solyrflair
Have Towel - Will travel
I am mostly done. I should finish by Sunday. I will post once everything is finished.
OOC - Private Chambers
- Thread starter Red Shadow Claws
- Start date
Esbilon
Seven Thousand Club
Not to rush you or anything, but how are things going with your sheet? Is there anything we can do to help? I'm itching to get started
solyrflair
Have Towel - Will travel
Not to rush you or anything, but how are things going with your sheet? Is there anything we can do to help? I'm itching to get started
I should be done tonite. I already know which spells I am going to take. The toss up I had was in choosing which skills and how high to raise them.
solyrflair
Have Towel - Will travel
Sorry for the double post.
The character sheet is up and complete.... relatively. All the hard things are there. Abilities, skills, advantages, disadvantages, spells and equipment. The 20 questions have been answered, but I still need to fill in some flavor. I'll try to get that done in the next day or two before we get into playing.
Sorry for the delay, but last weekend just disappeared on me with work asking me to get a few things done. The good part is that I already have most of my hours in for the week, the bad news is I still have 3 more days to work. I'll get my overtime, but could use a day off at some point.
If people could look this over and just confirm I made no mistakes. Its been 2 years since I played or made a character, so I might have missed a thing or two.
The character sheet is up and complete.... relatively. All the hard things are there. Abilities, skills, advantages, disadvantages, spells and equipment. The 20 questions have been answered, but I still need to fill in some flavor. I'll try to get that done in the next day or two before we get into playing.
Sorry for the delay, but last weekend just disappeared on me with work asking me to get a few things done. The good part is that I already have most of my hours in for the week, the bad news is I still have 3 more days to work. I'll get my overtime, but could use a day off at some point.
If people could look this over and just confirm I made no mistakes. Its been 2 years since I played or made a character, so I might have missed a thing or two.
Esbilon
Seven Thousand Club
You seem to have correctly spent your xp and such, I have a few comments, but they are matters of preference, not rules.
When playing an Ishiken-Do, I found Drawing the Void (the one that gives you extra void points) to be ridiculously useful, just from its sheer versatility.
Your Eath spell should properly be named Jurojin's Balm, and in Earth I found Jade Strike to be very useful indeed, but it *is* a bit overly specific in who it can target. One neat thing about it, though, is that you can cast it on someone you suspect of being Tainted and know for sure.
If I were you, I'd probably skip the dot in Awareness and get either Water or Fire Ring to 3, and then shift around my secondary school preferences to Fire or Water. You're not going to out-Courtier either of the other two characters, so play on your strengths.
Lastly, I see you've only gone for level 1 Void spells, remember that you can also cast level 2 spells of your favoured element, and there are some really juicy level 2 Void spells. My standard wishlist names
**Altering the Course (Spend multiple Void points on one roll)
**Drink of Your Essence (Learn target's Rings, Wounds and mood)
**The Empty Voice (Cast Level 1 or 2 Elemental spells silently)
**False Whispers (Make target repeat a sentence)
**Reach Through the Void (Telekinesis, 5 pounds)
When playing an Ishiken-Do, I found Drawing the Void (the one that gives you extra void points) to be ridiculously useful, just from its sheer versatility.
Your Eath spell should properly be named Jurojin's Balm, and in Earth I found Jade Strike to be very useful indeed, but it *is* a bit overly specific in who it can target. One neat thing about it, though, is that you can cast it on someone you suspect of being Tainted and know for sure.
If I were you, I'd probably skip the dot in Awareness and get either Water or Fire Ring to 3, and then shift around my secondary school preferences to Fire or Water. You're not going to out-Courtier either of the other two characters, so play on your strengths.
Lastly, I see you've only gone for level 1 Void spells, remember that you can also cast level 2 spells of your favoured element, and there are some really juicy level 2 Void spells. My standard wishlist names
**Altering the Course (Spend multiple Void points on one roll)
**Drink of Your Essence (Learn target's Rings, Wounds and mood)
**The Empty Voice (Cast Level 1 or 2 Elemental spells silently)
**False Whispers (Make target repeat a sentence)
**Reach Through the Void (Telekinesis, 5 pounds)
solyrflair
Have Towel - Will travel
Well, you know this system better than I. However, I can't imagine being in a courtly intrigue game without having some capability, and since most of the courtly skills are awareness based, it seem like I would be significantly weaker with Xk2 instead of Xk3.
