1st Scroll - The Will of Nobles - 1st - 3rd Days

[jemmus]

That's correct Enoch. I posted all of those details since it took me a while to sort everything out, and I thought a walk through might be helpful. Also so you guys can catch anything that I didn't get right.

The -3 for running goes to the PC's ninjutsu BCS (Base Chance of Success). So Katsumi's BCS of 14 would drop to 11 if he ran. Walking only lowered his BC by 1. The roll was higher than Katsumi's ninjutsu BCS, so he was detected.

Something I found out:
shinobijutsu - Allows the character to move silently.
ninjutsu - Allows the character to move unseen and silently.

[Marullus]

How do you want to handle entering combat and Detailed Turns?

[jemmus]

As I understand it, Bushido doesn't use rolls for initiative like in D&D. Instead, the order of actions in Detailed Turns is fixed according to each PC's Base Action Phase (BAP), which I thinks is determined by the Speed attribute. [Correction: It's Deftness. Speed determines the Maximum Number of Actions]. I was thinking of posting a chart for us showing the order of the PC's Primary Actions and Secondary Actions (if that's the right turn). No matter what order that the players post, the action happen in the order of the chart.

That may be too elaborate or unwieldy for PBP, though. I suppose we can experiment and see what works and what doesn't.

It's kind of nice that it turned out that the first Detailed turn will involve just one PC (Katsumi). And it will probably be a straightforward bugei fight. Easy to handle and we can all experience how the system works.

[Enoch]

Just want to confirm a few things about the kyoketsu-shoge (which ninja can use with kusari-jutsu). The rope end is listed as long-range, doing 1d5 subdual damage, and has entangle and trip.
The knife end is short range and does 1d5 lethal damage. The Returning Hurl okuden lets me throw it (up to long range), but I have to use shuriken-jutsu to do so, and I can retrieve it with an action.
Otherwise, to use the knife end I need to be in short range of them.

My BAP is on action phase 15 (Speed and Deftness are his key attributes), with actions on 10 and 5. If I understand correctly, I can take any Base or Primary action on my first action, and (since I have a Zanshin of 1) my other 2 actions need to be Secondary actions.

[jmacatty]

At the campfire:

Uesigi rises at the sound of screams. I believe we should move in the direction of that noise. He then moves towards the sound, placing his hand upon the hilt of his Katana.

[jemmus]

Thanks for the information about the kyoketsu-shoge. It sound right, but I'll check the rules to confirm.

That's my understanding of Actions as well. With Zanshin 1, the second and third actions are Secondary Actions. Secondary Actions are at half BCS (rounded to the nearest whole number). I checked the rules and your Action Phase numbers for three Maximum Number of Actions (MNA) are correct.
BAP is 15
2nd AP - 2xBAP/3 (round down). 10
3rd Action - BAP/3 (round down). 5

If the character has 2 MNA, the second Action Phase is the BAP/2 (round down).

This stuff isn't looking as complicated as I thought it was. The acronyms and the jargon make it sound like you balancing chemical equations. But there's a kind of a common sense rationale to things.

Katsumi's BAP is highest of the three characters involved, you can proceed with your BAP Action when you're ready. Katsumi is 2 yds (long range) from NPC with the tree branch and 3 yds (extra long range) for the fleeing NPC.

Edit: I don't think Katsumi has the okuden skill for the weapon yet. The way I read the rules, those have to be learned from a skilled teacher. Is that how you guys read it?

[Enoch]

How are they armed and armored? I assume one or both is within half my movement- how far apart are they from each other? (Given that I effectively have two different-length weapons, my action will be different if they're right next to each other vs. apart.)

[Marullus]

"Wait, Omi-San," says Kentaro as he grumbles and gains his feet, still dressed in his heavy armor with the no-dachi on his back. "It will not do for you to get lost alone. Perhaps I can track them to find our way."

He leaves his horse and samisen at the campsite, looking to Taito and Ito. "Perhaps you can wait to see if he returns? That way all of us don't get our blood drained by vengeful ghosts..."

I will try to lead us there slowly with tracking... it would be less honorable to come upon Katsumi doing things than to fail arriving in time.
Tracking [1d20]=4

[jmacatty]

Okuden are separate skills and must be learned just like any other.

[jemmus]

How are they armed and armored? I assume one or both is within half my movement- how far apart are they from each other? (Given that I effectively have two different-length weapons, my action will be different if they're right next to each other vs. apart.)

First of all, let me revise something. I think Detailed Time started as soon as the peasants detected Katsumi. Katsumi's BAP let's him take an Action first. At that point the older one is ahead of Katsumi toward the left and the other toward the right. They are around 2 yds from each other. Each are 4 yds away from Katsumi. Neither has any armor or apparent weapons.

