Legend of Fire
Welcome to the Discussion Thread for my other attempt to run the Legacy of Fire Adventure Path using the Legend of the Burning Sands ruleset. This thread is intended for out-of-character discussions, rules questions, general hullabaloo, and character creation.
A few notes to begin with:
* Although LBS is marketed as a complete ruleset on its own, it is of course truly an expansion for the L5R ruleset. As such, I fully intend to use the revisions to the rules that appeared in L5R 3rd Edition Revised, including changes to the Defense Skill, Grappling rules, and so on, with some possible houserules of my own to make the game make more sense in a couple of places.
* This is a conversion of a D&D game into a system with some decidedly non-D&D assumptions, and I'm not sure precisely how things will work out. I beg your indulgence as we sort through this together. I would also like to remind you that, as a D&D conversion, characters should be able to function in combat fairly well, since there is like to be a lot of it – the character background traits (see below) should help to emphasize this fact. Since you all begin as part of a mercenary caravan, this should keep everyone largely on the same page.
* I'd also like to remind you that this is not L5R, and some of the cultural assumptions made by L5R don't apply to LBS. In particular, money counts, and looting the dead is not particularly shocking. In this regard, a certain amount of the D&D mindset is probably more suitable.
* Finally, if you've read all this already on the other thread, skip down to the 5th post. That's where any new stuff might be.
Character Creation
Characters will follow standard LBS character generation, with the following tweaks and clarifications:
Faction
Characters may be from any of the following factions:
* Assassins (the Qadi and Caliphate Guards subfaction is particularly appropriate)
* Dahabi (any House – House Asmari is particularly suitable)
* Ebonites
* Qabal (either Faction)
* Qolat (any Sect, though Roc or Auroch would be especially appropriate) – Note: most of the Qolat are in fact also members of the Assassins, the Dahabi Houses or the Qabal, and gain Trait bonuses as appropriate to those Factions. For those who are not, however, use these Trait bonuses:
- - Tiger Sect: +1 Reflexes
- - Owl Sect: +1 Perception
- - Roc Sect: +1 Awareness
- - Auroch Sect: +1 Intelligence
- - Snake Sect: +1 Willpower
* Ra'Shari (any Caravan)
* Senpet
* Yodotai
In addition, characters may be from the Moto tribes – such characters are effectively Moto family members, who have mostly likely trained at the Moto Bushi School as described in L5R 3rd Ed Rev (pgs 65-66 and 148). Characters may also have no Faction at all; they gain no Faction trait bonus and may only be members of the Soldier of the City Guard, Free Sahir, Lone Warrior, Dedicated Bodyguard or Tahaddi Duelist Character Classes (unless they take the Different Character Class Advantage), but do gain 8 bonus Character Points.
Ashalan, Jackal, and Ruhmali characters are not allowed.
Character Classes
Any Character Class associated with a legal Faction is allowed. In addition, characters may choose one of the following Character Classes, available to members of any Faction or no Faction at all:
* Soldier of the City Guard
* Free Sahir
* Lone Warrior – this Character Class is identical to the Ronin Warrior Bushi School as presented in L5R 3rd Ed Rev, pg. 157, with the following changes:
- - Integrity: 1.5
- - Skills: Archery, Defense, Hunting (Survival), Intimidation, Swordsmanship, any two Skills
- - Outfit: Any two weapons, a third weapon or a shield, light armor, clothes, traveling pack, boots, 3 copper.
* Dedicated Bodyguard – this Character Class is identical to the Ronin Yojimbo Bushi School as presented in L5R 3rd Ed Rev, pg. 158, with the following changes:
- - Integrity: 1.5
- - Skills: Archery, Defense 2, Hunting, Investigation (Notice), Swordsmanship, any one Skill
- - Outfit: Any two weapons, a third weapon or a shield, light armor, clothes, traveling pack, boots, 3 copper.
* Tahaddi Duelist – this Character Class is identical to the Ronin Duelist Bushi School as presented on pgs 157-158 of L5R 3rd Ed Rev, with the following changes:
- - Integrity: 1.5
- - Skills: Archery, Defense, Hunting, Knives, Swordsmanship, Tahaddi (Parry), any one Skill
- - Outfit: Pair of knives, any one weapon, light armor, clothes, traveling pack, boots, 3 copper.
- - Rank Two: Taking the Measure – An opponent who is understood is an opponent who is already doomed. As a Complex Action that may be performed in the Full Defense Posture, you may study an opponent. Until you next use this Technique, you gain a number of additional unkept dice equal to your School Rank to all attack, Thrust and Parry rolls against that opponent.
- - Rank Three: Strike Like Wind – The incredible speed a duelist develops in training for the tahaddi ritual becomes evident in his every move. You gain an additional attack per round. In a tahaddi duel, when an opponent Passes to gain an additional Focus, you may reduce your Focus Pool by one in order to prevent the opponent from gaining the Focus.
The following changes should be made to the printed Character Classes:
* Dahabi Enforcer – the Enforcer has both Deceit and Intimidation as Class Skills, but does not have the option to select any one Skill to be a Class Skill. The Rank Five Technique, Final Strike, allows you to make a Perception/Intimidation roll at the start of each round and add the result to a Skill or Trait roll you make that round.
