1st Scroll - The Will of Nobles - 5th - 6th Days

[jemmus]

Going to move things forward, because the dice say this is just a regular day of travel along a highway. Gakusho Taisho of course wouldn't know that, so he can (and according to his pattern of doing things, ought to), cast spells for the day. Shugenja Haruto can do the same. Young Haruto got shugendo, as well as on yesterday (Day 4). Please remind me to add the shugendo. But, without further ado, the journey for the day....(

Though the bushi stood watches all night before the kuge's room's sliding shoji doors, nothing of event happens in the Fujimi-cho post station. The travelers arise early and the kitchen staff feeds them on the shush. The kuge rises a little later, and the group gets on the highway. The kuge still in the lead, still impatient and wheeling Omi's warhorse around. Come on, come on! Come on! The kuge wheels the horse around again, then dismounts lets the horse have its head, and holds onto the ends of its reins. Fujimi. "Fuji-see." Yes, everyone can see Fuji-sama from here. The kuge sits down, in apparent unhurried happiness. All enjoy the view of Fuji-san, rising high above the plain.

[Marullus]

Haruto sleeps soundly in the room with Ito and Omi, unbothered as the others take turn at watch. They find him up and outside with the dawn. He has several small relics positioned around him and has drawn a tomoe symbol with three swirling commas upon the ground with charcoal. He meditates and prays while the sun crests the horizon.

Haruto again accespts Taisho's aid in securing the pair of chests on his horse and he is content to walk, leading it, along with the unhorsed bushi. When the Kuge stops and the gaze upon Mount Fuji, he finds himself next to Taisho. "It will be good to get to know you better," he says to the Gakusho, "I am accostomed to life at the Shrine, not travel among bushi. What do you do to honor the Kami on the road?
Do you make shrines when you settle? Do the Kami speak to you without them?"

....

Kentaro alone still rides, still pacing solemnly next to the Kuge, still serious in his dedication to the role of yojimbo. When the Kuge abruptly dismounts, Kentaro remains mounted in a guarding position, masking his emotions with duty. He cannot help but glance, however, at the haunted forests on the Fuji's side, where Katsumi slew the peasants and started their current troubles. He recalls the lamenting voices of the the foxes... or were they spirits? This is no time for faraway superstitions, he chides himself, taking out his token from the shrine and turning it over thoughtfully on the palm of his broad hand.

[ffilz]

I hadn't thought about what form Taisho's devotions look like but he certainly does something every day before offering blessings to the travelers. I welcome any suggestions as to what that looks like.

Hmm, did I miss a blessings roll? GM just prompt me for the roll once it's clear on a given day that it might be relevant.

In response to Haruto: I have traveled the roads with my father, bearing loads, until it was time I took up the priesthood as a younger son who wasn't going to inherit my fathers business. We always offered devotions on the road in the form: fill in the blank Since leaving home for a pilgrimage to Fiji-san I have continued those devotions and I'm happy to share them with you.

[jemmus]

This will be an uneventful travel day, but Taisho wouldn't know that. He can rewind and cast blessings, trance, etc. the way has been doing. He would get the shugendo for it.

[ffilz]

This will be an uneventful travel day, but Taisho wouldn't know that. He can rewind and cast blessings, trance, etc. the way has been doing. He would get the shugendo for it.

Are you sure he should get Shugendo for every day of blessings? That seems like it's a Shugendo mill. My thought would be that Shugendo should only be awarded for blessings when they have the potential to impact things. Your call though.

Healing 3 rolls allocated Ito, Omi, Ito:



Since the 1st roll restored Ito to full, the 3rd roll would have been applied to Omi, both are healed up.



Blessing for Akemi:

[jemmus]

I think Taisho should get shugendo in this case, because I went ahead and posted before Taisho had a chance to post morning actions. He didn't know the day would be uneventful. I think it's only .2 shugendo (two successful healings). Now I see why shugendo awards are so small. PCs can get them every day just by rolling d20s.

[jemmus]

Some ideas for RPing Taisho's Shinto devotions are in a post in the Campaign Setting thread.

[jemmus]

I'm going to say that Haruto's use of Astral Space to hear his father's prayers require 20 Power cost. Because it's a traveling of the kakuri-yo to a very, very specific place and time. It's not just entering and observing notable things, but going to a very specific and private thing. It would be much more difficult if it were anyone or anything except Haruto's father, whom he knows well and can easily identify and head toward on this plane.

