I'm waiting on the gifting ceremony, myself.
I'll post tonight. Was waiting for Tokine to get a chance to repond to the arrival of the Princess.
Gifting ceremony coming up after church!
Kano Toshiro is the only one who will be performing (officially, anyway) tonight. The Son of the Heavens has asked each great House to compose a haiku for Kano Toshiro to perform, and is asking for other aspects to be handled by other people renowned for their impeccable taste, like Tokine. But yeah; only Kano will be on the stage.
Kyras's haiku:
This place is silly.
Let's get something done right now
And kill some bad guys.
LOL!
I think I knew that bit about not being on stage, because I wrote about designing the haiku for the perfect performance..one that would be better the second time that the first. Unfortunately, I was not thinking clearly and was very sleepy when I posted. Sorry for the confusion.
Awesome haiku, Kyras!
Right on, no worries. Just wanted to make sure.
I am highly amused and laughing out loud. By Kyras' haiku here and Imuri's ooc text about the pillows.
Well, now that I've emerged from three days of melodrama, I shall respond accordingly.
Azami: AT LEAST WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING IMPORTANT OMG. STUPID PILOWS. ARE YOU SAYING I'M SOFT?
WHOA TOKINE! GO GO GO GO! *cheers for mega post of doom with tons of important information and excitement*
*peers at Kyras as to whether Azami can spew about all the other stuff that's happened*
(I also wanted to note that my three days of melodrama had to do with something else entirely from this game. I was NOT referring to this game. Or any other game on Paizo. Or anyone here. All caveats and disclaimers apply. Do not eat happy fun ball. *passes out from the legalese and psych-speak she's been dealing with this week*)
Man we have got to get you a different job. ;-)
She could only sit on that stuff for so long. With San Pen gone, she is the sole source for a lot of that, and if something were to happen...
lol +1 for the happy fun ball reference.
"Do not taunt the Happy Funball" is a regular quote at our game table if someone gets a little full of themselves and want to talk smack to the other players. It was such a silly little SNL 30 second bit, but it really sank in as a collective social reference.
Man we have got to get you a different job. ;-)
Dude. DUDE. You have NO IDEA.
...Wait, maybe you do. Anyway. ALL THE SEETHING. ALL OF IT. I'm making it a girl-punk screamo anthem as of today.
lol +1 for the happy fun ball reference.
"Do not taunt the Happy Funball" is a regular quote at our game table if someone gets a little full of themselves and want to talk smack to the other players. It was such a silly little SNL 30 second bit, but it really sank in as a collective social reference.
LOL Yes. I've used a lot of Ghostbuster's quotes in my time too.
When someone asks if you are a GOD, you say YES!
Dogs and cats, living together...mass hysteria!
And then there's Grandpa Simpson's Deeeeaaaath
Dunno if any of y'all are interested in this, but I'm doing a full-blown full-thread crossover with the Seer's Journey group and the Legacy of Marianasu group.
Here's the Skyknights leaving Izmir with the assistance of the last three dragonsingers.
Here's where it picks up in The Seer's Journey.
The Seer's Journey gang are trying to rescue Cassandra's (the little girl who is a seer blessed with the gift/curse of foresight) brother from Baron Ormir, and the Marianasu guys need to find Karthan Zhosk, one of Cassandra's companions/protectors, so they can get a note from him to get a note from his mom, the brass dragon who is the head librarian of the University of Stormfare, to get access to Fen's Omnibus in the Great Tower of the Hec Salazar Memorial Library to aid them in their search for the Twelve Abominations of Marianasu. Unfortunately, Karthan is a bit busy fighting lead-covered constructs at the moment...
RPG Superstar 2013
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I appreciate all you do in these campaigns, DRA. For my own part, I am trying to stay away from OOC info because I suspect we might be hosting or visiting the other campaigns at some point and I'd like to be able to role play the resulting information exchange/distrust/etc authentically. Sometimes I break the wall and read, but I rty not to. : b
PsionicFox posted in the RPG Superstar 2012 forum! I popped into his thread to invite him back here to take a look around.