* Yodotai Mercenary – the Mercenary loses Deceit as a Class Skill, but gains Intimidation instead. The Rank Three Technique, Unfriendly Glare, adds a bonus to all Intimidation Skill rolls equal to your School Rank.
Characters without a Faction may choose to forgo having any Character Class at all; doing so earns the character an additional 15 Character Points. The character may later gain a Character Class via the Multiple Character Classes Advantage.
Skills
All of the Skills listed in LBS are allowed in this game, with appropriate modifications to bring them in line with the changes in L5R 3rd Ed Rev. In addition, the following two Skills are slightly altered:
* Tahaddi – this Skill has three Emphases: Assessment, Parry, and Thrust. Each applies to the relevant roll in a Tahaddi duel.
* Deceit – no longer includes an Intimidation Emphasis, and cannot be used to intimidate people.
There is one new Combat Skill:
* Intimidation (Awareness or Willpower)
This Skill allows you to threaten and terrify others, weakening their resolve to resist you. As a Complex Action during a skirmish, you may make a Willpower/Intimidation roll, TN 15, to produce a Fear 1 effect against a nearby target who can clearly see and hear you. For every successful Raise you declare on this roll, you may produce the Fear effect against an additional target. Outside of combat, you may instead roll Willpower/Intimidation or Awareness/Intimidation to threaten a target in a social setting; if the target does not resist the Fear effect, he suffers the appropriate penalties to all Contested Social Rolls made against you, and if he fails by 15 or more, the target instead automatically fails all Contested Social Rolls against you. Note that such tactics may produce problematic backlashes, particularly after the opponent has recovered from the effect...
Mastery Abilities
Rank 3. - You now produce a Fear 2 effect.
Rank 5. - You now produce a Fear 3 effect. If you successfully use this Skill during a skirmish within a Mass Battle, your general increases any Morale bonus she gains next turn by 1 per Raise called for that purpose.
Rank 7. - you now produce a Fear 4 effect.
Rank 10. - you now produce a Fear 5 effect.
Advantages/Disadvantages
All Advantages and Disadvantages listed in LBS are allowed, with the exceptions of Ceremony of the Hidden Heart, Khadi, and those associated with illegal Factions, though it should be noted that the Advantage Servant of the Smokeless Fire has been renamed Servant of the Subtle Ones, for reasons explained below. In addition, Advantages and Disadvantages from L5R 3rd Ed Rev might also be appropriate, depending on context; if there is something you want, feel free to ask.
Campaign Traits
In addition to the standard character creation rules, the characters in this game will receive one of several mechanical benefits associated with the campaign itself. Each of these traits is a means to connect your character to the game's beginning, which revolves around an expedition being assembled by a man named Garavel, under the auspices of the Council of Trade (and thus, as you are all no doubt aware, ultimately on the orders of the Houses of Dahab). The expedition is a motley assortment of adventurers, mercenaries, freed slaves, guards and rapscallions, brought together for the purpose of reclaiming a small village called Kelmarane, an abandoned settlement near the border of the former Scarab Empire. Kelmarane used to be a frequent stop on a trade route between Medinaat al-Salaam and the Great Eye of the Desert, but collapsed under mysterious circumstances several years ago. Though the Council of Trade regretted Kelmarane's disappearance, the aftereffects of the Awakening prevented any attempts to resettle or even investigate the village until now. Kelmarane is now rumored to be a stronghold of the Jackal Necromancer cult, lead by a mysterious figure called the “Carrion King,” but the trade opportunities represented by Kelmarane's recovery are simply too much for the Dahabi Houses to pass up.
Choose one of the following background elements to connect your character to the game:
Earning Your Freedom – You have been a slave all your life, and have passed from master to master more times than you can count. Some of those masters were cruel, others kind. In all cases, you've yearned to be free. When your most recent master fell on hard economic times, he sold many of his slaves to the city government, and as luck would have it, a recent opportunity to earn your freedom has appeared. The Council of Trade is looking to revitalize an old trade route with the former Scarab Empire, and a band of mercenaries and guards is gathering to go out and supplement forces already in place near the ruined village of Kelmarane, now said to be a lair of the Jackal cult. You've secured a place among these mercenaries, under the watchful eye of Garavel. If you help in retaking Kelmarane, you've been promised your freedom. Regardless, your life as a slave has toughened you and forced you to develop talents you might never have sought otherwise. Choose one of the following skills: Animal Handling, Horsemanship, Hunting, Underworld. You gain 2 Ranks in the chosen Skill. These are cumulative with other Ranks, but cannot increase your starting Skill ranks above 3. In addition, you gain a +1k0 bonus to resist any Fear effect, whether a creature effect, a spell, Technique, use of the Intimidation Skill, or something else.
Faction Agent – You have a close tie to the Faction you serve (and you must have a Faction in order to choose this trait), and their interests are your interests. The recovery of Kelmarane represents a distinct opportunity to advance the agenda of your Faction, whether by enhancing their financial and trade potential, the recovery of artifacts or knowledge lost with Kelmarane's fall, the transfer of agents or information into and out of the former Scarab Empire, or the expansion of your faith into the hinterlands. Of particular interest to the Senpet, Yodotai and Qolat factions is the temple to Amun-Re that once stood near Kelmarane, one of a very few ever built outside the borders of the Scarab Empire. Senpet resistance fighters and expatriates would like to see the temple recovered and rededicated, while the Yodotai and Qolat, for various reasons, would prefer otherwise. Regardless, your dedication to your Faction’s ideals has paid handsome dividends: choose any one Skill associated with a Character Class of your Faction. You gain 2 Ranks in the chosen Skill. These are cumulative with other Ranks, but cannot increase your starting Skill ranks above 3. Also, whenever you are given a specific assignment by your Faction, you gain 3 Void Points that may be spent at any point while trying to achieve that assignment; “destroy the Monkey Man” is specific, but “oppose the Jackals” is not.