I had forgotten about the favored spell area getting access to level 2 spells. I'll skim through the Void 2 spells and see what might be good options.
I'll look through the spells again and see if there is something good in Water or Fire. My first thought was to have spells that would remove or negate negative effects on myself and others. A bit more of support character rather than full-on combatant. I expect combat might arise, but I want to be able to be involved in things.
I had forgotten about the favored spell area getting access to level 2 spells. I'll skim through the Void 2 spells and see what might be good options.
I'll look through the spells again and see if there is something good in Water or Fire. My first thought was to have spells that would remove or negate negative effects on myself and others. A bit more of support character rather than full-on combatant. I expect combat might arise, but I want to be able to be involved in things.
Esbilon
Seven Thousand Club
Water and fire is only really a priority if you get the corresponding Ring to 3, otherwise I wish you joy of Air.
And it is of course a totally legitimate strategy to grab Awareness 3, particularly when the set up assumes we're at least somewhat antagonistic towards each other.
And it is of course a totally legitimate strategy to grab Awareness 3, particularly when the set up assumes we're at least somewhat antagonistic towards each other.
Red Shadow Claws
Six Thousand Club
Awareness 3 is reasonable.
Regarding casting spells of Rings other than Void, if you only plan to cast 1st level spells (which is all you CAN at the moment, then a xk2 is generally enough, since the TN is 10. It is not a guaranteed success, but reasonable chance of success, and as always during play you can buy up traits, to improve your spellcasting. More than any other character, except Monks, Shugenja care more about Rings than individual Traits, because it is also a measure of how many spells of that element that you can cast per day.
Regarding casting spells of Rings other than Void, if you only plan to cast 1st level spells (which is all you CAN at the moment, then a xk2 is generally enough, since the TN is 10. It is not a guaranteed success, but reasonable chance of success, and as always during play you can buy up traits, to improve your spellcasting. More than any other character, except Monks, Shugenja care more about Rings than individual Traits, because it is also a measure of how many spells of that element that you can cast per day.
Archene
Keeper of Balance
@Archene Welcome to the club! Good to see we'll have some Bushi support if shit hits the fan
That said, I'm not sure you're allowed to take 17 points of Advantages, unless I'm missing something.
I'm not I need to re-read things there, it should be 15 advantages and 10 of disadvantages, I just had to put it up to be sure I would not lose them.
(Glad to see a bushi is appreciated! I was worried it wouldn't be ;~
EDIT: And I only spent 15 points on advantages. Did I count them wrong at the end?
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Epiphany
Proverbs 17:9
Welcome to the party! Glad to have you with us.
Esbilon
Seven Thousand Club
I see, you're leveraging Blissful Betrothal for all it's worth. You are absolutely right as far as I can see
Sorry about the misunderstanding.
Red Shadow Claws
Six Thousand Club
We will start the game tomorrow. I have to get some sleep.
Archene
Keeper of Balance
Awesome! Rest well! ^^
Epiphany
Proverbs 17:9
Thanks again for running the game in the first place, boss!
Esbilon
Seven Thousand Club
I never really know what to do with myself in a cold open like this one. Are we anywhere in particular? Are we in the same place, do we have anything riding on this competition? Is it the only thing the court cares about atm?
Esbilon
Seven Thousand Club
I am, as you are probably unsurprised to learn, not in fact a great poet, so I'm taking Kiriko's poetry from various online sources (so far this one seems good). I'm guessing that most of them follow the 5-7-5 pattern in Japanese, but the translations do not. Anyway, in this case, the poem is meant as basically a pad on the back and a hope for Kiri's victory, with her being the white swan, the other contestants being cherry-petals and the motionless breast referring to her winning while remaining perfectly composed as a Doji is expected to be. They've exchanged letters for quite some time, so Kiri should be familiar enough with Kiriko's style to understand what is meant. I'm also thinking that referring to her as "white swan" is a way of saying that even though Kiri does not dye her hair, she is still part of the Crane, it is an intrinsic property of her, not merely in how she presents herself.
