OOC Discussion

[jemmus]

This game seems to have run out of steam, and the posting pace has never been very quick. Which I think is an indicator that it's not a game where people are immersed and waiting to see what happens next. So I wanted to get people's thoughts about ending this game and moving on. If people are interested, we could move to a regular mixed-professions game with more action and combat and less focus on stealth. That would let subaltari develop a classic bushi character, with no concerns for going on ninja stealth missions. Here are some ideas for how that could work.

-Players could keep their current PC, or roll on the Birth Table and make a new one. If keeping the same PC, they would still be members of the Kumo clan. But of the clan's group of individuals sent out to freely roam Nippon, with no assignment other than to periodically report their observations of the world to the clan.
-Players keeping their Kumo clan characters would get some downtime training time to improve skills and attributes. Players making new PCs would get Karma points (5+) to spend on the new character. (Karma points add to the pool of initial points to assign to Attributes. Or they can be used to move the roll on the Birth Table a step or steps up or down.
-If even one player is interested in this kind of game, we can do it.

If anyone wants to continue the ninja-themed game, we can do that too. Or if people want to just reduce their load of games by one, I completely understand that too. Bushido is pretty niche, with the crunchy rules system on top of the feudal Japan setting. We'll wait until Rex is back in the game to finalize anything, but please let me know if you have any thoughts.

[ffilz]

I’ve been wondering about the viability. I’d be willing to give the mixed game a chance. I’ll have to decide whether to keep my ninja or try a Gakusho again.

[Grognardsw]

I’d continue with Jinsei.

[Marullus]

I am good to continue Kaida.

We all need some downtime and a Level, man
Level 1 characters are hard!

I think some regular adventure/combat will suit better. The verisimilitude of ultimate Stealth, low skill, and compulsory suicide if caught did make it a bit risk adverse on this one. We failed and aborted twice on what was supposed to be an easy first job... taking a year and a half.

[subaltari]

I'm sorry I stalled out on joining the game, due (though not entirely) to launching a PbP of my own.

I'd like to get the new character going and I'm still fond of the idea of a big, ungainly bushi in the Kaido clan (if only for the quirkiness). He could come along as the bodyguard and 'minder' for the other clan members in the group, mixed or not.

Or... should I roll for his social class and see what comes up?

[Marullus]

In Bushido, the answer is "always roll!"

[jemmus]

Whichever you prefer is good. I thought rolling on the Birth Table was fun. It forced me to build a character and their backstory around a fixed parameter. But being a member of the eta Kumo ninja clan would do the same thing. It looks like we already have two PCs who are members (Kaida and Jinsei).

For this game you may want to drop any ninja-related skills (ninjutsu, hensu-jutsu) in favor of some more fun bushi skills, of course.

[jemmus]

"The Road Goes Ever Onwards"
"Also known as 'There and Back Again'"
Also known as "The Hobbit."

Bushido has also been pronounced "bloody." "Everyone rolls in Bushido." The long road full of peril awaits....

[Rex]

I would keep Fuma, but mixing up the action more sounds good.

[Grognardsw]

Happy holidays

[Rex]

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!

[jemmus]

Ho ho ho!

[jemmus]

Happy New Year!

[Rex]

Happy New Year Everyone!

[jemmus]

Sorry for the delay, and I haven't forgotten this game at all. But the next step is Bushido's version of leveling up (going to Level 2 plus doing downtime training, with teachers of various levels and with various circumstances. It's pretty crunchy and a wonderful opportunity for the tactically-minded player to make hard build points allocation decisions along the way.

When I invited GrognardSW and Rex to join, I explicitly promised Grog that he wouldn't have to read a new rules set to be able to play. And implicitly promised Rex the same. Our friend Marullus (a master of the subject) has posted a summary and a guide to such (above). From that fine basis, I'll post in your private threads. let you decide on your PC's direction (our just bow out). We'll carry on with the adventure in old Nippon, even if it's just a few PCs, or even a solo one or two.

Until next weekend I'll be taking care of personal situation. (Older sibling's hospitalization, medical decisions, and legal/property collection and assignment) matters. That's just the way it goesMy posting will probably erratic, but there may be periods of downtime and opportunities for posting more boolsheet.

[ffilz]

I need to catch up. I'm pretty sure I'll create a new Gakusho. So I start with Level 2. The downtime training also?

[jemmus]

Yes, 2nd level and the downtime training also. Could be a pretty capable gakusho. And a well deserved experienced veteran one.

[Grognardsw]

Hope things go smoothly on the home front.

[Grognardsw]

I updated the Jinsei sheet to 2nd level. I'm not sure the sheet recalculated BCS numbers, but there are so many I may have missed it.

For the requested Jinsei Learning Rate, the average of his Wit (10) and Will (10) is 10. Thank you Jemmus for looking at the chart for this.

Jinsei will seek the highest level sword and stealth teachers in the village.

MY COMMENTS IN ALL CAPS

To start with, Fuma, Jinsei, Kaida and Minoru can update their character sheets from Level 1 to Level 2. The sheet should automatically update with the new BCS scores. If the skill is a bonus skill for the character, the level is added. So if the PC has kyujutsu at 55, their BCS is 55 / 5 = 11. At level 2, +2 is added for BCS 13.

I INTEND ON UPDATING THE SHEET TO 2nd LEVEL AND HAVING IT DO THE UPDATES.

Training to increase skills in martial arts (bugei) or peaceful arts is more complicated. The PC's Learning Rate is taken into account, and that's determined by the average Wit and Will scores. If you guys will post your averages, I'll check a chart and let you know the Learning Rate. (The rates differ by the character's profession).
Or if you want to do your own calculation, the chart is at 1043.7a.

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THE CHART TO LET ME KNOW LEARNING RATE.

Another factor is the level of the teacher. Teachers with a higher level than the student grant more points in the skill earned per week. In The Village there are teachers of superior level in all of the arts the PCs know.

JINSEI WILL SEEK A SWORD TEACHER AND A STEALTH TEACHER IN THE VILLAGE.

[ffilz]

I'm wondering where we are on this. I do want to play, and I want to play a Gakusho instead of my ninja, but I'm finding it hard to get motivated to go through the chargen even though it isn't THAT much effort.