG adopted the change that AEG made, but then extrapolated it into the past. "Old canon" should be synonymous with AEG while "New Canon" refers to FFG. I'm sorry if I was not more specific on that point.
TheHobgoblyn reacted to this -
Well, they did change Otaku Family to Utaku, and in the new canon, they retroactively backdated the change. I take that as something of a middle of the road approach so as to tip the hat to legacy players while being less overt about simply using a word many don't understand outside of the Manga/Anime crowd.
-
I was going to suggest that the Sakuras were the Dragon's shinobi agents. And if they have a shadow school, it would be a courtier/shinobi focused one. I can also see the "retired" shinobi masters being used to train the Kitsuki investigators by creating scenarios they might encounter. The whole "poachers make the best game wardens" argument. And the most gifted Kistuki Investigators who catch on quick to the Sakura Shadow master's lessons in the Kitsuki school would either be inducted in to the secrets of the Sakura Family or directed towards other endeavors if their disposition was unfavorable to the goals of this shadow organization.
-
8 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:Agreed. My point is that nothing there in stats or background suggests Tsume Kotonoha (who is pretty much the most positively shown Tsume samurai we've seen) is much of a strategist rather than just a soldier - if an extremely loyal and competent one. If Kotonoha is your 'role model' for the family - and I think that's fair - I therefore suggest you should be looking at martial skills rather than command.
Maybe not grand strategy but certainly tactical and squad level planning. While she might not be cerebral(intelligence), nor persuasiveness(charisma), I suspect she has a high wisdom score. There are some leaders who, while they have a hard time with tests and books, can feel the ebb and flow of a battle and can adapt to a quickly changing situation. It is those NCOs/Sergeant types you really have to worry about as they are the ones that often carry a general to either victory or defeat.
I do agree with you on the martial skills over command.Magnus Grendel reacted to this -
2 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:I don't think Yemon actually had stats, only appearing as a narrative character. He was a gullible so-and-so, though, with a predisposition to declare the dead Crane's an 'evil omen' which is a big part of the wedding moving outside the castle.
Kotonoha is a generic loyal bushi, far more gifted at inserting pointy metal into other people and stopping the same happening to her allies than as a commander, which, to me, supports a martial arts skill rather than tactics. It's worth noting that the Tsume family's senior general isn't actually a Tsume - Nasu Shimazu is a Shiba vassal on permanent secondment to Kyotei.
While their stats are for the Scholarly Shugenja and Loyal Bushi, there is more to those characters than you imply, particularly for Kotonoha. Her description, while not specifically saying so implies that she is a Yojimbo. It was never made clear if she continued in that role for Itsuyo.
"Tsume Kotonoha (TSOO-mey KOH-TOH-no-hah) is Takashi’s captain of the guard. While Shizuma oversees the Tsume family forces when they venture beyond the castle, it is Kotonoha who is responsible for security within the castle—and for Lord Takashi himself. Any breaches of spies within the castle walls—or attempts on Takashi’s life—would be a terrible stain on her honor and glory, and she takes that possibility very seriously. Unsurprisingly, she prefers to resolve such threats against her lord by force of arms—hers against theirs. Kotonoha is physically built like an ox and has a personality that isn’t far off that mark, either. She’s no nonsense, painfully honest and forthright, and her dedication to her post leaves her without any time for pursuing her own passions, leaving her painfully dull to talk to as well." -l5r_weddingatkyotei_webquality; page 5
"Tsume Kotonoha is Takashi’s captain of the guard. While Shizuma oversees the Tsume family forces when they venture beyond the castle, it is Kotonoha who is responsible for security within the castle—and for Lord Takashi himself. " -All character handouts.
"Visitors to your shrine have told you that Tsume Kotonoha is a bit of a folk hero, and is far more active in dispatching the bandits disrupting the area than her lord Takashi." -Kaito Natsuyuki's handout
"You met Tsume Kotonoha when you aided her against a group of bandits marauding the Golden Valley, and the pair of you journeyed for some time dealing with these ill-mannered ruffians. You consider her a close and trustworthy friend." -Utaku Azami's handout
Magnus Grendel and Kiso reacted to this -
3 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:I imagine, go down like a lead balloon with Kakita Riku when the news arrives in Hirosaka.
Well, considering the Adam and Jamie made an 11 kilo lead balloon fly, I think that phrase no longer holds the connotations it once had. Yes, I doubt Riku Kakita is going to be amused by the Ronin. Alas, it is not her problem anymore.
