ShogunMaker (Inactive)

Game Master Thackery Baxter J Thorington

Hu Xiang Lun wrote:

Out of curiosity, how good a likeness are the drawings of us?

@ Hu Xiang Lun: they're fairly good. Clearly done by someone who has seen you all before.

@Narukami: sprite sound cool. Also, did u want to spend honor on the wood and stuff? I can't recall if you said yes or no.

I thought Baolin did. If he didn't, I will. 2,000 gp. It will be a request for a favor.

Honor Points Spent: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Baolin requested aid in the forms of guards.

I say we decline the inn owner's offer.

Well, I don't know how many of us have horses, but I know I don't, so I'm in favor of either taking at least one for me, or possibly trading one for a different horse.

I tentatively gave each of us a horse. Easy enough to change if someone had one already.

I agree that we should decline the inn owner's offer.

I agree that we should decline the inn owner's offer.

Seconded (or Third'd). Our reputation must be spotless.

Hu Xiang Lun wrote:

I agree that we should decline the inn owner's offer.

Seconded (or Third'd). Our reputation must be spotless.

Likewise here. We can always come back and ruin them once we're the local overlords. :)

alright so that's four to not use. that's a majority. going to say you guys decline the offer.

also, everyone gains 1 honor point.

I'm not gonna give honor every time you decline an offer. After all, sometimes, declining is either insulting or imprudent. But, this was a pretty big deal (8 ninjas, most of you were unarmed, and you have witnesses to say you won--plus no one was appreciably hurt and you helped the injured). All of those things add up to some pretty big renown After all, people talk (and will talk).

@Tsui:
LOL

@DM:
Awesome.

Who is responsible for running the ShogunMaker campaign page? I'd like to use that page instead of constantly editing my character sheet.
I've also done Hayashi and Xiang Lun's sprites as samples to gauge interest.

I'm going to have to bookmark a page of Sun Tzu quotes if Baolin keeps quoting.

I'm going to have to bookmark a page of Sun Tzu quotes if Baolin keeps quoting.

Amusing.

@Tsui:

LOL

@DM:
Awesome.

Who is responsible for running the ShogunMaker campaign page? I'd like to use that page instead of constantly editing my character sheet.
I've also done Hayashi and Xiang Lun's sprites as samples to gauge interest.

Huh....I could have sworn I'd already given you permission to edit...yet I don't see it. If you could pm me your email address I do believe it has to be one that is attached to google in someway though.

Works like a charm. Thanks.

The classic prisoner's dilemma! Having observed the prisoner's dilemma several times up close, I am quite hopeful that we will have success. The key is a well-timed revelation of information in tandem with a well-placed bluff that the other party has broken. It gets harder when they have personal relations with one another (such as brothers, cousins, or lifelong friends) or if they are heavily socialized to not cooperate (such as occurs in criminals from New Orleans). But more often than not, at least one party will break and confess - and oftentimes more than one. It's all in the risk/reward assessment.

The classic prisoner's dilemma! Having observed the prisoner's dilemma several times up close, I am quite hopeful that we will have success. The key is a well-timed revelation of information in tandem with a well-placed bluff that the other party has broken. It gets harder when they have personal relations with one another (such as brothers, cousins, or lifelong friends) or if they are heavily socialized to not cooperate (such as occurs in criminals from New Orleans). But more often than not, at least one party will break and confess - and oftentimes more than one. It's all in the risk/reward assessment.

Super cool! I'll let you guys post how you wanna question the guys again, before I move things along.

I was worried that they might be bluffing. To confirm, the one Hayashi took out was the zealous one, correct? The other shouldn't be that difficult to break.

yup

Just saw the sprites pretty damn cool.

Where are the sprites linked?

You liked them? I'm doing the Xi couple next.
I find making the dragon difficult, however...

@Hu Xiang:
It's up at the website.

