this is a test...
Don't know how to change the subject line for this but...
Quick Poll:
Who would like to use the honor rules? If we use them, I think there'd be a group honor code (the 'general' code), and then each character would choose their own honor code from the list of options.
Or, whatever you people think makes more sense.
Thank you for the selection. I predict excellence from this game (otherwise I would not have applied). You should be proud to get such a strong showing in recruitment. Time for me to go read everyone's backstories.
I would like to use the Honor rules.
Thanks for the vote of confidence!! I will do my best to be worthy of your expectations.
Hu Xiang Lun
- Human Wizard
- LN
- Magister, Diplomat, Treasurer
Tsui Dawei
- Human Inquisitor
- LN
- Marshal, Enforcer
Narakumi Hayashi
- Human Slayer
- LN
- Spymaster, Councilor, Enforcer
Jade Moon
- Kitsune Sorcerer
- LG
- Councilor, Spymaster, Diplomat
Jian Xi
- Human Bloodrager
- LN
- General, Warden, Assassin
Hu Baolin
- Human Summoner
- LG
- Ruler, Diplomat, Treasurer
Xiang - we are prime candidates for a shared backstory. Presumably they are distant cousins, and have likely met in the past. Baolin comes from the merchant side of the family. Perhaps Baolin's family sold the trinkets that Xiang's family created, bringing them into contact several times over the years.
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Thank you for choosing Hayashi. I'm looking forward for our joint enjoyment.
Hayashi's backstory is up on Googledocs, with a link under Homepage URL. Everyone is invited to check it out. It is long (about 4-5 pages), but orderly-written, and inspired by setting material. It is also in line with the tone and spirit of the region and (possibly) AP.
@GM: I am fine with using the Honor Rules. I do wonder how far a ninja would go with them.
Although Hayashi is the 'archetypical ninja', I ask this: If we embrace cliches, may we not remember what made them so popular and original in the first place?
At any rate, I wish to bring up a few points.
Ground rules:
Does anyone wish for any ground rules before we play? It's best to address this beforehand. Are there any issues one prefers not to roleplay, or wishes to be toned down?
Contacts/Shared Backstories Suggestions:
Jian Xi/Jade Moon - Although Kitsune do not appear in his backstory, Jade Moon's theme (a lunar-attuned Kitsune) who is familiar with dark spirits (and healing) may come as great contrast to Hayashi's own theme.
Tsui Dawei - Tsui's familiarity with ocular personages and training in monasteries might have brought the two to meet at some point in the last eight years.
Hu Baolin - As a person imbued with the holy spirit of a dragon, fate may had them meet at some point. As a ninja of the Shadowdragon clan, Hu's spiritual aura may have been noticed earlier by either the clan or Hayashi himself, which can spur on many colorful ideas.
* Preferred Idea
I imagined Hayashi to be a servant of the group, not a complete equal. Even if given the chance, he prefers to be given direct orders from one character he designates as his 'commander', as one is to see later in the campaign.
An oracle character would work, as well as any character attuned to yokai.
If we happen to agree on something, I will PM the character in question to explain what I have in mind.
Flavor:
Although Hayashi is a Stygian Slayer who wields shortswords, longswords, and shortbows, those are but mechanics. According to flavor, his shortsword is a ninja-to, his longsword is a katana, and his darts are shuriken. This might be jarring or strange: I apologize in advance for having to do the mental conversion.
It appears that Baolin and Hayashi will get along quite well.
Thank you for selecting us I see great things in our future.
I'd vote for the honor system. Makes sense in an asian campaign.
For Hayashi, they have rules now for actual kunai if you wanted to use them. I'm not sure if Jian Xi would be known by anyone it's unlikely actually most of his time had been spent training with his old master or living with Jade Moon.
Ground rules? Like any house rules or more like social rules?
Ahh Burning Cloud Devil....now I need to go reread some books thanks Baolin, actually.....That gives me an idea. Shan Feng could have been an enemy of his and seek out Shan Feng's only living pupil. Yeah slight tentative connections!!!!
this is a test...
Tsui Dawei reporting in. I know there's a way you can edit thread names for PBP, but no idea how to do it.
Also honor is fine by me.