Please note that other humans and entities sometimes or often travel and observe in the kakuri-yo "hidden/hiding world".

Haruto gained .2 shugendo (10% of Cost) for Day 4's Astral Space spell during the night at the inn. PCs' daily log updated. Going forward, I think a BCS roll is needed. But the scene was great for story-building this time. (Arigato!) Also, it looks like Haruto's sheet is missing the Power score (Wit +1d10 at 1st Level).

[Marullus]

When I was adjudicating Taka's spirit combat I searched for all references to the Kakuri-yo and noted thus section with "may travel to any location with which he is familiar at the speed of thought."

Code: Select all

The Shugenja may overlook the physical world from Kakuri-yo. He
may travel to any location with which he is familiar at the speed of
thought. He expends 1 point of Power for every 10 Ri or less travelled
in this manner. Once in a given location, he may move as if physically
present, although he may pass freely through walls and doors unless
these are magically reinforced. He may pass through the barriers
created by the Castle Spell only if he has used the same School as
the Castle to enter the Astral realm.

What I missed, though, is that this is from a specific spell requiring 85 knowledge in a school.

That implies that without that spell, you remain at the physical location of your body.

I house ruled for Taka that she could move with a BMA based on Will but with risks for being away from her body. Since those risks are now important to plot, I will keep that.

If you want to allow the watching his dad, perhaps he invented a lesser spell that only works for blood relatives, or inside Shinto shrines, or both?

Either way, I don't know what a Ri is and if you say 20 power, that is fine. Also fine if we retcon the whole thing.

[jemmus]

Very interesting. Astral Senses - Agreed, it seems that the character doesn't move in the kakuri-yo. He detects local magic and can see local spiritual things in their true forms. I suppose his helpless body could be carried around so he could perceive things in different places?

Walking the Way - That's the spell you described that allows movement in the kakuri-yo. It seems to be like Astral Senses, but allows travel.

A ri is 2.44 miles distance. There are three ri per hex on the map. Haruto was 12 ri from his father when he did the spell at the inn in Fujimi. Traveling 10 ri (24 miles) requires 1 Power, so would have used 1.2 (round to nearest, so 1). I'm going to say that's in addition to the 20 for Haruto's special spell that lets him hear thoughts. And that he can only do that with his blood relatives (father and siblings).

I still don't understand how how we determine how much Knowledge in a school or yoga a character has. A can't find a rule in the books. Any insights or guidance? I might modify the above when I understand Knowledge better.

[ffilz]

Very interesting. Astral Senses - Agreed, it seems that the character doesn't move in the kakuri-yo. He detects local magic and can see local spiritual things in their true forms. I suppose his helpless body could be carried around so he could perceive things in different places?

Walking the Way - That's the spell you described that allows movement in the kakuri-yo. It seems to be like Astral Senses, but allows travel.

A ri is 2.44 miles distance. There are three ri per hex on the map. Haruto was 12 ri from his father when he did the spell at the inn in Fujimi. Traveling 10 ri (24 miles) requires 1 Power, so would have used 1.2 (round to nearest, so 1). I'm going to say that's in addition to the 20 for Haruto's special spell that lets him hear thoughts. And that he can only do that with his blood relatives (father and siblings).

I still don't understand how how we determine how much Knowledge in a school or yoga a character has. A can't find a rule in the books. Any insights or guidance? I might modify the above when I understand Knowledge better.

Knowledge in a school or yoga is the 0-99 score so for example, Taisho has 20 with Karma Yoga.

[jemmus]

Where does the 20 figure come from? Taisho's Wit ability score of 20?

[Marullus]

Schools and Yogas are Fine Arts Skills. Initial value equals Wits. Afterwards they are all trained normally as separate skills.

[jemmus]

Ah, I think we said before that Knowledge equals Wit, until further study of the art is done. Looking at Haruto's sheet, how did you determine the scores for the schools? Four are at Wit, but two are at 0. Sorry, I don't mean to be lazy, I've read the section on magic a few times and just can't decipher it.

Wow, so Walking the Way at 85 is a very advanced spell. I think we need to revise what's required for Haruto to cast his customized version of it.