Reclaiming Your Roots – Your interest in the village of Kelmarane is more personal than most of those heading out to help in the reclamation. You aren't seeking revenge against Jackals, glory, money, or anything else – to you, this is purely a matter of honor, for Kelmarane is where you were born. You were forced to flee the village when you were only a few years old, and you didn't discover this until a few years ago; perhaps you found an old document that revealed the truth, or maybe you learned the news from a relative. Both of your parents are dead, and from what you've pieced together, one of your parents actually died in whatever happened there. Your surviving parent spirited you away to grow up in Medinaat al-Salaam or elsewhere, but never spoke of Kelmarane and always told you that your other parent died when you were a child in a horrific tragedy like a fire or a flood that swept away the body. Now that you've discovered the truth, you are convinced that your heritage remains hidden in Kelmarane. Whether you just wish to find out what really happened to your other parent or you want to help rebuild the village in his or her honor is up to you – but Garavel's caravan to the village is just the opportunity you've been waiting for. When your other parent died recently, among his or her effects was a single item that once belonged to the parent who died at Kelmarane. This item is your most valued possession. One of the items in your starting Outfit is upgraded to Excellent Quality, but if you ever lose this item, you gain the penalties of the Lost Love Disadvantage with regard to the parent that died in Kelmarane. Your commitment to your family's memory increases your Integrity by 1 when you are making an Integrity roll or a Test of Integrity.
Jackal Killer – You have long nurtured a hatred of the Jackal cult, whether due to a personal experience with the Jackals or their ghul servants, or thanks to an association with some Faction that opposes the Jackals, like the Ebonites. Regardless, your presence with the expedition to Kelmarane is simply because it represents a chance to unleash your killing rage against the foes that have haunted your life for years. Your martial training grants you an additional +3 to the total of any Combat Skill roll on which you spend a Void Point to gain +1k1 to the roll; in addition, you roll an extra +1k0 on any roll made to directly oppose the Jackals in any way.
Finding Haleen – You never knew your parents: perhaps they died when you were a child, or maybe you were taken away from them and raised elsewhere as a slave. You owe your sanity and your life to a woman named Haleen. She could be your sister or perhaps simply a childhood companion, but whatever your relationship with her, she took care of you and protected you. She's always been a part of your life, and although her temper often kept her from making friends or keeping a job, she's always been kind to you. Haleen was instrumental in securing your freedom from slavery or in making sure you got a good apprenticeship or job in society – but recently, she'd been getting strangely morose and depressed. You and Haleen normally kept no secrets from one another, but she refused to share whatever was bothering her with you. One night, she vanished, leaving you a brief note, begging you to forget her and get on with your life, but something about the note bothered you – something in the way she phrased her words struck you as forced. You may be convinced she was kidnapped, forced to leave against her will, or even magically controlled, but you also suspect she left to protect you from something – that was ever her way. You're now convinced the time has come for you to step in and protect her, but you had no idea where she had gone until recently. Several months have passed since her disappearance, months you have spent searching for her, but only in the last few weeks have you come up with a lead: she is somewhere in the vicinity of an old ghost town named Kelmarane. How she got there and what she's doing now you still don't know, but Garavel's advertisement for mercenaries to accompany him to that very spot is all the omen you need. You joined Garavel's group and eagerly await the day you leave for Kelmarane. Although Haleen chose to become a swashbuckling adventurer of sorts, she always encouraged you to follow your own path, and her support is largely the reason you undertook the training you did. You gain an additional Class Skill in your starting Character Class, and two Ranks in that Skill. Haleen's example has also inspired you to develop your connections with others, granting you a bonus equal to your Insight Rank to the total of any rolls made to help someone in need, whether defending them in combat, rolling Medicine to heal their injuries, or crafting an object they need for their duty. If more than one character takes this Trait, they should be siblings protected and raised by Haleen.
Djinn
I’m actually making a few changes to the way LBS presents the jinn, stealing from the Golarion version, partly because it will make conversion a bit easier, but mostly because I think it will integrate the mechanics a bit better for me. So here’s the deal.
There are actually five species of jinn, not just one, each species corresponding to one of the five varieties presented in the jinn appendix of LBS as well as to one of the five Rings. These are as follows: efreet, the children of the smokeless fire (mighty, Fire), djinn, the children of the windless air (sly, Air), shaitan, the children of the weightless earth (sturdy, Earth), marid, the children of the saltless water (labor, Water), and jann, the children of the formless form (mystical, Void). Amongst themselves, they refer to themselves as the Subtle Ones, for they are both a part of and separate from the things that make up the world. (There is a reference to this idea in the Ra’shari chapter of LBS, but it presents it as a past tense thing, and I would prefer it to be a present tense thing.) The common folk, knowing too little to see a difference, are guided by the images on the columns among the ruins of Qaharaba, which depict a number of different efreet and very few of any of the other species, and so refer to all jinn as beings of smokeless fire. Most sahir are content to let the error continue, simply to mark out those who truly understand from the common crowds.