@Narukami: i'm big on flavor, but not on the ickier parts of society. So, I'm not going to have rampant chauvinism or racism against a human ethnicity. Racism against monster race (like orcs) is still OK in a fantasy style game because it's setting appropriate, given the orcs' predisposition and history. So, you may encounter Tengu prejudices or even someone who fears Kitsune, but that's it. There may be gay characters in the game, there's an interesting backstory to a few characters (inspired by the story of an actual Chinese god of homosexual love). But, if that's going to be an issue PM me (to avoid stickiness on the boards), and no one will ever have to know.
so that's 4 for honor, waiting on 2 others to check in
how do you guys want to handle maps? I'm fine with you guys having tokens and then moving yourselves around a GoogleDoc. I'm also cool with doing all the moving and stuff myself off of your mechanics-posts.
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@Hu Bolin:
That will be great!
@Jian Xi:
I meant social rules--everyone is aware of godmodding, but I assume (according to our recruited alignments) that the GM does not want us to go into wanton murder sprees or follow frowned-upon behavior.
Of course--since I myself am not in complete knowledge of acceptable social cues in the origin culture of my character (Minkai seems very Japanese to me), so I might miss something that is setting-specific when it comes to 'frowned-upon'.
@DM:
Very clear on flavor. I'm fine with tokens on maps. I'll strive to get my wishes across clearly.
I suspect we start once everyone reports in?
The honor rules are fine by me. Seems like this is going to be very fun :) I'm excited let's start. Do we want to go on and decide on kingdom roles or let that come later?
Edit: Nevermind just saw your Googledoc page.
So....I was thinking.....I've set up a Google site for a couple of games before....but I was thinking that for a game like this one it might not be a bad idea for me to do so again.
Also if anyone has or gets a weapon they'd like to see drawn I can draw them.
I've got some more asian weapons in the works but that's some of them.
Hopefully Baolin remembers some of my work from before.
Alright! Honor Rules it is!! Um... how about everyone read the rules and pick the code that best fits them.
Everyone gets the General Code because that's straight adventuring. Then, pick one of the other codes as you wish. You don't need to, though, and go straight General Code. Feel free to change the language as appropriate. So, a Wizard wanting to build an academy could use.. the political or criminal codes (same with a priest, actually) and we'll change the language where appropriate.
Because they mesh in so well, we'll use the Contact Rules, too, if everyone's OK with that?
@Jian Xi: go for it! I think that's a darned great idea! Would be cool to have everything stored semi-locally too, rather than my GoogleDrive folder labeled "ShogunMaker". It also contains monsters, maps, and stuff that will inevitably mistakenly share with everyone and spoil everyone. and those are some fine looking weapons!
Contact rules look fine for me and I guess I'd use the samurai code.
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Broad strokes of nations:
I'll post this in an actual doc... but here's a generic list. This is broad in the extreme, and a little bit on the stereotypical side. But, I don't think that can be helped in cases like this.
Lingshen: Ancient China in the 3 Kingdoms Era. Lingshen is sort of Qin China with it's emphasis on war and obedience to the King over 'book learning'. This is the China we see in war epics of Imperial/Historical China
Quain: Wushu China. It's kind of an idealized Spring and Autumn Period. Very focused on the ancient traditions of Lung Wa. This is the China of Crouching Tiger and House of Flying Daggers which are both set nearly 2k years apart, but eh.. whatever Hollywood!magic ftw!)
Po Li: Eunuch-dominated political Intrigue China. It's the Eastern-themed world of smiling faces and hidden daggers, with every word having a thousand meanings. It's like Game of Thrones, only without armies, but lots of magic and ninjas. It's the other side of Chinese war epics.... only y'know taking about the bad guys.
Minkai: Feudal Japan circa Edo period (ish). It's basically the Japan of historical anime.
Shokuro: same is Minkai, but with less corruption. It's the 'idealized' historical Japan anime, in which the rulers are noble and just.
Xa Hoi: Classical Vietnam (which is actually a pretty durn cool time I knew absolutely nothing about until I started reading up on stuff preparing for this game). They're ruled by a Sovereign dragon, and are sort of like Lingshen, but with a navy, and peaceful. They've never been conquered.