-Will need a successful BCS roll. BCS determined by his Knowledge of the spell.
-Must have done the steps of ritual purification (washing face, hands and mouth, chanting a liturgy).
-If not in a shrine, -1 to BCS. If in a Class A shrine, +0. And so on up to +5 for a major Class F shrine.
-A successful Sacred Dance BCS roll adds the effect number to the spell's BCS. (Haruto doesn't have Sacred Dance skill, but you could revise the PC if you'd like. Taisho could be revised too. Successful Sacred Dance rolls could provide some bonuses along the way. Or you could just roll as unskilled (BCS 1).
-Still limited to immediate blood relatives (father & siblings).
-Still costs 20 Power and 1 Power per 10 ri traveled. As seems to be pretty standard, the Power is spent whether or not the BCS is successful.

Pretty stringent requirements, but I want to reflect some of Walking the Way's difficulty as an advanced spell. Any thoughts? Spot any potential issues?

[Marullus]

Ah, I think we said before that Knowledge equals Wit, until further study of the art is done. Looking at Haruto's sheet, how did you determine the scores for the schools? Four are at Wit, but two are at 0. Sorry, I don't mean to be lazy, I've read the section on magic a few times and just can't decipher it.

He has three, not four (the fourth thing you're seeing is his Magic Capability stat, and isn't a skill). His sheet has Power on it - make sure you have the right one here.
You get 1 free, then need to buy additional ones as Fine Arts skill picks. He gave up two other picks to get three schools.
Same for Taisho.

Spell Discussion:

Wow, so Walking the Way at 85 is a very advanced spell. I think we need to revise what's required for Haruto to cast his customized version of it.

-Will need a successful BCS roll. BCS determined by his Knowledge of the spell.
-Must have done the steps of ritual purification (washing face, hands and mouth, chanting a liturgy).
-If not in a shrine, -1 to BCS. If in a Class A shrine, +0. And so on up to +5 for a major Class F shrine.
-A successful Sacred Dance BCS roll adds the effect number to the spell's BCS. (Haruto doesn't have Sacred Dance skill, but you could revise the PC if you'd like. Taisho could be revised too. Successful Sacred Dance rolls could provide some bonuses along the way. Or you could just roll as unskilled (BCS 1).
-Still limited to immediate blood relatives (father & siblings).
-Still costs 20 Power and 1 Power per 10 ri traveled. As seems to be pretty standard, the Power is spent whether or not the BCS is successful.

Pretty stringent requirements, but I want to reflect some of Walking the Way's difficulty as an advanced spell. Any thoughts? Spot any potential issues?

I think it is overkill, honestly.

Walk the Way does a LOT of things, and reducing effect is the best place to start. It lets the Shugenja move to the spirit world, travel at the speed of thought, spy and observe everywhere they are, cast spells and use all their basic abilities while both invisible and invulnerable to the material world, not to mention journey to Heaven, Hell, the watery underworld, and the spiritual realm of the Kami in person.

You're proposing a limited single effect, being Clairaudience and only applicable to blood relatives. I think that's appropriate for a smaller version.

A BCS roll should be required for a spell, so that's fine.

Purification could be fine, but this really is a Shugenja thing more than a Kami thing - he's not summoning a Kami to tell him what his father says, he is scrying through their blood connection (which is not Shinto). Same issue but moreso with Sacred Dance - it will never come into play because he doesn't have it, but I think it doesn't make sense because he's not impressing the Kami with this spell or effect. Having benefits or hinderance on the BCS based on being in a Shrine could work, though... I do like that best of the three.

TBH, a 20 point cost is ridonkulous. No other spell is that high, and it basically means it is the only thing he does in a day (having only 30 points). I didn't intend to argue about that, though - having him only use it at sunset on a day when he's not done other things actually probably is sensible and how he developed it. (A lonely child missing his family)

What I'd recommend: Since you liked the "blood relatives" limitation, that makes it fit within the Soil school. It could be Kn 20 like "Pure Blood" or Kn 22 like "Pure Thought." If you had gone with the idea that "it only works in a Shrine" and is therefore powered by innate spirtual connectivity of the Kami realm, that would be a Wood School. By making it 10xLoS he can pay 10 Power per Hour, with Hours up to Level, so it gets more scaleable. Alternatively, you could have tiered effects based on Level of Caster so it scales up - hearing only one voice, hearing the location, seeing, two way communication, etc.
The one thing I'm proposing extra is a range of Touch instead of Self so he can guide someone else in meditation to make it have wider plot use for other PCs.

