Starting a dojo

[roguerouge]

So, I have a player who's interested in starting a dojo in a largish town in Cheliax. I need some ideas for challenges to starting something like that--I need tropes, practical obstacles, etc. I don't need downtime mechanics or organization rules--I have that handled.

[Scott Wilhelm]

Well, what happens in kung fu movies around the dojo?

Every now and then, some guy comes in to challenge the Sensei.

The PC should be called upon to compete in or send students to compete in tournaments. He should be up against the badguy, heel-dojo and crooked officials who fix fights and bets and hyper-draconian Cheliax officials who enforce rules mercilessly but always seem to not notice obvious signs of cheating under their noses (until the end of the movie when the badguy who bet against the hero loses everything, and the thugs close in on him or her to collect their souls...).

Every now and then, one of his students turns out to be gang-involved, and the PC needs to save his student from a life of crime. A lot of the time, getting kicked out from a gang involves a ceremonial gang beat down, getting "jumped out." In the long run, a severe jumping-out can be good for the ex-gangster, because rivals of his former gang will see his bruises and know he is no longer an important target. If the PC doesn't know this and intervenes in the jump-out, then he, his student, and his whole dojo become targets of every gang...

The sensei's landlord is a Fiend from Hell, and is always trying to ask for services in lieu of money for rent.

[BretI]

Is he following the teachings of his teacher, or coming out with his own style of martial arts? A common theme in martial arts movies is someone creating a schism in a style. This causes rival schools to attack each other.

Given their lawful bent, I expect that Cheliax would have requirements on such a school including demonstrating competence. A tournament makes a good place to start showing that, as would an arena fight against demons or devils.

How does the teacher attract new students? If it is successful, how does he get people to aid him in teaching? If he is still an adventurer, selecting people to maintain the dojo becomes even more interesting.

[roguerouge]

I think a tournament will come later, but a series of tests to ensure that new dojos are not leading to fraud and the chaos of minor cults is a fine idea. I used the tests from the Ruby Phoenix Tournament module for that.

[roguerouge]

All of this is great advice: certification, heel dojo, intermittent challengers, saving street kids, building towards a big tournament finale.

[Quintin Verassi]

It is Cheliax, so you may be able to circumvent the certification by providing proof of financial stability (legalistic wording for a large bribe) or by showing incontrovertible proof to the local bureaucrat that you are qualified (doing his dirty deeds, no questions asked.)