Oh cool! Good to know he's still out there and doing alright, I know he said he had some kind of fierce health problems crop up.
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I'm now posting from a computer on my lunchbreak. But yeah, I was kind of ill for a while, and had to cut back on everything.
I am back in the world (all of them) now. But now I want to play again! Sadly, it seems Kyras has been taken. Oh well. Maybe I'll go see who's recruiting.
The character was too good to pass up. I hope you don't mind!
Kyras and Azami are now inseparable (mostly by the Emperor's command) - a far cry from when she confiscated his invitation after he burned that sellsword's face off.
Regarding PsionicFox's idea, Bethany Erodal! Daveth Ashvale also disappeared, so he might be a decent choice, since apparently he was once an important part of the narrative.
...Whew. Ok. Gotta reply to all of that. (Phase one holiday stuff completed this past weekend. Phase two commences in four days...)
Hi PsionicFox! Glad to see you're ok!
Can I get a description of On so that I know better how to respond to it being broken or maintained?
On means 'face'. It is the placid expression samurai wear so their emotions don't get involved. When someone grimaces in disappointment during a courtly proceeding, it is a break of On, and potentially disastrous during negotiations. It also can be used to show the depth of disappointment. Exaggerating a broken On is a tool for making someone realize how badly they just screwed up, or for making a mountain out of a molehill.
Samurai are free to break On when in the presence of only family or intimate friends, or in the company of a geisha, whose purpose is to allow them to loosen up a bit. The whole game of when breaking On is a loss of face or a mechanic to make someone else lose face is pretty fast and loose, with DRA being the guy to decide. I'll try to always make it clear whether Imuri breaks On on purpose, or actually loses control (ee gad...may it never happen!).
As I always say, I know we aren't in fuedal Japan and different players might have different ideas, so I will defer to DRA in all things. That's just as I understand it.
I don't think it would matter a whole lot to Kyras, except to give him some momentary delight at making Imuri uncomfortable.
To Azami it might matter, though, since she was trained as a Samurai - true, not in a prominent household or as formal a way.
Thanks for the information, Imuri. That is helpful. I might employ its use as well, as I'm always describing her as being closed or firm, and I think perhaps I might prefer the idea of her falling into the use of the On....as much as she may sometimes fail at it.
Any time? I'm just chock full of nerdy stuff!
EDIT: Actually, these events bring us to a decision point. We ought to have an understanding about dueling. I like the approach that bushido and expected behavior is a little different in every family, so that duels and On and etiquette can be tailored to each player. So I'll set the pace for the Shoto, and then expect DRA to override me on anything he wants to modify.
In the Spider clan (or in service to them, or under their roofs and in their lands), the stadard duel is an iajutsu sword duel. Commonly a first strike duel where two parties agree ona time and place, and witnesses, and then assume stances until one strikes. This duel can be called when one party insults or accuses another. Because of the focus on testimony, rank and ancestral approval, iai duels settle a matter. No one wants to hang around someone who loses a duel and still maintains their gripe. In fuedal society, when you lose a duel, you become wrong.
A duel to the death is for something very insulting and very personal. Commonly, it is understood a samurai's life is not his own, and therefore it is selfish and arrogant to challenge someone to the death without first obtaining approval from one's lord. if one asks and is denied approval, he must obey, and there's no shame afforded him because he presumably would have thrown out a challenge but for the denial. If one challenges another, and the challengee is denied by his lord, it is expected that lord will offer an alternative to duel by death, so the stained party has a chance to assert his rights.
In cases where one person challenges another to a duel the challenged could not possibly win (like, a master swordsman challenging a great gardner), it is acceptible for the challenged to substitute swordplay with another kind of challenge - a game of go or something more neutral. He could not challenge him to gardening. However, if one is willing to wear the daisho, they are assumed to boast knowledge of the blade, and a sword duel is expected.