Please roll a d20 to break a tie with an NPC or NPCs for one of your Action Phases.

Revised scene:
Glancing over their shoulders, the peasants see Katsumi shadowy form moving through the dappled white moonlight filtering through the foliage above. He is only around four yards behind them. He speaks in a soft voice. "Always know who you are lying to. Now I'm afraid I can't let you leave here alive." The younger of the two rustics screams a wide-eyed scream of fright.

[Enoch]

Okuden are separate skills and must be learned just like any other.

That's generally true, but ninja taking Kusari-jutsu as one of their starting bugei have special rules. I don't know if I start with a BCS in it or just have the ability to train it:

1056.3 Variations on Non-Ninja Skills
Kusari-jutsu
The Ninja may use this Bugei to fight with the deadly Kyotetsushoge, a lethal blade-and-rope combination. When using the Kyutetsu-shoge, the Ninja automatically has the use of the Okuden called The Returning Hurl.

BAP Tiebreaker: [1d20]=8

Katsumi circles past the older peasant, closing the gap with both of them. Suddenly he releases the whirling ring, sending it whipping toward the fleeing man's legs.

I'm going to be pretty explicit about my thoughts and actions here, as we're all using this as a learning experience. Please feel free to question or correct as needed.

On Action Phase 15 (my BAP), I can take a Basic or Primary action. I'll choose the Close to Engage Basic Option, which lets me move up to 1/2 of my BMA and execute an attack on the same Action Phase.

I will close to 2 yards from each, which places both of them in Engaged status (1116.2). Assuming that tree branch has at least Medium range (like a katana), I'm also in Engaged now, even though I'm currently out of his range.

I will attempt a Trip attack (1117.1) against the fleeing peasant. I assume I'm probably in his rear facing, given that he's running away from me (+10 BCS)(1117.3), and I don't see any other modifiers that apply. I assume they're wearing Peasant Garb (AC 1)(1103.6), giving me an effective +9 to BCS. That leaves my Adjusted BCS at 20 (not surprising given that I'm striking at an unarmored opponent from behind at ideal range).

Kusari-Jutsu (Adjusted BCS 20): [1d20]=17

My Effect Number is 3, so the fleeing peasant suffers 3 Distractions and must make a Speed Saving Throw or fall to the ground. If he falls, he also has to make a Health Saving Throw or lose his next Available Action Phase (a critical failure on the Health save causes him to suffer a Stun Critical Effect).

The rope wraps around the man's legs, and Katsumi yanks hard on it even as he menaces the older man with the hooked blade in his right hand.

[spanningtree]

I will remain here for the moment. Ito says a bit confused.

[jemmus]

The mountain is called Neno-san. It is famous for it's shrine to Fuujin, the Shinto god of wind. It is also notorious for its Forest of Souls, which superstitious people believe is haunted by the spirits of the dead who were not given proper funerals and cremations. Visitors to the Fuujin shrine can gain On, because doing so draws the risk of drawing the Wind God's permanent attention. Farmers shun the shrine. Sailors and ship captains are equally divided between wishing to someday make a pilgrimage to the shrine or loathing even the mention of the kami's name.

The party of travelers, each passing this way for each his own reasons, is camped at the base of the trail leading up to the shrine. Whether one chooses to enter the shrine or not, it is one of the well-known sites of Nippon. Few travelers passing by Neno-san miss the opportunity to visit Neno no Fuujin Jinja.

[jemmus]

Kentaro and Uesigi depart the circle of firelight and enter shadowy moonlit woods. The rough sloping floor if the forest is carpeted with the autumn's fallen oak and maple leaves. Kentaro sees a clear trail of leaves pushed aside or overturned, wet side up. This is the way the peasants went as they hurried away.

Taito and Ito by the fire look to the woods and listen. Kentaro's horse restlessly raises a front hoof, then exhales a long snorting breath.

The quick Katsumi is on the peasants before they have a chance to move. The ring and rope of his kyoketsu-shoge whips toward the ankles of the peasant to his right, but the wily countryman reflexes make him hop and draws one foot up, as if avoiding the strike of a snake. The ring circles back to the ninja. He is poised to strike at man to his left with the blade of his strange weapon.

The peasant won his Deftness ST. Katsumi can do to his 10 round Action, the NPCs can't act yet. The peasant to his left hasn't had a chance to move an pick up an improvised club yet. Both peasants are AC1 (common clothing).

