[OOC] General

Hi everyone, welcome and thank you for joining my game!

We'll be using this thread for out of game discussions and questions and any other general chat. For quicker responses, it's okay to use Discord as well. I have the habit of switching back and forth.

As advertised, I imagine there might be players with differing experiences in play-by-post, as well as in different game systems. I'll be making a point to explain everything in more detail as I go along, at least at the start, until you're reasonably confident about how we're proceeding with this game.

Happy to see everyone!

Discord channel, in case anyone missed it.

A character sheet is up in the Resources section. I welcome attempts to make it better or prettier if you're so inclined!

Welcome to the crazy random range of OSR style rolls! It ain't D&D where everyone starts with the same point buy, but I understand how it might be less enjoyable to feel disadvantaged from the start.

I'll make a judgement call on how to balance things up if necessary. But do note each class starts with different stats, they aren't meant to be equivalent, just like their various abilities and equipment aren't equal.

What can I say? Bonus points on the monkey art for sure! :D

I'd invite this character over to a new Usagi Yojimbo game, which I've long considered running too! Happy to get in on some anthropomorphism. (In fact, my GenLab Alpha game is currently short of players: only two PCs, an ape and a deer, are currently left).

Also, no rush to confirm that leprosy, there's an affliction table waiting to be used when the time comes!

Alrighty, as we get close to starting, I'd like to check with all of us on our lines and veils. This game is Borg-themed, which means generally grimdark, violent, apocalyptic, with some horror. And it has a death mechanic related to seppuku, or ritual suicide.

That said, I'd like us to state our no-go areas: these can be entirely taboo, ie lines we do not cross, or implied and 'off-screen', ie veiled. This list needn't be exhaustive; if something occurs to you later, it's okay to bring it up. By agreeing to play together, we will respect each other's boundaries in this matter.

Also, as GM, I retain the right to invoke any safety measure necessary if for some reason our posts make some of us uncomfortable. I will be consultative on this, of course.

Thanks for all your views on this. We will address issues if they do come up.

On the topic of magic, magic is corrupting and unpredictable in this setting. The darkness that overtook the land transformed what would have been a more realistic world into a greater blurring of the lines between the mundane and the arcane.

Test

Thanks again for all your replies. I will honour them.

I realise six of us are all set to go, so let's get started! I'm starting you off with individual threads, and I've tried to use some feature of your background or skill to give context to what you're doing, or why you're currently in the situation you are in.

We haven't established whether you already know each other or not, so I'm going to let your paths cross first before we establish that. I've deliberately left all names blank, so please fill them in when appropriate, ie who was the person you offended, who your immediate superior was, what was the name of the temple/inn/castle etc.

The first main thread is also up, but you can't post there yet until or unless you all meet. Please read that for context, there will be a few more there to set the scene.

No worries, I was pretty clear I didn't need a background write up from anyone, in the spirit of OSR which leans towards emergent play (let the details come out as the story develops), rather than have a fully developed history.

So in Ikari's case, I started with your key feature: a bakuto with high thievery and pickpocketing, to suggest he would be a skilled member of a gang. There could certainly be factions between different gang, or clearly defined turfs. What you do next might reveal some of that. I implied the curse might be affecting his ability to do his job, but intentionally left the details blank (maybe it's just bad luck, or maybe the curse is getting worse, maybe Ikari might finally want to figure out why this is happening). I can follow up with some directions on your thread once you've had a chance to post an initial response first.

As for PCs already knowing each other, I have a suggestion for that too! Check out my table in the Character Creation thread! If you've aleady written something, we can always retcon a little if necessary, it's early days yet.

Just in case it is hard to keep track of where everyone's starting locations are:

Ikari, Kayo, Satoshi are all about to travel out of Heian, the former capital. Ikari is seeking to shake his current misfortune. Kayo is trying to avoid a vindictive enemy. Satoshi needs to find his contact.

Kenji revived in an abandoned temple, unsure why strange activities are afoot.

Genji is about to leave his temple in search of, enlightenment?

Tomoe, as befitting a ronin, is on the road, in this case the mountain road.

That said, I realise that some of us have written up a starting narrative that puts everyone together already. We can do that too, though that'll fast forward through your individual threads, and I wasn't about to resort to the classic reunion among friends at an inn as a starting point. May I recommend instead we let your meetings emerge as the starter threads unfold?

New posts incoming! Taking a moment to juggle all your starting propositions to that they all make sense as a whole. Especially with a bunch of suggestions flying around.

Jomsviking, I'll get to your submission in a moment as well. For consistent thematic flavour, how about a japanese-inspired name for your character?

You'll find that that's exactly what Jiggedy's character (who owns war armour) would understand if he walked anywhere wearing his armour. (We're not playing japanese-flavoured D&D!)

That'll cost you 2 ryo in terms of bookkeeping. :P (I don't think any of the PCs will run out of ryo though, so I'm just accounting).

Oh, Bakuto start with a tanto, it's listed on the class page. Further on, yes anyone may use any weapon, although some have restrictions.

I was just about to ping you @gtg620q to see how you were feeling. Pneumonia really takes its toll on a body! Hope you have a chance to rest and recuperate properly.

I was holding back commenting on it when Jiggedy rolled for a missing arm, knowing what I had planned in the story. Maybe I could've changed my details to have our poor constable have a missing leg instead. :P

I'm prepared for the PCs to choose either way! I believe you'll have a different, ahem, encounter depending on what you choose.

Nope, no roll needed to search (that's more D&D than OSR). OSR-wise, specify what you're looking for: eg are you looking for more of Nira's body parts? are you looking for what might have attacked him around here? or maybe some lateral thinking, do you want to examine the blood on the statue? do you try to clean it up because it's inappropriate to left it like that?

Most definitely maimed. But it's a slow maim ... the blood rains might eat everyone up even before you get anywhere.

Looks like a normal meal, two bowls of rice, a fish to share, soup.

Slight long weekend slowdown, new posts tomorrow!