Lastly, in a society predicated on karma and reincarnation, life doesn't have the same value, yet in some ways has more. Killing peasants in the street for blocking your path isn't quite the same sin, because said peasant either lived his life honorably, is a nonperson and has no rights, or deserves a karmic demotion for not knowing his place.
In Shoto society, I'd like duels of all sorts to be heard of events, though duels are not super common anywhere. We have a lot of artisans and politicians, so it seems we could have duels of haiku and that sort of thing. Imuri wears a daisho, and has won two iai duels since his gempukku, and (this story coming one day) also had a duel or two before he could pass his gempukku.
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That is about what I thought dueling would be like in Lanzhu, I keep refering to feudal japans edo period for most of my info.
But that info is very nice to have, thanks Imuri. :)
Also the conversation has been going very well and interesting, hopefully I will contribute more this week. I got the flu and now a head cold right after getting home. So being drugged up makes focusing difficult. ._.
I wouldn't mind a cross over :) but my opinion shouldn't count. :p
Per Imuri's comments, I'm generally fine with you guys utilizing your own rules for dueling, etc. for your Clan/house/country of origin/etc. There would be some commonly accepted bits that we can deal with when we get there, but it's perfectly possible a Kagawa duelist and a Shoto duelist (for example) would first have to agree on Terms so both houses were properly respected by the duel.
I'm trying to find the rules we agreed on for Iai-style dueling, that's one thing that needs to be constant for mechanical reasons if nothing else. I think it was in this thread...
Ah-ha! Here they are:
For any kind of stand-off style samurai/ninja duel, combine the following:
Martial Skill as reflected by BAB
Stillness of mind and strength of will as represented by WIS
Ability to bluff and psych-out as represented by CHA
Sheer quickness as reflected by bonus to initiative
So let's say d20+the above to win a STRICT iajutsu duel. Any stretches into kenjutsu/regular melee will then be handled by normal combat mechanics.
So! You all will want to have this mechanic in your character sheet. It'll come up eventually.
@PsionicFox: Hey! Great to see you 'round these parts, sir, and I will certainly welcome you back into the thread. What are some other ideas you have for a new PC? I have no problem with you taking over an NPC, of course, but if you'd rather do a new PC I'm totally open to that. Hit me with concepts, what are you thinkin'?
Warbane has no duels. Warbane has fights. Rules are for those who can't win without them.
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Too many ideas to write in one place, my friend. I guess the main question is: what does the group presently lack? I know they have at least one arcane spellcaster (although not a full one), and a solid warrior as well as a warrior/rogue (samurai/ninja, AFAIK).
So is a proper skill-monkey what is lacking? Since the group seems to have two brawlers and two stop-gaps (because Kyras can cast AND fight, as can Tokine), as well as another, lower-level arcane caster.
If that's what you all need, I can think something up along those lines. But let me know what you sorely lack, and I shall endeavour to fill that void.
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Conceptually, I don't have a story hook idea yet, but an old classic in these kinds of situations is: "Go see expert 'x'." The group needs the aid and/or information the new PC can offer them, thrusting them into the party. Otherwise, if there is another hook you'd like to use DRA, I'm always open to suggestions.
Recently, I've been playing the Witcher 2 quite a bit, and I'm curious as to if I could find a way to replicate a Witcher's abilities. I'd be stoked if we could do it.
An excellent link to a Ranger Variant (although it should probably be a full Alternate class - perhaps we could work on that?) can be found by following the link.It could work with a little tweaking, methinks. It smacks of homebrew, I know, but the idea was just too cool to not bring up.
EDIT: And hello to the players old and new. I look forward to joining you in a land of mystery and adventure real soon!
Keep running yer yap, Kyras, and we might fond out how that fight vs duel thing works out for ya! : b
Note to self: check whether Kyras has Blindfight before talking smack.
EDIT: RE: Note to self: Crap.
Warbane has no duels. Warbane has fights. Rules are for those who can't win without them.
This is 100% true.