I'll add more in a bit. Working off my phone right now.
I'll need emails pm'd to me so you can edit your page or add anything from everyone except Baolin you should have access already from Marianasu.
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@Jian Xi: Just noticed Kunai. Thanks!
@DM: Thanks for the run-down.
It's sort of difficult seeing the reverse cultural influence compared to historic real life: Minkai is apparently the source of cultural dominance in Golarion, while historically it was Japan that drew its influences from China.
This helps put things in perspective regarding Japanese Yokai and the interaction between mythologies.
Edit: Contact rules:
I'm not sure if this mini-system is needed. The Giant's Diplomacy Relationship/Risk&Reward rewrite does the job by folding it into normal diplomacy rolls.
Yes, it's an unpublished houserule, but it's very commonly used--and one I recommend.
@Setting:
I agree--to a big extent, things are more harmonious with one another than in the Inner Sea (especially the Ustalav/Brevoy/Numeria/Worldwound juncture).
Yes we start once everyone reports in. And u have! So... I shall post once I return home. Needed to stop at the school and work on the garden for a bit.
@Narikami, Ya, the drawbacks of a western company producing and Eastern setting. They have to work with the tropes we're most comfortable with while also trying to remain true to the source material. I think they did an incredibly good job.
I'll need emails pm'd to me so you can edit your page or add anything from everyone except Baolin you should have access already from Marianasu.
"Many pardons. My jaw has dented the floor."
I'll need emails pm'd to me so you can edit your page or add anything from everyone except Baolin you should have access already from Marianasu.
"Many pardons. My jaw has dented the floor."
agreed! that is outstanding!
How is this for a healing accommodation?
You can use the Heal skill to spoof a UMD roll for curative wands. Mechanically, it functions as buying and using a wand through UMD with the standard DC. You get standard wand charges and prices. Flavor-wise, it's a box of herbs, stones, ointments, dried ingredients, pins, incense, ofuda (slips of paper with prayers written on them that stick to things through magic!), or whatever else is needed for your character's particular brand of healing jutsu. You make a heal check instead of the UMD, and the box functions as the appropriate spell. Cure Light Wounds wand = a Cure Light Wounds box, and so on. So, you'd need a separate box for Cure Moderate Wounds, Cure Serious Wounds, etc. For right now, we'll say this will work for the Cure spells, Remove Disease, Lesser Restoration, and Heal.
For right now, restoring levels and removing curses will need a divine caster.
Also, i have posted in the gameplay thread
Ok so I just finished adding a new page called "House Rules and it now has the Reiki box in it.
Hmmmm
That works, right? The reiki box is good for peeps? You're going to have lots of heal potions as well.
Did you email something to community@paizo.com to get the thread title changed? It is currently "this is a test to make sure this works".
Did you email something to community@paizo.com to get the thread title changed? It is currently "this is a test to make sure this works".
Good idea... I didn't realize that I couldn't make a new thread topic... Will email now
Emailed, so waiting for a response!
I will post tonight.
Does anyone have a crash course in ancient Chinese social norms? I'm thinking that Baolin would not need to deeply bow to the magistrate by merit of his nobility, going for a low bow or a fist wrap greeting instead. I could be wrong. Any advice?
I will post tonight.
Does anyone have a crash course in ancient Chinese social norms? I'm thinking that Baolin would not need to deeply bow to the magistrate by merit of his nobility, going for a low bow or a fist wrap greeting instead. I could be wrong. Any advice?
Fist wrap and a formal bow would be appropriate. But, he is technically the superior in station, so he doesn't need to do a deep bow like Tsui Dawei is doing.
Yay posts!
Hu Xiang Lun here. Sorry for the late checkin, I lost power late yesterday afternoon (EST), and I'm told it won't be back until 3 pm tomorrow. I'm on my phone , so if it's alright, I'll make the alias when I have power again. The honor rules sound flavorful, even if I haven't had a chance to actually read them, I'd like to use them.
And to the person who wishes to be distant cousins, I heartily approve of this shared backstory. May we bring honor to our House!
No worries, dude. RL happens.