Summoning a jinni uses a Ring/Theology roll, but the Ring is the Ring associated with the species of jinn being summoned. The rules for creating and summoning jinn are otherwise the same, with one exception: the agreement made between a sahir and a jinni is mystically binding – so long as the sahir upholds her end of the bargain, the jinn must uphold his. They have very little patience with oathbreakers, however, even aside from the Integrity loss such an act would cause, and few sahir care to wrestle with an angry jinni suffering from a sense of betrayal.
There is also a higher rank of jinn, one above Major. These jinn are the Nobles, the most potent of the breed, the ones that are closer to demigods than anything else. The Dark Jinn Kaleel was the most powerful of these, but not the only one. The powers of noble jinn exceed anything that mortal magic is capable of, but they cannot be summoned in the same fashion that ordinary jinn can be. It is said that only the most potent sahir can perform the rituals that might call a noble to the mortal realm, and even then, binding or banishing such a creature would be nearly impossible. (In other words, only sahir of Rank 6 or higher can even try to summon such entities, and the binding or banishing rites are similarly problematic.)
Finally, one last note: the Mastery Level 3 Jinn Summoning spell only works on summoned jinn. Those jinn that have arrived on the mortal plane through other means, or who have been here all along (such as the Qanonic jinn), are immune to such banishment.
(Incidentally, I am well aware that, technically, there is no distinction that should be made between the terms “jinn” and “djinn.” Since I need a term for the entire class as well as a term for the specific variety, I’m cheating and making there be one anyway. Sue me.)
As Xaaon hinted on the recruitment thread, I can't really see any reason why you can't Multiple Classes between warrior and sahir classes.
Similarly, I will be importing the idea that characters without Factions can move between the five "unaligned" Classes (Warrior of the City Guard, Free Sahir, Lone Warrior, Tahaddi Duelist, Dedicated Bodyguard) without needing the Multiple Classes Advantage.
The Ebonites actually have sahir among them. I just don't know quite how I want to handle that fact. If you want to play an Ebonite sahir, talk to me.
For those without books...
Assassins: basically exactly what it says. A secret order of hired killers. They originally came into existence to oppose the Immortal Caliph, but since she's dead (she was a khadi, a sorcerer who removed her heart so that she could not die), they pretty much just do their thing. One of the Assassins became the new Caliph though, so there's a group that actuallydoes their thing in the service of the state.
Dahabi (the Houses of Dahab): merchant families, each with its own area of specialization. Heavily infiltrated by the Qolat.
Ebonites (the Order of the Ebon Hand): A quasi-religious order, tasked with the safekeeping of an ancient stone which was said to imprison a demonic entity. The entity got out and has been destroyed - or at least dealt with - but the order remains, as a generic law-keeping and "force for good" organization. They have a very paladin-like feel to them.
Qabal: the primary organization of mystics in the Burning Sands. Formerly an underground group, because the Immortal Caliph outlawed all sorcerers but the khadi loyal to her, but since the death of the Immortal Caliph, operating in the open once again.
Qolat: A variation on the Kolat of Rokugan, the Qolat are much less transgressive. They believe that humanity should get along without the gods, because the gods are self-centered and destructive bastards, but without the baggage of the Celestial Order, this is a much less radical concept. The Qolat are something of a grand criminal conspiracy, but they tend to be big believers in order - what's the use of ruling the world if it's all gone to hell? Broken up into Sects, each with a different mandate; one of the Sects, the Tiger, is headed by a member of the Assassins. The Qolat is busy with an internal power struggle right now.
Ra'shari: gypsies. Seriously.
Senpet: These are the pseudo-Egyptians, from the Scarab Empire (now somewhat defunct). They are extremely religious, but given to making huge monuments and temples rather than doing useful things like supporting their people. The Senpet were conquered about 10 years ago by the Yodotai, and many have been brought to Medinaat al-Salaam as slaves.
Yodotai: Hydrophobic version of Rome. They have a distinct tendency to conquer everything in their path, and have spent the last 1000 years expanding eastward, having finally hit the Burning Sands about 40 years ago. The desert has proven a hard nut to crack, but they did manage to conquer and claim the Senpet.
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I am told the water is fine so here I am :)
While I have managed to read up a few things I'm still lacking a concrete character idea. Some ideas are floating around but I'll have to give it more thought. I honestly am thinking of something loosely based off Jafar; somewhat cruel, ego, and a sorcerer. From what I gather the sihar (I think) are the spellcasters? Do you think something like that could fit in or should I continue pondering?
Of course I'm open to doing something the group may need and this idea could change. What do you think Shisumo?
I am told the water is fine so here I am :)
While I have managed to read up a few things I'm still lacking a concrete character idea. Some ideas are floating around but I'll have to give it more thought. I honestly am thinking of something loosely based off Jafar; somewhat cruel, ego, and a sorcerer. From what I gather the sihar (I think) are the spellcasters? Do you think something like that could fit in or should I continue pondering?
Of course I'm open to doing something the group may need and this idea could change. What do you think Shisumo?
Xaaon is also thinking of playing a sahir, but that need not stop you - two casters and three non would be just fine with me.
