Fuma and Jinsei

[Grognardsw]

So with that closet, have we effectively searched this bedroom?

On places to hide from the approaching person, the closet(s) is large enough? Is the bed of a type one could hide under?

[jemmus]

There are five closets on the east wall and five on the west wall. Fuma has opened the two northernmost closets on the east wall. Then he ran to the west wall to pick the lock of the northernmost closet. He and Jinsei have just opened the next closet to the south on that wall. So, three closets on the east wall and three on the west haven't been opened.

There's no bed. The futon mattresses are laid out on the floor every night and stored back in a closet every morning. There's the desk shielded by screens at the northwest corner of the room. There are also two low tables around two yards long and two feet high in the center of the room.

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma will hide behind the screens.

[Grognardsw]

In the closets we opened, is there one with large enough space to crouch inside and hide? Not one of the closets with futon, in case a servant is setting up beds for the night.

By our timeline, it’s around 9:45. We chose that time as its early enough that most people don’t do to bed.

[jemmus]

Yes, every closet is 2 yds wide each and 3 yds high. Each has one shelf at around belly button height. So two compartments in each of the four closets opened. Jinsei and Fuma saw that the lower compartments contained similar stuff as the contains at eye level. E.g., a closet with cosmetics and combs and brushes on the top shelf had similar (but fewer and older or more used/more out of fashion/cheaper) items stored in the lower compartment.
The young ninja get observances and from their expeditious, audibly undisguised investigation of the four northernmost closest of the great bedroom.
-The bedroom is very capacious for only two people. The absent merchant and the wife barking orders to guards outside.
-Half of the four sliding shoji doors so far have been protected by a lock. Six more remain, three here on the west wall, three more on the east wall where Fuma started.
-It seems that the merchant residents have more closet spaces than accumulated possessions to fill them.

Fuma moves back to the northern wall and behind it's screen. Jinsei casts his eyes about as he decides on a move.

No random initiative rolls in Bushido, chars with higher Deftness (and derived Base Action Phase (BAP) go first. Fuma's Deftness is 20, Jinsei's 25, the Classic Man's 10. Both PCs have atemi-waza (karate) skill, which does Subdual rather than Lethal damage. In other words, the same HP damage, but with bruising rather the cutting.
They may have other useful skill that GM hasn't/won't check out and note.

[jemmus]

I posted this in the Kaida and Minoru thread, and it's something Fuma and Minoru would also know, so posting here too. I'll say that it's not necessarily a hint or a or a clue. It's just information that the nakama knows.
When the nakama first entered Kofu, they went to the Registrar's office and registered, then passed a gambling house on their way to casually scout out the merchant's house. On the road to it, they saw that there are trees behind the north wall of the compound. Probably a small area of wild maple woods between buildings and houses.

[Grognardsw]

Trees noted. We came over the north wall.

Is there room in one of the lower closet spaces for Jinsei to fold himself up into?

The Stalking Shadow ki power I see on the sheet (Focused power. The Ninja becomes invisible as if under the spell of Shadow Cloak. He also leaves no footprints. The effect lasts for 1 Detailed Turn per point of Effect Number to the Focussing roll.) How long is a Detailed Turn and how many Effect Number points do I have?)

[jemmus]

Jinsei's sheet shouldn't show any Ki. The information is probably a leftover from a shared sheet. He'll get a Ki point at 2nd Level, if he takes a Skill to 99, or takes an Attribute to 40. Increasing Skill or Attribute scores happens with downtime training. Survivors of this mission should have a chance to train at the Village.

The closets are all 2 yds wide. Jinsei could hide in the open one, which contains bedding. Either on the shelf or on the floor.

[Marullus]

Shouldn't he have one Ki? (Level gives Ki)

So, a focusing roll needs to roll a 1. The effect Number is the amount between your roll and the difficulty, which at 1 can only be 0.

...it is the thing in the game most oriented to high-power PCs.

[jemmus]

I don't know, how do you guys read these rules? I always thought that PCs have to go to 2nd level to get their first point of ki.

1061.1 Gainlng Ki
The score in Ki may be increased in several ways. As with Attribute
scores, it may be necessary to keep separate track of permanent vs.
current scores.
One (1) point of Ki is gained each time the character accomplishes
one of the following acts:

Master a Skill: When a score of 99 points is reached in a Skill, a point
of Ki is gained. The Gamesmaster may withhold the Ki increase if the
mastery is received as a gift of some God, or by some means other
than study.

Gain a Level: When a character advances a Level in his Profession,
he gains a point of Ki.

Increase Attribute to 40: Characters achieving the maximum
possible score in an Attribute, 40 points, receive 1 point of Ki for
doing so. If a Player Character is designed so that he starts play with
an Attribute at 40 points, he still receives this benefit.

Meditation: The Art of Za-Zen (Meditation) may be used to gain Ki.
Once a character has mastered this skill, he may continue to study it.
Such study is at a Hindrance, since the character possesses a score
greater than 60 points in it. The additional Study does NOT increase
Attributes.
Each time a new total of 99 points is gained by this method, the
character gains another point of Ki.

Enchantment: Certain very powerful magical artifacts can help a
character gain Ki. Likewise, the Gods can grant Ki to their
champions.

[ffilz]

I did some Googling about Ki in Bushido.

One comment - Bushido does mention Level 0.

The only reference i could find is that Dyson Logos assumed Ki 1 for a starting character:

https://dysonlogos.blog/2009/05/09/bush ... -shugenja/

[Grognardsw]

Speaking as one who knows little about the rules, I would say that yes of course it’s a 1 Ki at first level

Are there level 1 pregen characters in the rules or modules who also have 1 Ki, like Dyson’s character?

[Rex]

No expert on the rules, but from that read I would grant 1 ki to a level 1 character.

[jemmus]

OK, we have a strong consensus. PCs have 1 ki at first level.

[jemmus]

2012.2 says Named Human NPCs have ki points equal to their level. So it looks like we're doing it right.

[Grognardsw]

Jinsei secreted himself in a closet, listening for anyone entering the room.

[jemmus]

Turn 8 (96 seconds after entering the mansion)
Fuma quickly goes behind the standing screens to conceal himself. Jinsei climbs into the closet full of bedding and slides the door shut as quickly as he dares, while trying to not make a noise. The young ninja begin to try to silence their breath, their very thoughts even. Immediately there's the sound of the door to the southwest sliding open and stopping with a click of wood on wood. The intruders hear the sound of the steps of a light body with tabi socks on its feet enter the room. A small woman or a half-grown child, perhaps. Fuma sees that the person carries a lantern that lights this area of the large room. Jinsei's training and common sense says that the person must have a lantern to have entered, because the bedroom was tar black. The footsteps go to the east, and it seems if the person is walking to look around the room, checking. Then the steps curve back, coming to the west along the the north wall that the shinobi entered from. They approach the area of the screens. Three yards away from them.

I made an offscreen Detection of Hidden Things roll. In Bushido, characters get them passively. For example, they're not actively watching out for vipers, but with a successful DoHT roll, they happen to glance and spot the one under the bushes beside the trail. The same applies for screens and closets.... But it would take a pretty cunning person to suspect that someone's there, and then feign not suspecting and walk around the room before investigating.

Actions? Any rolls on skills, use of ki, or anything else? (Posting a discussion of ki in the rules discussion thread).

[Rex]

Fuma

Fuma remains still.

[jemmus]

Jinsei and Fuma hear from the roof above the yowling and hissing of a cat that's about to go into fight. The signal for abort.

[Rex]

Fuma

The person is still in the room, correct?