Red Shadow Claws
Six Thousand Club
You have just recently arrived to court, and each of the clans gets the message that some younglings have been waylaid, and there is one suspected death. The entire court is abuzz with rumors, and while there is plenty to do, it does dominate the scene, after all, for such esteemed personages to be waylaid, and one possibly dead, would raise the hackles of any Clan so affected, whether it is one of their own who got hurt or killed, or whether it is the Crane or Lion in whose territory such a deplorable act was enacted.
Esbilon
Seven Thousand Club
I understand the political ramifications, it's my place in the world that leaves me puzzled, and what I can or should do about the political situation. Pure logistics for starters: Where are we? Do we know each other? Who else is in the room? What part of our clan's diplomatic mission are we responsible for? Stuff like that.
Red Shadow Claws
Six Thousand Club
OK
You are in the Imperial Court when the news are announced. Many pople are around, as this is the most influential of the Courts. You have seen one another before, and while you might not know each other well, you are here to create connections with the other Clans, and aid the other delegates in their work, and to do what you can to advance the causes of your Clan, whether political, mercantile (with treaties, generally not with actual Commerce), social, and any other needs.
On occasion you will be asked to do specific tasks.
You are in the Imperial Court when the news are announced. Many pople are around, as this is the most influential of the Courts. You have seen one another before, and while you might not know each other well, you are here to create connections with the other Clans, and aid the other delegates in their work, and to do what you can to advance the causes of your Clan, whether political, mercantile (with treaties, generally not with actual Commerce), social, and any other needs.
On occasion you will be asked to do specific tasks.
Red Shadow Claws
Six Thousand Club
Topaz Championship
The topaz championship is a yearly event, where the best students of each Clan can be sent to the competition. It is generally dominated by the Crane clan, due to the importance of Iaijutsu in determining the winner. Generally only Bushi enter the competition, since Iaijutsu is so important for winning it.
it is both a grand Gempukku ceremony (coming of age), and a prestige award for the winner, and his family/clan. Since it is a yearly post it doesn't carry real official powers, but it is a position of prestige.
The topaz championship is a yearly event, where the best students of each Clan can be sent to the competition. It is generally dominated by the Crane clan, due to the importance of Iaijutsu in determining the winner. Generally only Bushi enter the competition, since Iaijutsu is so important for winning it.
it is both a grand Gempukku ceremony (coming of age), and a prestige award for the winner, and his family/clan. Since it is a yearly post it doesn't carry real official powers, but it is a position of prestige.
solyrflair
Have Towel - Will travel
I did a quick Google search to learn that the town is in Crane lands, and is a port town. Are we assuming that we were in the capital and travelled here ahead of them, or would we have come from our homes/schools to meet here? How far into the crane lands would this be, or is it a border province to the Lion Clan lands? Just trying to figure how far we would have to travel if we went to find them. Is there anything special or notable about this town?
I am looking over things that were mentioned about the character, and hope to make some small changes tonite, before we get too far into the story.
At least I am familiar with the Topaz Championship.
Okay, I made some changes to the character sheet and added in background material (instead of the rules) for the Advantages and Disadvantages. I had forgotten some of the aspects of spells, so thanks for the reminders. I do expect to spend some time raising the rings with experience in play, but I think it might be better to start with awareness up a level. I think the skills based on it might be more useful than an extra spell per day and a little easier casting roll. But the insight given really helped me hammer this out.
I am looking over things that were mentioned about the character, and hope to make some small changes tonite, before we get too far into the story.
At least I am familiar with the Topaz Championship.
Okay, I made some changes to the character sheet and added in background material (instead of the rules) for the Advantages and Disadvantages. I had forgotten some of the aspects of spells, so thanks for the reminders. I do expect to spend some time raising the rings with experience in play, but I think it might be better to start with awareness up a level. I think the skills based on it might be more useful than an extra spell per day and a little easier casting roll. But the insight given really helped me hammer this out.
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Esbilon
Seven Thousand Club
@Red Shadow Claws I think we're all waiting for you. Unless you have something you think we should cover in our opening posts that we haven't.
Hi everyone,
I'm the person playing Shosuro Ying, one of the students you will be interacting with. I hope you all enjoy your game, as we are enjoying ours. Feel free to message me privately or tag me in a post and I'll do my best to respond.
Yours,
Guy.
I'm the person playing Shosuro Ying, one of the students you will be interacting with. I hope you all enjoy your game, as we are enjoying ours. Feel free to message me privately or tag me in a post and I'll do my best to respond.
Yours,
Guy.
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