I can switch it. I'm a rabbit King in another alias

I can switch it. I'm a rabbit King in another alias

I meant Baolin's eidolon. :P

ok, just had a chance to look at the sprites. they are ultra cute! Or, as my students would say "super-kawaii-desu-ne!" Which, kinda makes no sense. But, whatever, they're 8th graders and they're obsessed with anime. So, it's all gravy.

ok, just had a chance to look at the sprites. they are ultra cute! Or, as my students would say "super-kawaii-desu-ne!" Which, kinda makes no sense. But, whatever, they're 8th graders and they're obsessed with anime. So, it's all gravy.

I too have viewed the sprites and hereby express my approval. :)

ok, just had a chance to look at the sprites. they are ultra cute! Or, as my students would say "super-kawaii-desu-ne!" Which, kinda makes no sense. But, whatever, they're 8th graders and they're obsessed with anime. So, it's all gravy.

It's at Kawaii levels? That's good news.

Edit: Fix'd colors for Xiang Lun, finished Jade Moon & Jian Xi.

@GM, would you want a sprite as well?
@Tsui Dawei: How does Tsui look like?

I was thinking green and brown robes as opposed to purple, but otherwise it looks great.

@anarukami: sure!! If a dragons too difficult, I'll take a bunny king.

GM, I'd just like to say that we're one fight and interrogation in, and you've already made this incredibly interesting. Seriously, the spider crawling out of the mouth thing? That's some really good description and creativity.

Now I just need to figure out what to say in reaction.

Cool. I aim to please! I was worried that it was a bit too much

GM, I'd just like to say that we're one fight and interrogation in, and you've already made this incredibly interesting. Seriously, the spider crawling out of the mouth thing? That's some really good description and creativity.

Seconded! I have no idea what's happening next. If we're on a plot railroad, I wouldn't have guessed.

Hu Xiang Lun wrote:

GM, I'd just like to say that we're one fight and interrogation in, and you've already made this incredibly interesting. Seriously, the spider crawling out of the mouth thing? That's some really good description and creativity.

Seconded! I have no idea what's happening next. If we're on a plot railroad, I wouldn't have guessed.

Kudos.

Narukami and Baolin are on the other side of the inn... i'll put them there now.

also, thanks!!

@Narukami, if you want to make a different post, you can. nothing is really even remotely round-based, yet. I just put the map up in case ya'll wanted to see it.

@Tsui Dawei: How does Tsui look like?

The avatar is a decent approximation. I picture him as a stern young military man. Generally muted colors and practical clothes. He's going to get a composite bow when he's got the cash, so he'd have one of those recurved Mongolian-style ones.

Narukami and Baolin are on the other side of the inn... i'll put them there now.

Strange. I said that Hayashi takes the imprisoned ninja outside the room (meaning the couples' room at S2).

Oh: I missed this:

we can say he's in one of the rooms on the other side of the inn.

Could we please be moved to that position (the garden at R8) instead? I didn't know we were moved into a closed room.

Sure, I'll move him now.

Narukami, I am totally digging my sprite! You did an awesome job and I was so excited to see it. Thank you so much ^_^ also to our wonderful DM...holy guacamole I thought I didn't like spiders before but now....wow, the visual of the spider tearing out of that guy's face was freaky yet bad a$$! Best game I ever played and we haven't even made it out of the inn!

Heehee.. Flattery will get you everywhere

Can't wait to see what is next :)

Glad you liked them. They're a bit time-consuming, so it's good to hear they are somewhat accurate.

I suppose the best thing to do with the ninja (if no one is willing to kill him) is to let him go. Hayashi can then track him and identify their hold, scout a bit, and then return after performing reconnaissance duty so we might continue the mission.

Hayashi's Reasoning:
1: We can't keep him with us: he is skilled and might escape again, or even worse, feign sleep against Jade Moon's sleep spell so he could attack us unawares.
2: We could kill him, but he is not entirely in control of himself. Besides, that might be dishonorable. We might also face this issue again, and if killing is out default answer...
3: We can't keep him in the inn: his clan will attack to retrieve him, if I know anything about ninja, he has valuable information. This will leave the innkeeper and his daughter in very real danger.
4: We can try to heal him by realigning his Ki and/or disrupting the magic within him, but that might end up killing him as a contengency. The DC might be 25 or 30 (which is near impossible, and Hayashi could only get with a natural 19 or the latter with a lot of successful Aid Another checks).
5: We can take him to the academy, but that will also leave the innkeepers in danger if the ninja suspect them of helping us. They went off easy this time.
IT is a also distraction I don't think we can afford: King Huang gave us this mission only yesterday, and I'm getting the feeling that this invasion means that all Tian Xia will be racing to take a piece of the cake that is Shenmen, with Lingshen being but the first force on the ground. We will face rivals, and that is why we were advised not to fight any new arrivals. Right, DM?