No, no, I just haven't had a chance to respond; other stuff keeps coming up. :-/
For the video game thing, I'm totally fine if you want to do it, but I won't be of much help; I don't play vids at all (no exaggeration; I don't even own a system, nor a single game for any platform), so I have no clue what powers, etc. the character would be emulating; as long as things work out mechanically it's cool with me, and I'd want a look at the final character sheet so I could approve it before turning it loose.
I will confess that the idea of building an RPG version of an existing video game protagonist holds no interest for me at all. That being said, in the end, it's your character, so have at it. I would love to proven wrong if it's something you're really excited about and think you can make awesome. :-D
In terms of what the party "needs", the way this game has evolved there's pretty much no need to consider the party, really; it's every man for himself out there. You will probably end up working with folks sooner or later, but you're going to spend the majority of your time on your own, so I'm much more interested in you making a cool character you really dig, and which will keep your interest throughout his progression.
I have meetings until like 5:00 CST here, most very boring, so I'll look more closely at the Ranger archetype you posted and see if I can get a read on it.
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Fair enough.
To be honest, its less about re-creating the protaganist, and more about recreating the ability set of Witchers. They are professional monster-hunters who have been experimented on to give them superhuman qualities, and have been trained extensively in the arts of combat, alchemy, and magic (although their magic is nowhere near the strength of a regular wizard).
The archetype gets it pretty right, to be honest, but the power of the signs in the archetype is pretty poor. Although, the Augment Sign Extracts the OP wrote about could certainly be used to boost the power of those signs. I would imagine that such an extract would last a limited number of rounds, and during that time the character can cast alternate versions of the signs, using spells of the appropriate spell level.
I gotcha. I mean, I can certainly understand the challenge of the puzzle, the way you describe it; "how do I make this with this other different set of tools." Totally get it. It just doesn't interest me. I pretty much always would rather build something new, or at least "new". But that's, like I say, just my preference. :-)
Hmmm...I thought Inquisitors were supposed to be "monster hunters"? Sort of? Also, reading over the archetype; what are "signs"? I don't understand that bit.
I was going to suggest Inquisitor too. At low levels they might not have too much of that feel, but at higher levels like we are playing here. Judgements and Banes add up to make the 3/4 Bab more like a full Melee character plus spells and skills. One of my favorite classes.
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All my ideas come from somewhere. Either from books, or games, or movies, usually. I start to thikn: "What would happen if..." And that gets me going.
Signs are basically minor spells. I'll use this quote to explain:
"Though they are not warrior mages who employ powerful magic, witchers can cast simple magic spells that can prove effective when used properly. Witchers call these spells Signs and usually use them against monsters, though they also have non-combat applications."
There are five common signs, and a sixth less common one, each aligning with one (or two) different elements. I'll use cantrips and first-level spells as examples here.
Aard: Air sign. Causes a forceful blast of energy. Mage Hand and Magic Missile.
Igni: Fire sign. Causes a gout of fire. Spark and Burning Hands.
Quen: Earth sign. Protective spell. Resistance and Shield.
Axii: Water sign. Can daze people and make enemies into friends. Daze and Charm Person.
Yrden: Spirit or Magic sign (the 'fifth element'). Creates a temporary magical trap to stun/injure people. There are no real analogues for this one at low levels. The closest are the Symbol spells that higher-level clerics get.
@Tokine: Yeah, the Inquisitor is the closest 'straight' class to what a Witcher does, if you removed all the references to serving a god or church. Also, a Witcher is a fighter/hunter first, spellcaster/alchemist second. The 3/4 BAB and lots of spells doesn't really lend itself. But other than that the Inquisitor is pretty darn close as a RAW class.
EDIT: As I think about it, a Wordcaster Inquisitor archetype that added a small extract/bomb progression to the mix at the cost of say, slower Inquisitor spell progression and Judgements would fill that niche pretty well perfectly. Then all you'd need to do is add a few extra effect words to the list (like charm/daze), and you'd be set!
I'm gonna make a brief comment, and then I'm gonna proceed in character. I just want everyone to know where I stand on this Bethany thing. I know things might get more tense on this issue before they see real peace.