As for the specific idea, it works, but I would generally prefer a character who is (to use a D&Dism) neutral or good, rather than evil. Which is not to say that a cruel, egotistical sorcerer isn't an option - quite the opposite. But I'd be looking for cruel and egotistical in, at worst, a Jayne Cobb or Dr. Smith (on his good days) sort of way - a jerk, but a useful jerk.
Either way, a Traditionalist member of the Qabal is probably the way you would want to go.
I am going to take a guess that this is the LBS game that I am going to be making it into and not the other one so I am going to post my ideas here. I am thinking that I will either go with a Tahaddi Duelist or a Yodotai but haven't settled on a concept beyond that yet.
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Hahaha, Dr. Smith sounds awesome! It would be something similar to him most likely. I'm not entirely certain still because the idea has almost no thought, it's simply the first thing that came to mind. An evil character is not what I was going for, perhaps cruel was the wrong word to use.
Were you perhaps thinking of arrogant and self assured?
I think I'm leaning towards an assassin. I'm guessing that in LBS, the assassins are motivated by similar reasons as their real-life counterparts - i.e. mostly politics, and what they perceive to be greed and corruption?
At the moment, I'm thinking of attempting a Scorpion-esque character - charming and smooth talking on the outside, but much colder and calculating on the inside - particularly when dealing with a target. For motivation, she would have a blind (and most likely flawed) belief in the idea that she is a necessary weapon that is used to make the world a better place - similar to the Operative's belief in Serenity.
Would this be fitting, or should I have a rethink? Also, could you give a little more information on the assassin factions you mentioned in the first post? I couldn't find any information on them online.
For those without books...
Assassins: basically exactly what it says. A secret order of hired killers. They originally came into existence to oppose the Immortal Caliph, but since she's dead (she was a khadi, a sorcerer who removed her heart so that she could not die), they pretty much just do their thing. One of the Assassins became the new Caliph though, so there's a group that actuallydoes their thing in the service of the state.
Whoops, missed the 'since she's dead' part when I asked about the driving reasons behind the assassins. This changes my question to whether there are now any 'codes' that the assassins follow now, or if it's pretty much 'anything goes'?
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Were you perhaps thinking of arrogant and self assured?
Yes, that fits a lot better. Curse my inferior-style vocabulary!
Also, could you give a little more information on the assassin factions you mentioned in the first post? I couldn't find any information on them online.
You have probably already seen it but here's a post to the LBS webpage that contains excerpts from the books on the factions (here is the assassins page). I read up on the Qabal there and it fits so well and that is what I'll go for (thanks Shisumo).
Whoops, missed the 'since she's dead' part when I asked about the driving reasons behind the assassins. This changes my question to whether there are now any 'codes' that the assassins follow now, or if it's pretty much 'anything goes'?
The Assassins are actually going through a power struggle of sorts as well, as they try to figure out what their role is in the wake of the death of the Immortal Caliph. One faction is actually aligned with the new Caliph, since one of the Assassins actually took power in the city after the Immortal Caliph's death and her son is the Caliph now (they act in some ways as his secret police); another is basically the Tiger Faction of the Qolat now, and as such is dividing its attention between the Qolat power struggle and the one inside the Assassins (it is, in violation of the Assassin traditions, entirely male); the third is the traditionalist "True Daughters and Sons of the Mountain," actually the smallest group as it is no longer clear exactly what the Assassins' purpose is - they oppose the Caliph's policies, but unlike the Immortal Caliph, the current regime is neither terribly repressive nor irredeemably evil, and thus the moral certainty the order once had has been lost.
Does that help?
You have probably already seen it but here's a post to the LBS webpage that contains excerpts from the books on the factions (here is the assassins page). I read up on the Qabal there and it fits so well and that is what I'll go for (thanks Shisumo).
That's a very helpful link, actually, Michael. Thanks!
If someone else want to run the second Sahir, I would prolly play a duelist. Or possibly play 2 schools, a Free Sahir/Tah'haddi Duellist...if that's possible...I dunno...heh. Problem I see with that is not having enough strengths to be good at both, but I'll be looking at the book next week.
We don't necessarily need a second sahir - I just meant I was cool with having two if you want. A second healer would likely be a good thing, but LBS/L5R has fairly decent skill-based healing if you try for it, so that would be a decent option for someone in the group as well.
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So Shisumo since I lack the book (but have L5R) how did you want me to do this character up? As I understand LBS can and does use some stuff from the L5R book but is it enough for me to make a whole character? If it's not how were we going about this?
Personally I love Megumi and wouldn't change a thing on her but I'd like a bigger hand in the LBS character if possible (besides I don't want to dump another entire character on you when I'm sure you have enough going on).
So Shisumo since I lack the book (but have L5R) how did you want me to do this character up? As I understand LBS can and does use some stuff from the L5R book but is it enough for me to make a whole character? If it's not how were we going about this?
You should be able to use the Qabal stuff online, the knowledge that the Faction Trait bonus for Traditionalists (the arrogant types who think that magic should be restricted to the elite who have worked to earn it) is +1 Intelligence, and the L5R book to handle 99% of the character creation. The only thing we'll need to fill in should be the spells.