So unless someone has a better idea, I say we let him go to learn where their base is. Hayashi's survival (+6) is decent. With a map of Shenmen and a compass, it could be +8, and he might travel across the area without meeting enemies if coupled with a good Stealth check (+8) to travel light overland.
@GM: Could Hayashi get a compass and a map from nearby shops? They cost about 60 gp.

answers to questions are numbered according to the question asked

4) the DC is high without the appropriate reiki box to "remove curse/break enchantment/dispel magic" and let the ki flow. He could attempt it without the box, but the DC would be huge, and failure would kill the shinobi.

5) that's a pretty accurate assessment. You don't want to instigate an open war for Shenmen.. yet. Eventually, it'll be unavoidable. Right now, though, King Huang wants plausible deniability in case things go south, or in case Shenmen (or any other nation) puts up a fuss about Lingshen's actions. You're not invaders, you're peacekeepers, protecting Lingshen's mercantile interests and population that is working within Shenmen's borders.

6) you can buy the compass and map. So, you can follow the ninja to where he runs to. Or, they may just kill themselves the first chance they get.

Also, you have that 9th horse that ran away from the campsite, as long as it stays dry, you have time to follow that as well

I think following the horse is smarter. The ninja will know, or at least have reason to suspect, if we let him go. Thus he might lead us to a trap or on a false trail. The horse isn't bright enough for those tricks.

Also the bad person who cast the spiders probably didn't pour magic into the horse's skull.

Following the other trail makes more sense.

I'm ready to move on if y'all are.

agreed! So, that's 2 in favor of following the horse. let's go with that. someone post that action, and deal with the shinobi!

also, when you guys head out, you can assume you've had a full 8 hours of rest.

4) the DC is high without the appropriate reiki box to "remove curse/break enchantment/dispel magic" and let the ki flow. He could attempt it without the box, but the DC would be huge, and failure would kill the shinobi.

I suppose it would be! Usually 3rd level spells (remove curse) grant a bonus of +1 to a skill (heal in our case) per caster level, up to +10. If the Reiki box is at caster level 10, it would cost about 450 gp for a single casting.

That's a pretty accurate assessment. You don't want to instigate an open war for Shenmen.. yet. Eventually, it'll be unavoidable. Right now, though, King Huang wants plausible deniability in case things go south, or in case Shenmen (or any other nation) puts up a fuss about Lingshen's actions. You're not invaders, you're peacekeepers, protecting Lingshen's mercantile interests and population that is working within Shenmen's borders.

Peacekeepers and pacifiers, got it. I don't expect Shenmen to have an organized police force anyway--I imagine that the place is ran like a bunch of city-states that are manipulated by monsters and spider-enchantments...sort of like Minkai, but more or less an open secret. Monster and evil spirits probably only prowl the cities at night.

agreed! So, that's 2 in favor of following the horse. let's go with that. someone post that action, and deal with the shinobi!

I'm in favor of the party heading to Bai-Cheng’s trading post, actually.

Alright, I'll let you guys hash out who does what. But, either way, I'll advance the plot tomorrow.

Alright, I'll let you guys hash out who does what. But, either way, I'll advance the plot tomorrow.

Nix this post.

Hayashi will trail the horse (on his own), come back and report, and then we move on. which is what everyone already agreed to, and I'm late to the race.

Sheesh, i need to get my act together!

How much time would he be away? I'm ok missing on how the rest arrive at the trading post, since Hayashi could meet them there in a few days' time and report.

posting in like 10 minutes in gameplay for your answer: short answer is... not that long, about 3 hours at the most