Voices in the Blood
Kn: 20 Range: Touch Cost: 10x LoS Duration: 1hr per LoS
The Shugenja can open the potency of lineage in his blood, gaining the ability to hear any words spoken by an immediate blood relative or ancestor. He is still present in his own body and cannot speak with or answer the relative. If he is not in a Shinto Shrine when he invokes the spell he suffers a -1 BCS. If in a Class A shrine, +0. And so on up to +5 for a major Class F shrine.


Whateveryou decide is fine - I am answeringbecauseyou asked.

[jemmus]

Thanks, that helps me a lot in understanding spells and spellcasters. We should write a guide to demystifying Bushido rules-- for the few people who might still pick it up as a new game. Discussion of the proposed spell also in spoilered text.

I was seeing the spell as a limited Walking the Way. But if it's only clairaudience limited to close blood relations-- agreed, that's different. I was thinking in terms of being in the kakuri-yo, moving to one specific location, being able to spot other entities in the kakuri-yo, and intercepting one specific interaction/communication. Tough for a novice shugenja not even close to Knowledge 87, thus all of the hoops to jump through for preparation and procedures.

The proposed Voices in the Blood spell seems reasonable. I'll post it in the House Rules thread as exclusive to Haruto only. But I'd like to add two things:
-"If in a Class A shrine or beside a kami rock, tree, or other marked kami place, +0." So that kami spots in nature are treated as Class A shrines. Because they are spots for shrines, but in places that don't yet have the lay population or Shinto staff available to properly maintain a permanent shrine.
-"Requires meditating, accessing and going into the kakuri-yo. But with low levels of visibility, increasing according to level." More on that in the Campaign Setting thread.

[jemmus]

The travelers continue south along the rises and bends of the Koshu-Kaido highway, forested mountains in autumn foliage to each side. The bushi, shugenja, gakusho and shinobi are watchful for any dangers appearing to the kuge, but all is quiet except for birdsong from the mountains and the occasional wind through the leaves. In places yellow, orange and deep red carpet the roadway.


Many times, at rises and at certain bends, Fuji-san can be seen dominating the view to the south. At one of these times, the kuge quotes a haiku:
O snail,
Climb Mt. Fuji,
But slowly, slowly!
Akemi contemplates it a moment and her face lights up in a smile. She says in a small voice, Kawaii! ["So cute!"]


In the afternoon the slow-moving party is overtaken by a troop of six armored bushi on horseback and 12 ashigaru on foot. The bushis' equipment shows the kamon insignia of the Takeda. They ride forward, look the party over, and demand of mounted samurai Omi, Who are you all to wear o-yoroi on the Imperial highway? And what's your destination? Omi rather scowls at them and, without a word, produces the letter the lieutenant ninyo Sawaguchi gave him. Fine, the leader of the bushi says. But private subjects of the Empire cannot wear o-yoroi in Kofu. Their are no exceptions. If you want to wear armor, you can join the ashigaru corps. The troop continues on.

The roadway begins to descend into a valley and fields. Peasant women cut dry yellow rice stalks with kama and peasant men tie them into bundles. The buildings of a proper town on the highway are seen. The travelers approach and are stopped at a checkpoint by armored bushi. They are again challenged about their o-yoroi and again Omi silently presents his letter. The party enters the town and the highway becomes a street with a tavern, a tea house, and various shops to each side. They soon find the town's postal station inn. It's now around an hour before dusk.


The kuge dismounts. You will again guard my person at all times until the morning, he says to Omi. How you choose to do it is up to you. Haruto again arranges with the innkeeper-post master for the kuge's stay.

Actions? Also, please decide if Hiroshi takes a watch tonight.

[ffilz]

Hiroshi will take a watch if accepted.

[Marullus]

Kentaro sits his horse impassively -- A solid, armored, implacable presence next to the Kuge -- as Omi steps forward on foot to present the letter at each challenge. "He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious," he says calmly, quoting his grandfather. He never waivers in his duty.

Once they reach the village, Kentaro excuses himself. "While you settle at the inn, I must see to finding arrows," he demurrs, "I will return and stand guard again after as much as you require."