Whoops, missed the 'since she's dead' part when I asked about the driving reasons behind the assassins. This changes my question to whether there are now any 'codes' that the assassins follow now, or if it's pretty much 'anything goes'?The Assassins are actually going through a power struggle of sorts as well, as they try to figure out what their role is in the wake of the death of the Immortal Caliph. One faction is actually aligned with the new Caliph, since one of the Assassins actually took power in the city after the Immortal Caliph's death and her son is the Caliph now (they act in some ways as his secret police); another is basically the Tiger Faction of the Qolat now, and as such is dividing its attention between the Qolat power struggle and the one inside the Assassins (it is, in violation of the Assassin traditions, entirely male); the third is the traditionalist "True Daughters and Sons of the Mountain," actually the smallest group as it is no longer clear exactly what the Assassins' purpose is - they oppose the Caliph's policies, but unlike the Immortal Caliph, the current regime is neither terribly repressive nor irredeemably evil, and thus the moral certainty the order once had has been lost.
Does that help?
It does, thanks. I'm thinking probably either the first or the third faction, but I'll need to think on which would be a better fit for what I have in mind :) I'll get back to you on this.
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I got bored today so I decided to start work on this character. He can be found here. I'm sure there's a lot to be fixed already, please be kind :) Still thinking up stuffs and hoping for suggestions/fixes.
PS. I don't think there's anything behind the spoilers yet, opening them would be a waste of time.
I got bored today so I decided to start work on this character. He can be found here. I'm sure there's a lot to be fixed already, please be kind :) Still thinking up stuffs and hoping for suggestions/fixes.
PS. I don't think there's anything behind the spoilers yet, opening them would be a waste of time.
Couple of things, just looking over the character:
Sahir, like shugenja, are Ring-based rather than Trait-based - that is, magic is based on Rings, so you'll want to try to get at least one Ring to 3. At the moment, you're gonna be 3k2 vs TN of 15-25, depending on which spells you choose (though you do get a Free Raise on some of those, depending on where you put your FR from your Technique). So you might want to look over your character again and see if there's anything you want to tweak.
For ease of reference, here are the spells associated with each Ring:
Discipline of Summoning (Air): Jinn, Elements, Implements
Discipline of the Celestials (Void): Farsight, Astrology (a Divination spell list seems to be missing, cut for space reasons I think)
Discipline of Black magic (Earth): Ghul Creation, Life, Death
Discipline of Control (Water): Influence, Illusions, Transformation
Discipline of Blessings and Curses (Fire): Blessings, Curses (shocking!)
Also, Spellcraft has Discipline Knowledge as an emphasis rather than Elemental Knowledge, so you might be able to take an Emphasis in, say, the Discipline of Control rather than Water...
Do you have any interest in doing Jinn summoning?
Ooh, additional change to the Dahabi Enforcers, by the way: they gain the Grapples Emphasis of Brawling for free.
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Do you have any interest in doing Jinn summoning?
Thanks for the info, I was just trying to get some preliminary ideas out there and get feedback. I'll likely tweak most everything (except maybe advantages/disadvantages, I'm fairly pleased with them). Jinn summoning is intriguing but without the book I'd be slightly blind on it. I wouldn't mind doing a "I want to summon a Jinn with X, Y, Z ability" and leave the Jinn that pops out to you if you didn't mind doing it like that. Unless one needs a particular spell for each Jinn to be summoned (I'm thinking more along the lines of Summon Monster spells from D&D - one summon spell can do multiple summons).
Anyway, I'm thinking it might be much easier for me to do a non-spellcaster for LBS since I lack sorely in bookage. Maybe saving it for L5R in case Megumi gives up the ghost (I hope not). I don't mind switching from a smarmy sorcerer if it will prevent problems from cropping up.
Do you have any interest in doing Jinn summoning?Thanks for the info, I was just trying to get some preliminary ideas out there and get feedback. I'll likely tweak most everything (except maybe advantages/disadvantages, I'm fairly pleased with them). Jinn summoning is intriguing but without the book I'd be slightly blind on it. I wouldn't mind doing a "I want to summon a Jinn with X, Y, Z ability" and leave the Jinn that pops out to you if you didn't mind doing it like that. Unless one needs a particular spell for each Jinn to be summoned (I'm thinking more along the lines of Summon Monster spells from D&D - one summon spell can do multiple summons).
Anyway, I'm thinking it might be much easier for me to do a non-spellcaster for LBS since I lack sorely in bookage. Maybe saving it for L5R in case Megumi gives up the ghost (I hope not). I don't mind switching from a smarmy sorcerer if it will prevent problems from cropping up.
I can't deny that playing a spellcaster will be harder without the book than a noncaster would be, but I think it would likely be doable. We just need to do a lot of prepwork ahead of time.
As for how summoning a jinn works, you basically pick the type of jinn you want (which element) and roll Ring/Theology. The Base TN is 5, but every Raise you call lets you determine one aspect of the jinn you are calling (one magical effect it can create, for instance, or one particular Trait that should be higher than usual). You then have to negotiate with it for its services. You can call them for up to a month, but the longer you want them to work for you, the tougher they negotiate.
