OOC

I was having trouble deciding which character seed I wanted to use and then today I got a bit busy, but should have time to polish it off tomorrow. Is the character sheet info open knowledge or private. Or is only the secret and location private? Just wondering whether to post a finished character sheet or just submit it.

Only the secret and Ougi is private.

I've chosen my Ninpo and updated my character sheet. I also designed my Ohgi and put everything on my character sheet.

Good so far. You can add another Ninpo, since it's 4 ninpo in addition to the close combat ninpo. Also, which category do you choose for the imperial wrath ninpo?

I chose sorcery for imperial wrath. Unfortunately, spoilers don't seem to work on character sheets.

Well if you do not make the character sheet public no one can see it except you and the GM

So I decided to go with:
I like this backstory, but I was having trouble coming up with a thematic concept.

So I googled images of "American Ninja" for ideas and came across this woman/instagram model known as the Mermaid Ninja.I guess she competed on that TV show American Ninja Warrior. Her submission video for the show is on youtube where you can see why they call her "mermaid" ninja as she also likes to dress in mermaid cosplay.

Anyways, unique look and seems like a cool combo: Ninja Mermaid. So I'll use that as my thematic inspiration for picking skills, ninpo and ohgi. She seems almost anime, so I think it will fit nicely.

Personality-wise, I'm thinking my character will be more of a james-bond-type, although when she's using her English Tutor cover, she'll probably act more friendly/fun/approachable.

Name: Salacia (Sally or Lacy) Cove

Clan/Clan Goal: Hirasaka Agency/Protect Japan's national interests

Cover: Training to be a Japanese Spy with the current cover as an English Tutor from America

Conviction: Loyalty

Skills:
[ ] Tech - Hydromancy
[ ] Martial Arts - Aerial Arts
[ ] Stealth
[ ] Scheming (Main) - Trap, Investigation, Seduction
[ ] Strategy
[ ] Sorcery - Transformation


I still need to pick my Ninpo, Gear and Ohgi, but now I feel like I've got a better grasp on my character! I'll try to choose the rest tomorrow.

Name : Shinmen Takezō
Cover : Professional Dancer
Clan/Clan Goal : Kurama Shin (Prevent the rise of the Shinobigami)
Conviction : Bushido Code (self-improvement/honor/loyalty)
People : None

Skills
[ ] Tech ......... :
[ ] Martial Arts : Aerial Arts, Footwork, Hand-to-Hand
[ ] Stealth ..... : Disguise
[ ] Scheming . : Performance
[ ] Strategy ... :
[ ] Sorcery .... : Barrier

Ninpo List
... Close Combat Attack ... (Performance) ..... (Attack / 1 / *)
... Plot Restriction ........... (Barrier) ............. (Support / * / 3)
... Vibrato ...................... (Hand-to-Hand) ... (Equip / * / *)
... Silhouette .................. (Clan-Footwork) ... (Attack / * / 2)
... End of the Beginning ... (Clan) ................. (Equip / * / *)

Okay People represent those whose Secret, Location, and/or Ohgi are known by my character but what are these Secret and Location things and am I supposed to have them myself?

Chalrytharendir, cool concept, really like how you drew on outside inspiration. Can't wait to see the complete thing.

DeJoker, you can basically show your entire character sheet, except for your Ougi, and eventually your Secret.

To answer your questions:

Secrets are character motivations I'll give you once the game starts. Think of them like secret missions, which run perpendicular to your Mission.

Location is a binary status, rather than any specific location. Either you know someone's location, or you don't. Narratively, having a character's Location means you've managed to track down their movements. Mechanically, it means that, if you want to fight a person, you can if you know their Location.

Silhouette basically means that you can start on the same plot value as a certain character. See the rules summary for more on plot. The implications of this are that you can basically be in range 0 of any one character, but you don't get to choose your own plot value.

There's not much of an advantage or disadvantage to making Performance your Close Combat instead of Hand to Hand, as long as you can describe it well enough. One advantage is that you spread your skills out more across your Ninpo, so that, if Hand to Hand is locked off, you don't lose access to as many Ninpo.

Okay thanks saevikas I will re-look into that Rules Summary on Plot stuff -- also yeah I was thinking about it that based on his subterfuge nature of masking his ninja abilities as part of performing I went with Performance instead as the attack might be "verbal" or some other non-physical-hand-to-hand kind of thing if I am understanding the conceptual nature of these attacks

Also edited my previous post to show those aspects of the character that were to be public will submit this as a character sheet along with his pic but should I use his normal identity pic or his ninja pic ??

Whichever you want.

I'm almost done, but I need a clarification on Combat.

When you choose an attack, the skill associated with the attack isn't used to attack, the attack is automatic. The question is whether the opponent dodges. To dodge you roll against the skill of the attack.

Is that correct? Or does the attacker first need to make an attack roll of the associated skill to initiate the attack?

Basically following on from that is an Attack Check just a synonym for Dodge Check, or is an attack check and dodge check two different things?

Two rolls are needed, the attack roll from the attacker, and the dodge roll from the defender. They both roll using the skill listed on the attack.

If Dodger has that skill otherwise if they do not have that skill they have to go through the chart to the closest skill that they do have and roll that one amassing penalties to their roll the further they have to go -- is that correct??

Ninpo:
... Close Combat Attack ... Transformation ... A/1/0
... Ranged Combat Attack ... Aerial Arts ... A/2/0
... Mob Attack ... Hydromancy ... A/4/0
... Counter ... Trap ... S/2/2
... Expertise (Hydromancy) ... --- ... E/-/-

Gear:
... Bead of Life
... Soma Pill

Ohgi:

Dejoker, that is correct.

Looking good Chal.

It was really hard to pick! I wanted all the ninpo 😆

Still not convinced this is the right combo for my character. I kept switch things in and out thinking "oh that's really thematic" but it seemed mechanically weak, then I'd find a cool combo, but felt out of character, and so on ...

Anyways, I think I found an okay balance that's also sticking with the relatively simple moves, which is probably good for the first time. You never really know how all the game elements interact until you see them in play.

Are we going to play with 3 or are we waiting for one more?

I don't know, those that I invited haven't joined. If they don't join up, I'll just make an NPC or something to even out the numbers.

Yeah I went with theme - mechanics be danged - if I lose I lose - I would rather maintain theme of a character over exploiting the mechanics