[Enoch]

I'm assuming this is because he made the save to avoid being knocked down? It's a Speed save, not Deftness, if that makes any difference (I imagine their stats are the same in both). He will still suffer the 3 Distractions.

I have to use a Secondary action now. I'll strike again (Trip) at the fleeing peasant, since he still has his back to me- I need all the BCS boosts I can get for this. Half-BCS is 6, +10 for being in his rear, -1 for AC, is an Adjusted BCS of 15. Hopefully those 3 Distractions also apply to his save!

Katsumi hisses in annoyance as the younger man keeps his footing and stabs toward the older, keeping him at bay for a moment. He sends the ring lashing toward the younger once more.

Kyoketsu-Shoge trip (BCS 15): [1d20]=17

[jemmus]

The iron ring strikes the farmer's calf and rebounds away. The older peasant dashes a few yards forward and to the left, toward a large fallen tree branch with many branchlets.

Kentaro and Uesigi follow the trail through the forest. It's rather slow going, tracking in filtered moonlight and moving down a rough slope with tree branches, logs and boulders. Branches catch at their shoulder and skirt pieces.

Sorry about that, Speed applies rather than Deftness. The NPC's scores are the same for both attributes. Yes, he made the save to avoid being tripped.
Now to phase 5. The peasants both have BAP 5, so they're tied with Katsumi. The older farmer beat Katsumi's tie-breaker roll and went first. The younger one tied Katsumi's roll. Because of his distractions/restrictions, Katsumi goes first (third and last action for this Detailed Turn). The younger man is still in the same position. The older one moved 3 yds angling forward-left. He's now around 4 yds away.

[Enoch]

The ring is hardly in Katsumi's hand before he's sent it whirring toward the younger man's legs again.

Trip Attack BCS 15 (Base BCS 6, +10 rear facing, -1 armor): [1d20]=4
Well, that's 11 Distractions, and he needs to make a Speed save or fall to the ground (if he does fall to the ground, he needs to make a further Health save or lose his next action).
He's Engaged, which limits his options somewhat.


As the rope entwines the peasant's legs, Katsumi sets his own, grips the rope in both hands, and gives it a sharp tug.

[jemmus]

For the third time in six seconds, Katsumi's rope and ring shoot forward. The ring spins around the man's left calf, winding the strand of woven hair around it. In an instant his foot is jerked out from under him. With a cry of Aa! he crashes forward, hands out to try to catch himself.

Uesigi and Kentaro hear a muffled cry, perhaps 150 yards ahead down the dark mountainside.

Spoiler text revised after it was first posted.

He didn't make the Speed ST this time. No spoiler about whether he made the Health ST to avoid losing his Action next round. But with 11 Distractions, he might be too disoriented to act anyway.
End of the six seconds of Detailed Turn 1. Katsumi with the highest BAP again goes first on Turn 2.

[Marullus]

"Carefully, Omi-San," says Kentaro as they turn towards the Scream, his tracking having paid off. "We must watch for footing and threats..."

After warning about rushing in blindly, he matches the Samurai's pace and follows his lead towards the sound.

My BMA is 5 and so is Umi's; we can walk 50 yards per minute and still make notice checks at -1, or can run 100 yards per minute and make no notice checks at all.

So, it will be either 15 or 30 of the six-second Detailed Turns before we get there.

[Enoch]

As the younger man tumbles to the forest floor, Katsumi skips away, the ring already humming in a flat plane paralleling his body. As he closes on the branch-wielding farmer, the plane shifts to skim over Katsumi's head, and again the ring lashes out, this time toward the older man.

Again with the thought process, since this is a new system: it looks the younger farmer is facing some difficult setbacks from that last Trip. At the very least, it's an Action for him to stand from prone. Unfortunately, with a Zanshin of 1, only my first Action each Detailed Turn can include movement (Secondary Actions explicitly don't include movement), and the farmers have spaced themselves out somewhat.

My current plan is to close to a yard from the older farmer (the ideal distance for a Long weapon (1116.3 and chart), which will give me a -1 BCS), try to Entangle him, then use my remaining actions to stab him with the knife (a range longer than ideal for the knife, again imposing a -1 BCS), since (although the rules don't explicitly forbid it) it doesn't make sense for me to be able to strike him with the ring while I'm using the ring end to Entangle him.

Trip Attack BCS 9 (Base BCS 11, -1 armor, -1 range): [1d20]=13
As I understand it, the peasants both have a BAP of 5, so the next Action is mine. I will again attempt to Entangle, this time at half BCS:
Entangle Attack BCS 4 (Base BCS 6, -1 armor, -1 range): [1d20]=10