Oh, just as a heads up... I'll be on the Big Island (the one with the active volcanoes on it) from April 2nd to April 4th. Because, I have the worst timing in the world and started a game 2 weeks before I have to take 50 8th graders to Volcano National Park on Big Island.
I'll have my iPhone, so I'll have internet access, but my resolutions on that weekend might come a bit slow. However, you guys are free to RP while I'm gone.
I'll also be gone from May 13-May 20th when I take a group of kids to San Diego for a national robotics competition.
also, i posted a quick doc giving a cultural rundown of the nations in Tian Xia. It's just a continuation of what I posted earlier. It's not exhaustive, by any means. I think the Pathfinder wiki, which is just copied from the Gazetteer, does a much better job of describing the nations.
And now Hu Xiang Lun is ready to join in. I have power and internet again, and so can post properly. I'll post in Gameplay forthwith.
And now Hu Xiang Lun is ready to join in. I have power and internet again, and so can post properly. I'll post in Gameplay forthwith.
Yay
@Jian Xi: Just noticed Kunai. Thanks!
Edit: Contact rules:
I'm not sure if this mini-system is needed. The Giant's Diplomacy Relationship/Risk&Reward rewrite does the job by folding it into normal diplomacy rolls.Yes, it's an unpublished houserule, but it's very commonly used--and one I recommend.
@House Rule: synergy bonuses don't apply to Pathfinder--I did a quick looksee, because I totally forgot about synergy bonuses--and ya, the bonuses he's talking about were relevant in 3.x, but don't happen in Pathfinder. Bonuses from feats still exist, though. Interesting. Eh, I'm only interested in using the contact rules for the honor point cost. Let's try using Honor w/out contact or any other house rules, and see how it goes. If we need to modify things later, we will. Sound fair?
The honor rules are fine by me. Seems like this is going to be very fun :) I'm excited let's start. Do we want to go on and decide on kingdom roles or let that come later?
Edit: Nevermind just saw your Googledoc page.
Would it be wiser to decide kingdom roles now, though? If you guys want, I'm down with that. I wrote the guide assuming you wouldn't want to. But, knowing who's doing what from the start may help with future builds and character development.
what do you guys think?
Side note: i emaield community@paizo.com about changing the gameplay thread title. So far, no love.
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If we don't count synergy bonuses, the system remains usable. The base idea is that instead of classifying NPCs on a scale from 1-5 and comparing requests with the rules, Diplomacy DCs are modified by Relationship (which can bump the DC by up to 10 points up or down), and Reward/Punishment (which does likewise).
But it sounds fair. Kingmaker as an exploratory campaign does not require as much interaction as say CotCT, so the idea may reasonably not be required at all. :)
If we don't count synergy bonuses, the system remains usable. The base idea is that instead of classifying NPCs on a scale from 1-5 and comparing requests with the rules, Diplomacy DCs are modified by Relationship (which can bump the DC by up to 10 points up or down), and Reward/Punishment (which does likewise).
But it sounds fair. Kingmaker as an exploratory campaign does not require as much interaction as say CotCT, so the idea may reasonably not be required at all. :)
it is an interesting take on diplomacy, though. :)
I will post tonight.
Does anyone have a crash course in ancient Chinese social norms? I'm thinking that Baolin would not need to deeply bow to the magistrate by merit of his nobility, going for a low bow or a fist wrap greeting instead. I could be wrong. Any advice?
I just looked up the kowtow on Wikipedia. Then I cracked a book I've got on the Opium Wars, where the refusal to do a kowtow was a factor in the diplomacy, but it was short on the details.
So is it safe to say the functionary dosnt like Jian Xi?
I just looked up the kowtow on Wikipedia. Then I cracked a book I've got on the Opium Wars, where the refusal to do a kowtow was a factor in the diplomacy, but it was short on the details.I will post tonight.
Does anyone have a crash course in ancient Chinese social norms? I'm thinking that Baolin would not need to deeply bow to the magistrate by merit of his nobility, going for a low bow or a fist wrap greeting instead. I could be wrong. Any advice?
the extensive research i've done watching movies :) seems to say that soldiers are just supposed to kneel super low, not exactly kowtow. I think kowtow is for supplicants?
So is it safe to say the functionary dosnt like Jian Xi?
I don't know why you'd have that idea...