On jinn creation:
The default for additional Traits favors the Fire Ring, which seems appropriate only for efreet. So I will be changing the Trait chart to be different for each kind of jinn:
Efreet - 1: +1 Awa; 2: +1 Ref; 3: +1 Will; 4: +1 Sta; 5-6: +1 Int; 7-8: +1 Agi; 9: +1 Per; 10: +1 Str
Djinn - 1-2: +1 Awa; 3-4: +1 Ref; 5: +1 Will; 6: +1 Sta; 7: +1 Int; 8: +1 Agi; 9: +1 Per; 10: +1 Str
Marid - 1: +1 Awa; 2: +1 Ref; 3: +1 Will; 4: +1 Sta; 5: +1 Int; 6: +1 Agi; 7-8: +1 Per; 9-10: +1 Str
Shaitan - 1: +1 Awa; 2: +1 Ref; 3-4: +1 Will; 5-6: +1 Sta; 7: +1 Int; 8: +1 Agi; 9: +1 Per; 10: +1 Str
Jann - 1: +1 Awa; 2: +1 Ref; 3: +1 Will; 4: +1 Sta; 5: +1 Int; 6: +1 Agi; 7: +1 Per; 8: +1 Str; 9-10: Void (note: only jann may increase their Void, either randomly or via selected Raises on the summoning roll)
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Given that my preferred gaming store could not give me a date for getting the book yesterday, I think adding some Moto muscle to the group will probably be easiest on our GM and me, too.
I'd probably go with a young man who feels somewhat too constrained by Rokugani culture, and has been offered an extended warriors pilgrimage rather to grow to appreciate it, rather than facing exile or worse - if that is OK with everyone.
I like it. Obviously, the Ronin Disad is not appropriate here, despite being on musha shugyo, but otherwise you should be able to go about character creation without too much fuss. I will likely ask you to use LBS names for your skills, to maintain consistency and reinforce the "we're not in Kansas anymore" feeling, but I'll just give you that info once your character is made and you can just edit them over, no harm no foul. Sounds excellent!
So we're looking at:
* Mishi - Assassin (subfaction and Class unknown)
* Michael - Traditionalist Qabal Summoner (?)
* Xaaon - Tahaddi Duelist (??)
* TerraNova - Moto Bushi
* Arcmagik - Tahaddi Duelist or Yodotai (??)
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I can't deny that playing a spellcaster will be harder without the book than a noncaster would be, but I think it would likely be doable. We just need to do a lot of prepwork ahead of time.
In that case I'll stick with the Qabal Summoner. If it becomes a pain in our rearsides because I don't have the book I'll change it after our first mod if you don't mind.
Now to do some corrections and modifications on the character. If I want to summon my Air ring has to be decent, no?
Well I made a few small changes to my stats, nothing major and hopefully I'll be able to speed things along eventually. Maybe I'll get some non-stat stuff down later tonight.
Think I'm going to go for Assassin Slayer of the Caliphate Guard subfaction (the LBS page has details for the slayer class, so I should be able to use that). I'll need to make some minor tweaks to the original concept I had, but I think it will work. I also think I'm probably going to go for the 'Faction Agent' trait - I think it fits best.
I'll start working on my character sheet sometime today - just have a couple of questions. Are the skills mostly the same as those in the L5R book? If not, are there any important skills I should be aware of?
Additionally, do the factions get an ability bonus as well as the class-specific bonus as in L5R? If so, what is the Assassin faction's one?
Thanks! :D
Think I'm going to go for Assassin Slayer of the Caliphate Guard subfaction (the LBS page has details for the slayer class, so I should be able to use that). I'll need to make some minor tweaks to the original concept I had, but I think it will work. I also think I'm probably going to go for the 'Faction Agent' trait - I think it fits best.
I'll start working on my character sheet sometime today - just have a couple of questions. Are the skills mostly the same as those in the L5R book? If not, are there any important skills I should be aware of?
Additionally, do the factions get an ability bonus as well as the class-specific bonus as in L5R? If so, what is the Assassin faction's one?
Thanks! :D
It's a subfaction bonus, rather than a faction bonus, so the Qadi/Caliphate Guard boost is to Perception.
And, though there are several renamed skills (Swordsmanship rather than Kenjutsu, that sort of thing), the skill list is largely the same. The only new skill is "Tahaddi," which is the specialized skill used in the ritualistic knife fights that the Burning Sands culture uses to settle matters of honor - it basically replaces iaijutsu.
Also...
Benefit: +1 Reflexes
Integrity: 1.5
Skills: Athletics, Defemse, Etiquette, Investigation (Notice), Swordsmanship (Sayf-Saghir), lore: Burning Sands, any one Skill
Outfit: Any two weapons, light armor, bow and 20 arrows, robes and kufi, sandals.
Rank One: The Keeper's Courage
The Caliphs' Keepers have keen eyes and keener blades. You gain a bonus to the total of all Perception Trait Rolls equal to your Stealth. Also, when you make a damage roll against an opponent, thee effectiveness of any of the Techniques, Advantages, Skills, or other abilities that reduce Wounds suffered is halved. Finally, you gain a bonus equal to your Perception to the total of your Initiative rolls.
Hm.. the keeper looks interesting too. I think I may well go for that class instead :)
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Alright, I finished up my side-project, and rewarded myself with legends of the burning sands...woo, so I'm reading over stuff and such now.
Question: Fitfully Sleeping blood, is that Qabal only? And would you roll the ability; and how often is it usable?
Ummm....The Senpet charioteer, I wonder how useful that will be in Legacy of Fire...I love chariots!! I musta been a charioteer in a past life...
I been considering a "Spartan" like Yodotai Legionnaire considering that someone else was interested in the Duelist.
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I been considering a "Spartan" like Yodotai Legionnaire considering that someone else was interested in the Duelist.
not likely that I'll be playing the duellist, I'm most likely going to play a Qabal or Senpet Sahir.
