Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 14:19:47 GMT -8
So off the back of the amazing L5R actual play and SirGuido's excellent game I managed to get into I've been able to get my home group interested in giving the game a try. I gave them the choice of Clans but enough of them expressed an interested in the Unicorn that we've decided on a single clan game (Power of the Unicorn Five (Honour is Magic)).
Just now I've got to write and run the adventure and I'm full of confusion with the rules and the world (to the other players in SirGuido's game this is why I was continuously checking the rules / mechanics during the last session, I suspect it may have come across as being a rules lawyer so sorry about that).
Anyway, initial questions I'm hoping somebody can help me with, starting with cavalry.
Am I correct in reading it that horses (battle steeds in particular) make attacks in addition to the attacks made by the rider? This seems to make them extremely dangerous, especially with low level characters where the horse provides a massive benefit.
Does anybody have any general advice on cavalry skirmishes, especially as only some of the party are likely to be riding their steeds during combat (there will be two battle maidens in the party)? Its not a situation I've encountered before while running games.
And on a completely different tangent does anybody have advice on using the Kolat as adversaries? Initially this will be a single adventure but if the players want to continue I'm thinking of building up a conspiracy plot using the Kolat but at the moment I'm struggling to work out plot hooks. I get the long term goals of the Kolat, I'm just not sure how they'd actually achieve them in the short term other than recruiting new members.
|
|
SirGuido
Supporter
Drizztmas Santa
Ask me about the Drizztmas Exchange!
Posts: 2,127
Preferred Game Systems: L5R, Traveller, Fate Accelerated, Masks
Currently Playing: Nothing.
Currently Running: Nothing.
Favorite Species of Monkey: Anything in a Cage.
|
Post by SirGuido on Mar 27, 2013 15:45:55 GMT -8
I'd go here and do a little reading on the different sects and then run an adventure/campaign dealing with one of them. Might make it a bit easier to handle.
|
|
D.T. Pints
Instigator
JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
Posts: 2,857
Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
|
Post by D.T. Pints on Mar 27, 2013 21:56:20 GMT -8
Are your horses going to have names like Amberbloom and Applejacks ?!? Oh please! Oh please!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2013 4:21:22 GMT -8
Knowing my players I suspect they might end up naming their steeds along those lines. I'll report back once I know. I am hoping they name their steeds, gives them an emotional connection I can play on if the animals get injured.
Cheers for the link, I'll have a look over it and see what ideas I can come up with.
|
|
SirGuido
Supporter
Drizztmas Santa
Ask me about the Drizztmas Exchange!
Posts: 2,127
Preferred Game Systems: L5R, Traveller, Fate Accelerated, Masks
Currently Playing: Nothing.
Currently Running: Nothing.
Favorite Species of Monkey: Anything in a Cage.
|
Post by SirGuido on Mar 28, 2013 5:30:22 GMT -8
Oh and I have no problem with you checking rules and getting clarifications, doesn't bother me a bit. As for the horses attacking... I didn't read that section but I dislike the idea immensely. I would say it would require an animal handling roll of some kind to control them doing so. It just feels... wrong to me.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2013 9:05:38 GMT -8
I'll have to check but I think for most horses it does require a horsemanship roll. For the battle steeds however I think they'll attack of their own free will plus can attack as a simple action, so can therefore attack twice a round in addition to the attack of the actual character.
|
|
SirGuido
Supporter
Drizztmas Santa
Ask me about the Drizztmas Exchange!
Posts: 2,127
Preferred Game Systems: L5R, Traveller, Fate Accelerated, Masks
Currently Playing: Nothing.
Currently Running: Nothing.
Favorite Species of Monkey: Anything in a Cage.
|
Post by SirGuido on Mar 28, 2013 11:43:23 GMT -8
Yeah, I really don't like that. I know that the Utaku steeds are bred for battle and all... but still.
|
|
kevinr
Journeyman Douchebag
Posts: 158
|
Post by kevinr on Mar 28, 2013 13:53:35 GMT -8
I think it says you do not need to make a skill roll to convince them to attack they are just that loyal, but I believe you still need to take an action to have them do it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2013 13:17:39 GMT -8
So I've gotten a bit further in my planning but have sort of hit an impasse with it as I'm not sure what approach to take. Given I'm wanting to focus on the Kolat I'm thinking of having a group of them that are focused (long term) on disrupting the religious beliefs of Rokugan. In the short term their aim is to break down the trust people have in the monks, primarily by making it look like they're failing in their duties or have been tainted.
So the scenario I'm trying to work on for my first game is one where a member of the Kolat has arrived in a village disguised as a monk then a few days later he disappears as does a prominent member of the village, who is later found sacrificed (in what appears to be a maho ritual) on the path back to the nearest monastery, which is located in the nearby mountains. From there I envisage the local unicorn samurai leads a group of peasants to attack the monastery, which leads the Dragon to retaliate when they discover this as it was located in a border region claimed by both Unicorn and Dragon.