...

Having settled the Kuge's matters at the inn, Haruto also excuses himself for meditation before dinner, trying to time for dusk, knowing his father's habits.

Enter the kakuri-yo...
Astral Senses [1d20]=16
Astral Senses [1d20]=10
He sits to the side of the main room, placid as he meditates upon a straw mat. As his Senses expand, he inspects the Inn and its proprietors for unseen threats and mysteries.

Listen to his father...
Voices of the Blood [1d20]=16
Voices of the Blood [1d20]=13
Voices of the Blood [1d20]=6
He listens to his father's voice for comfort. Despite the disturbing behaviors on the road, surely his father and those really in power must have things in hand...

[jemmus]

Kentaro rides the street and soon sees a shop with the character ya written in katana. Apparently so that there is no mistake, there is an image of a yanagi-ba painted on it in ink. Inside, the ronin sees a workbench, stands holding soaked bamboo shafts to straighten them, bundled arrow shafts, feathers hanging on the wall, and various tools and pots of liquids. The fletcher greets him with a courteous nod. Regrettably, I have only a few hiki-me [humming bulb arrows] available at the moment. The samurai have bought everything I have. And indeed, they wouldn't be happy to know that I've sold arrows to a private subject instead. But since you wear o-yoroi, I assume you are on official business. I can have 12, maybe 18 arrows for you by morning, if you'd like to order. But that's assuming the blacksmith has completed at least part of my order for arrowheads.

But regrettably, you would have to pay a premium. The blacksmith has raised his prices because of the demand, like everyone has for everything else. And I would have to pay my assistant for requiring him to work until late night. He quotes prices for the types of arrows.

Willow Leaf (Yanagi- ba) 8 copper
Bowel Raker (Watakushi) 12 copper
Armor Piercer (Togari-Ya) 10 copper
Humming Bulb (Hiki-me) 6 copper

Haruto enters the kakuri-yo and checks the inn for hidden entities. He is relieved to see or hear none. He then, with some effort, listens to his father's prayers. They are in substance a repetition of yesterday's prayers: entreating Amaterasu-kami to not let the conflict between the Minamoto and Taira escalate into total war and atrocities being committed by both sides; that the Takeda leaders remain faithful and not intrigue against other or commit treachery; that his son the ninyo meet the challenges of the position well, and if sent to battle, that he be calm and courageous; and that rather callow and innocent be safe out in the secular world.

The travelers follow the same routine as the previous evening in an inn. Dinner, separated by castes. Bathing. Standing watch. Ito and Omi confer with each other and assign Hiroshi a watch. The watches are in this order: Omi, Hiroshi, Kentaro, Ito. During his watch, Hiroshi notes that the lamp in the kuge's room glows through the paper of the shoji sliding doors late into the night. In the still and quiet nighttime inn, he can here the sound of brush on paper throughout the three hours of his watch. Just before Kentaro relieves him at midnight, the lamp goes out and sounds of the kuge settling down to sleep are heard.

The night passes without incident. With another day of smooth travel, the travelers should arrive in Kofu.

Need to calculate Haruto's shugendo for Day 4 and today. Voices in the Blood is 10 cost, so .1 shugendo per day, correct? Astral Senses costs 1 power per detailed turn. It seems pretty limited, since the shugenja can't move around in the kakuri-yo or otherwise. Can see magical things' true natures and detect magic, as in D&D. Going forward, Haruto will need to say where he is casting Astral Senses (the inn's main room, the kuge's bedroom, etc.) To scout an entire inn, I think he'd have to enter a room, cast Astral Senses, go into trance, return to the mundane, move to another place, and cast it again. For Day 4 and today, let's say Haruto spent 6 power each day doing that. 6 power / 10 = .6. .7 shugendo total each day. If I'm missing something, please let me know.

Please deduct the usual costs for a night in an inn and stabling horses. In the morning the bushi will have to decide about wearing o-yoroi. If you decide to carry it instead, porter's trunks can be bought in this town (Hokuto) for the somewhat inflated price of 12 sp (rather than 10 sp). Porters can probably hired in a town of this size as well.

Actions for Day 5 (including Kentaro's interaction with the fletcher)? And please state any actions for the morning of Day 6, before starting to travel.