So...traveling pack...what's in it? is it like the one in L5R? or is it just a pack, I can't find the list anywhere...or a description...
You said you're going with revised 3E rules, so defense 3 will use the updated rules?
Question: Fitfully Sleeping blood, is that Qabal only? And would you roll the ability; and how often is it usable?
Since one of the players in the other game - Ferret, actually - is also taking that Advantage, I've had some time to think about it. It is not Qabal only - it can be taken by anyone. You can roll it on IC if you want, or I can roll it for you, doesn't matter much to me. It effectively will give you can cast as though you were a sahir with a Class Rank equal to your Insight Rank - because it's innate, though, it won't count against the actual number of spells you can cast of that element. So, for instance, if you picked up Life 1 (an Earth spell) and had an Earth of 3, you could cast any 3 Earth spells, plus Life 1 three times. Make sense?
Ummm....The Senpet charioteer, I wonder how useful that will be in Legacy of Fire...I love chariots!! I musta been a charioteer in a past life...
The Charioteer might be a bit tricky to use, but note that almost all the Techniques are also usable in Full Attack, meaning it can also be a Senpet Berserker Class of sorts... it's not as situational as it looks at first glance. If you want to go for it, you could.
So...traveling pack...what's in it? is it like the one in L5R? or is it just a pack, I can't find the list anywhere...or a description...
For the sake of argument, we'll assume it's got the same "10 items" capacity of an L5R traveling pack, and we'll use mostly the same list of possible items as what we used for HoR:
Basket
Blacksmith's hammer
Blanket
Book (small journal, story book, history book, religious text, or piece of famous literature)
Bottle of bleach or dye
Bottle of beer
Bottle of wine
Bucket
Candles (six)
Cloth bag
Coin purse
Cooking pot
Dice and cup
Divination kit (cards or meditation crystal)
Flint and tinder
Grapple hook
Hookah or pipe
Incense brazier
Jewelry or accessory (earring, eyepatch, bracelet)
Keffiyeh (head scarf)
Lantern
Makeup kit
Mask
Mortar and pestle
Musical instrument (drum [naqqara], flute, oud, kemenche, rebab; counts as two items)
Parchment and charcoal (10 pieces of each)
Perfume
Personal seal
Pet (dog, cat, songbird, monkey; not suitable for combat; counts as two items)
Quill pen and ink
Rope (50´)
Shovel
Small folding stool
Small hand mirror
Small knife (not suitable as a weapon)
Small painting or sculpture
Small tent
Spare suit of clothes and sandals
Spices
Straw mat
Sweets (small cakes, candies)
Traveling cloak
Walking stick
Waterskin (filled, counts as two items)
Week's supply of rations (dried and salted meat and hard bread)
Whetstone
Wide-brimmed straw hat
Wig
Writing paper
You said you're going with revised 3E rules, so defense 3 will use the updated rules?
Correct. You always add (2xDefense) to your TNtbH, unless you are unaware of your attacker or in Full Attack.
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Going with the Senpet Sahir. Gonna try that out...sucks they start with almost NOTHING! Oh well looting isn't a big deal in these lands, not like in the Emerald Empire...
The name menas Lion of the People! heh
Tau (lion) Madu (of the people)
Tah-oo-mah-do
Question: Are your transferring the system to Golarion, or the Adventure Path to the Burning Sands?
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Question: Are your transferring the system to Golarion, or the Adventure Path to the Burning Sands?
The latter. The stuff that happens in Katapesh, for example, is likely to occur in Medinaat al-Salaam instead. The Scarab Empire will stand in for Osirion, and so on. This is an LBS game, not a Golarion one, fundamentally.
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Question: Are your transferring the system to Golarion, or the Adventure Path to the Burning Sands?The latter. The stuff that happens in Katapesh, for example, is likely to occur in Medinaat al-Salaam instead. The Scarab Empire will stand in for Osirion, and so on. This is an LBS game, not a Golarion one, fundamentally.
That's what I figured, just wanted to make sure before I wrote a background.
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I been considering a "Spartan" like Yodotai Legionnaire considering that someone else was interested in the Duelist.
A Yodotai and a Senpet in the same group could produce some very interesting party interactions... A Legionnaire in particular would be an unusual choice, since they normally stick fairly close to the Yodotai armies. I'd be interested in seeing what would bring such a character to join up with the caravan.
I been considering a "Spartan" like Yodotai Legionnaire considering that someone else was interested in the Duelist.A Yodotai and a Senpet in the same group could produce some very interesting party interactions... A Legionnaire in particular would be an unusual choice, since they normally stick fairly close to the Yodotai armies. I'd be interested in seeing what would bring such a character to join up with the caravan.
I considered doing a Mercenary but their abilities really seemed subpar to me. I went back and checked on the Duelist or even the Lone Warrior but once again I wasn't really impressed. I am really indecisive over this character right now. :-S
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If I get the time tomorrow I'll try to finish up my character. At the very least I'll try to get most of what is left done, there shouldn't be a whole lot unless I've muddied him up somehow.
Also, thanks in advance for going through the trouble of preparing a PDF for my spells. I don't want to be a pain and if it's a problem I don't mind doing a non-spellcaster.
Checking in with Layali. Still got a bit of work to do, but the basics are mostly done I think.