The trouble I'm having is at what point should the players enter into this, should it be before the Unicorn attack on the monastery, after it or perhaps even after the Dragon retaliate. Any ideas, opinions, thoughts on the scenario as it is at the moment?
|
|
D.T. Pints
Instigator
JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
Posts: 2,857
Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
|
Post by D.T. Pints on Apr 23, 2013 7:17:07 GMT -8
It depends on how many sessions you want the game to run. If this is a longer running campaign have your Unicorn PC's just doing what they do for a session with some hint at existing tensions and also pieces of the future unfolding plot. Especially if they are new to Rokugan (as PC's) it gives them a chance to better understand the world, the samurai culture, some of the convoluted clan politics, and in the end to just give more of a damn at whats occurring around them.
If its a just a few sessions maybe a good dramatic bloody discovery is the place to start.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2013 0:03:01 GMT -8
Initially it's going to be 3-4 sessions, then if it's going well we'll alternate back and forth between L5R and Deadlands Noir. At the moment I'm leaning towards the group discovering the burnt down monastery before being confronted by a small group of Dragon samurai who have arrived in a too late attempt to protect it. Hopefully what'll happen then is the group will end up negotiating a chance to investigate. Ultimately I want them to get caught between siding with the unicorn samurai (who was within their rights to go after suspected maho but went too far by burning down the monastery) and siding with the dragon in order to prevent a possible border war.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2013 5:06:50 GMT -8
Ok so I'm now 2 sessions into the game and have a few more areas where I could use some guidance from those with more experience of L5R.
First off - duelling. Am I right in believing that duels are primarily used to settle personal disagreements and insults between individuals as opposed to Clan matters? In the game last night one of the PCs challenged the Unicorn who had burnt down the monastery to a duel because he believed he had overstepped his authority. It ended up as a draw (kharmic strike) but I'm not too sure whether this is the sort of thing that a duel should have been used to settle.
Related to that what is the situation with refusing a duel? Is it allowed or a done thing?
Second - Taint and corruption. I may have missed this in the book but outside of the orders dedicated to battling the taint how do people identify it? The Sense spell specifically says it can't be used to detect Kansen (I know Stu is choosing to allow that in the Inukai game) so I'm trying to work out how the group might discover the alleged maho sacrifice was actually staged if they examine the scene.
Finally - bodies. Samurai aren't allowed to touch dead bodies but at the same time it's my understanding that corpses are generally dealt with quickly due to the fear of them being possessed / raised. If there are no henin about to do that then what would Samurai be expected to do?
|
|
SirGuido
Supporter
Drizztmas Santa
Ask me about the Drizztmas Exchange!
Posts: 2,127
Preferred Game Systems: L5R, Traveller, Fate Accelerated, Masks
Currently Playing: Nothing.
Currently Running: Nothing.
Favorite Species of Monkey: Anything in a Cage.
|
Post by SirGuido on Jul 26, 2013 5:33:17 GMT -8
Ok so I'm now 2 sessions into the game and have a few more areas where I could use some guidance from those with more experience of L5R. First off - duelling. Am I right in believing that duels are primarily used to settle personal disagreements and insults between individuals as opposed to Clan matters? In the game last night one of the PCs challenged the Unicorn who had burnt down the monastery to a duel because he believed he had overstepped his authority. It ended up as a draw (kharmic strike) but I'm not too sure whether this is the sort of thing that a duel should have been used to settle. Related to that what is the situation with refusing a duel? Is it allowed or a done thing? Dueling can be used to solve a myriad of issues as long as all parties involved agree. Refusing a duel is possible, but if I remember correctly, will result in the loss of at least a rank of honor. Quick and dirty answer? They don't. Outside of those trained to detect it, there is no polite or honorable way of detecting the Taint in someone. In your specific investigation case that would take an Intelligence/Shadowlands Lore(Maho) roll to determine if it was actually maho being conducted there. They are not SUPPOSED to touch dead bodies. It doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It just means that there is a loss of honor until one can be properly cleansed(by a shugenja or monk). If they couldn't touch dead bodies at all, war would be... interesting.
|
|
|
Post by bloodsparrow on Jul 26, 2013 7:20:23 GMT -8
Can any Shugenja perform such a cleansing? Or is that something you need to train for?
|
|
D.T. Pints
Instigator
JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
Posts: 2,857
Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
|
Post by D.T. Pints on Jul 26, 2013 8:00:56 GMT -8
Can any Shugenja perform such a cleansing? Or is that something you need to train for? Good Question, because Hida Jimunsha may have got all lovey with his mistresses corpse...(in a lovely dramatic death scene, not in any way implying necrophilia). I know for certain that I stepped AROUND my dead wife to get there.
|
|