Imuri has made two bluff checks and not been found out about the prisoner that might be Bethany Erodel. I think the only source of info about this tried to kill Kyras, so the default position of anyone not beating Imuri in a Sense Motive ought to be that he has done what he says.
Moreover, while I called out Bethany OOC, Imuri has no confirmation that's who he has. Which is why IC, but in narrative, Imuri thinks of her as the Scarecrow. He has only had her for a few hours and plans to ascertain who he has for sure later today. Assuming I have a way to get where she is. Hmmm.
I promise I am not looking for an inner party conflict, and I know IC/OOC can be tough. I just want the players (but in no way the characters) to know I'll demonstrate good sportsmanship about this kidnapping thing. I'm not going to hold her up and lie about it just to be a jerk. I am pursuing what Imuri thinks are the Empire's best interests. Plus, she is a criminal, if she is the Scarecrow. So I know we'll get to the bottom of it.
Also, I still think Imuri can take Kyras. Blindfight only helps so much. Though I'd prefer we don't find out. Kyras and Imuri ought to be odd couple friends two levels from now.
All a misunderstanding, then. All a misunderstanding...
In all seriousness, Vu's "testimony" is reasonably credible because it jives too much with what actually occurred. Add this with Kyras's rather obsessive nature and his desire to find her, and it is clear that he would not let it go. He wants to not believe Imuri.
Also, Kyras has twice as many hit points even when not raging. Unless Imuri can get a reliable way to get sneak attacks in, it would be quite difficult for him to win a straight-up fight. Plus, there's always the fact that Kyras can fly and blast away for a while from out of range.
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No worries Imuri! Besides watching how you guys interact only makes me realize I need to step up my game! I am enjoying this immensely, I can't speak for the others but I did like your post clarifying things. Other then that interparty conflict can be fun at times, besides I am sure there are some with reservations about the snake in the corner. =)
Anyway~ Good show and carry on! ***Breaks out some popcorn*** "It needs more butter..."
So: ooc depth here that is the inner mental workings of the character on this topic-just in case there's uncertainty as to why she is behaving as she is.
She has no proof, and doesn't know that Imuri has her. But she believes Vu, and when asked, and Imuri has only responded with "how dare you accuse me!"--which is exactly what a pompous aristocrat son would do in her mind, whether he was guilty or not. he is not winning points at all but being huffy. (Azami could do with some polish on her social skills-ahem). So while she doesn't know Imuri has her, she can't quite put together the truth of Vu's words.
(and...she's prejudiced against Imuri and his fancy upbringing. Her wisdom and intelligence aren't high, so choosing a side and sticking to it against Imuri works for her. If Imuri was reasonable and down to earth, it might shock the heck out of her to see him in a new way and trust him more. But so far, he fits the spoiled rich family mold well in her mind.)
But! Imuri has repeated the "trusting a fox spirit/attacker" line enough that she's wondering if she read Vu wrong. Imuri says he has risked himself for Kyras already, and Tokine says he's saved the day--she's seen none of this or heard the fascinating tale of everything he has done--which seems connected to the statement that Vu made. So, she's hoping he can explain what happened--either he will admit to taking Bethany, or he will explain how it wasn't him but he DID risk himself for Kyras.
Either way, it will resolve the disconnect in her mind. This is logic, she tells herself, and also a way for Imuri to earn their respect and gratitude, which he seems to really want.
Ok. So that was a bit of insight into the character layers. But I agree, overall, that it has skirted a very dangerous IC/OOC line.
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But while Kyras was shoehorned into the plot at the start, I don't know if we could replicate that, or that we should. Especially since you've mentioned that my story would be a fairly solo affair, perhaps there's an untouched part of the plot that we could plug this character into? I'm looking for some guidance on where you see such a character cropping up, as that will help find a character that would fit in that space. And if it's largely a solo fare for me, perhaps I should take the Leadership feat and have an apprentice or an offsider that follows me around?
Let me know your thoughts.