DSalazar and Magnus Grendel reacted to this -
Just now, Magnus Grendel said:On the contrary. At the risk of spoilers, Daidoji Unoku has, despite her superficial 'diplomat's polish', a bad temper, a tendancy to hold grudges, and some very well-connected friends - who for reasons of their own also have some issues with the Usagi family.
She - or at least her influence - will definitely be showing up again.
I guess "whispers of failure" disadvantage only applies to Player Characters.
No, I do get it. A DM never permanently retires the opposition. Rivals and villains constantly return to bedevil the players.Magnus Grendel reacted to this -
16 minutes ago, Diogo Salazar said:Also, it’s the kind of thing that might look cool on paper but the logistics of this in real life would be a pain.
At the risk of getting flamed, we are kind of learning first hand the practical application of mask wearing. Think of it as empirical data testing the theory.
-
7 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:Unfortunately for her, the decision had already been made by Sora - Suiren was 'just the messenger' - and she lacked the status to protest. After all, she could hardly suggest the Imperial captain wasn't up to the task without both insulting Abe's own prowess and criticising Sora's judgement for assigning him to her.
Daidoji Unoku bowed and formally apologised to the Lion and the Hare in sequence, but was clearly fuming. She muttered something nasty-sounding about 'consequences' to the Usagi samurai, who looked very worried, and then withdrew from the square - leaving Hirosaka fairly shortly afterwards as it was clear her backfiring plot had basically pushed the Seven Waves otokodate - who, in the person of Hideki, had also witnessed the duel - into the Lion's waiting arms.
Checkmate.
Yeah, I suspect part of those consequences include a "promotion" for her to a far flung and unimportant holding.Magnus Grendel reacted to this -
7 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:Hard to quantify, really - the current Tsume lord, Itsuyo, was born a Shiba. Her late husband (of all of five minutes before his seppuku) was very much an effete artist but also very much not a traditional Tsume. Tsume Retsu was definitely an aggressive soldier but whilst he did a nice line in massacring civilians - wiping out two Lion vassal families almost to the last infant - I don't think he ever demonstrated much actual strategic nous - I'd agree with the rings but would be tempted to swap one of the skills (probably tactics) for a martial arts increase instead.
Don't forget the other two Tsume characters, Kotonoha who was captain of the guard (and by all rights should have become the next Tsume Daimyo after Takashi if there really was any honor in the whole Kyotie fiasco), and Yemon who was the head priest of the Tsume family. Make what you will of how they represent that vassal family.
Kiso and Magnus Grendel reacted to this -
8 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:- It had just been observed Seppun wouldn't normally support either faction. But regardless of faction politics, they would if their own honour was somehow on the line.
- Seppun Sora wouldn't be seen as 'siding with the Crane' if he were providing a replacement second for Unoku because he was responsible for her Yojimbo not being available.
- Riku had no idea what had actually happened, and Rumiko's 'poison' had the symptoms of catastrophic food poisoning, the morning after she ate at a formal dinner given by the Seppun Daimyo.
- If that were the case, Riku couldn't be blamed as she was seen by the court to be restrained and not overindulging at the meal, and hence her unavailability would be Sora's responsibility, even if he wasn't personally at fault. In that case providing the services of one of his bushi as a stand-in would be the honourable choice.
- That plan, if it worked, took care of any public question of Kakita Riku's honour (the highborn Crane's personal sense of self-worth would likely take a lot longer to recover after her friends seeing her as they did).
- It also presented, as Horonigai put it, 'an opportunity'. Sora would want to ensure Daidoji Unoku had a strong swordsman as a substitute; if only to prevent any rumours he was responsible. Theoretically, the best swordsman at his disposal should be the captain of his personal guard, Seppun Abe. Who was in fact far less skilled than his position merited and whom Horonigai happened to know would at this point be fighting through a massive hangover, if he was even awake yet....
- Fighting and losing was one thing, but a truly dismal performance by Abe - which was supposedly quite likely - when the Daimyo had staked his own honour on the duel - would be shameful enough to justify Otomo Kazuda getting rid of the wastrel, as requested.
The trick of course boils down to convincing (via a courtesy check) Seppun Sora that it was his formal dinner where Riku got Gastroenteritis via botulism. Might be worthwhile to pitch the idea to Otomo Kazuda so that she can lend her support. Always good to have an "inside man" as an ace in the hole should the courtesy check flub.
New Campaign Characters
in Your Stories
Posted
No doubt the scorpion was wearing a wolf mask at the time to further enforce the legend.