I need some suggestion as GM

[Victarion13 56]

Hello everyone.

So my English is really not that good, but I would like to ask some suggestions.

So I will start a new campaign as GM soon. The campaign will narrate how the Mantis clan (could) become a great clan. The players will be able to choose if and how they can help the Mantis clan or be their antagonist and try to stop their rise.

My idea is to let the players make their character, but for the first part of the campaign, as a prologue, play their parents or other member of the family during the event of Winters Embrace (so, yeah, play the module). The players will be aware of this, and I will explain that before they will create their characters.

After that they will start after some time, with the event happened in the Winters Embrace that will influence the story.

Now my question is: Could it be a good idea to give to the characters one advantages or disadvantages, or choose without letting them roll their Heritage based on what happened in Winters Embrace? And if yes, there are any suggestion (like specific advantages or Heritage)?

Thank you everyone

[DSalazar 471]

I mean, the only “hole” I see there is that Winter’s Embrace is supposed to be what? Winter of 1122? So, playing the parents of the actual characters would put the characters at least in 1142? If your players are okay with that, I don’t see a problem in fixed disadvantages or advantages nor fixed heritage table (in fact, I prefer it this way).

[Magnus Grendel 11,673]

6 hours ago, Victarion13 said:

The campaign will narrate how the Mantis clan (could) become a great clan. The players will be able to choose if and how they can help the Mantis clan or be their antagonist and try to stop their rise.

Sounds good. Generational campaigns are often interesting, as you get to participate in a big sweep of history.

3 hours ago, Diogo Salazar said:

mean, the only “hole” I see there is that Winter’s Embrace is supposed to be what? Winter of 1122?

It is, though nothing stops you moving it if you want. If you change a few names, Hantei Jodan has at been married several times, it's not impossible one of them might have been an earlier version of Magami no Gotei. It also depends on what you see the second chapter as being - i.e. whether new samurai characters are going to be reasonable or if they need to be rather more experienced to matter.

6 hours ago, Victarion13 said:

Now my question is: Could it be a good idea to give to the characters one advantages or disadvantages, or choose without letting them roll their Heritage based on what happened in Winters Embrace? And if yes, there are any suggestion (like specific advantages or Heritage)?

I think letting the players second-generation PCs draw at least partially on the outcome of the prologue would be a VERY good idea.

Raising a minor clan to great clan status is a huge hairy deal, so if the PCs are seriously influencing it, rather than simply trying to survive the event, they'll need to be veteran samurai - the 50xp-plus-a-title package, which will give you rank 2 or rank 3 characters who are daimyo, magistrates and so on rather than irrelevant little squits fresh out of gempukku.

I would definitely suggest - maybe even compel - them to take at least one advantage or disadvantage related to their parent's conduct at winter court. Obvious ones are Blackmail on/Blackmailed by, Sworn Enemy/Ally, Betrothal (if you play The Scroll or the Blade at the same time, Shika Yuki is there as a matchmaker for the original PCs children), Support/Scorn of, and similar.

I would always generally let my PCs take a choice of heritage rather than a random one.

 

 

[Victarion13 56]

14 hours ago, Diogo Salazar said:

I mean, the only “hole” I see there is that Winter’s Embrace is supposed to be what? Winter of 1122? So, playing the parents of the actual characters would put the characters at least in 1142? If your players are okay with that, I don’t see a problem in fixed disadvantages or advantages nor fixed heritage table (in fact, I prefer it this way).

I was thinking to pu the Winter's Embrance in the past. So no 1122, but much before. And be able to start with the character in the 1123

[Victarion13 56]

10 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Raising a minor clan to great clan status is a huge hairy deal, so if the PCs are seriously influencing it, rather than simply trying to survive the event, they'll need to be veteran samurai - the 50xp-plus-a-title package, which will give you rank 2 or rank 3 characters who are daimyo, magistrates and so on rather than irrelevant little squits fresh out of gempukku.

I would definitely suggest - maybe even compel - them to take at least one advantage or disadvantage related to their parent's conduct at winter court. Obvious ones are Blackmail on/Blackmailed by, Sworn Enemy/Ally, Betrothal (if you play The Scroll or the Blade at the same time, Shika Yuki is there as a matchmaker for the original PCs children), Support/Scorn of, and similar.

I would always generally let my PCs take a choice of heritage rather than a random one.

 

I was not thinking about Daimyo, but some title like magistrate.

Hmm, you mean add one advantages or disavantage? Or still with just the base ones, and one of them selected from the "event"?

[DSalazar 471]

1 hour ago, Victarion13 said:

I was thinking to pu the Winter's Embrance in the past. So no 1122, but much before. And be able to start with the character in the 1123

Right, that could work as well of course. I mean, Rokugan your way and yada-yada but I was just pointing to some changes you might want to consider. For instance, the "kids" lived AFTER the clan war and you can decide how it actually played out (and for instance, if it's Daisetsu or Sotorii who are now Hantei XL.

59 minutes ago, Victarion13 said:

I was not thinking about Daimyo, but some title like magistrate.

Hmm, you mean add one advantages or disavantage? Or still with just the base ones, and one of them selected from the "event"?

I think he meant, depending on the prologue, they could consider either an advantage or disadvantage that makes sense for step 13.

[Magnus Grendel 11,673]

3 hours ago, Diogo Salazar said:

I think he meant, depending on the prologue, they could consider either an advantage or disadvantage that makes sense for step 13

 "who has influenced you the most" makes most sense, I think - as noted it can be an advantage or a disadvantage-and-skill and it specifically ties you to someone ( not necessarily your parents) from the prologue.