White Cloud City OOC

[Dorni]

IC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?584683-White-Cloud-City-IC)
Discord (https://discord.gg/J9GeTU)



Player
Character
Academy Name
Concept
HP
AC
Init
Per
VP


Hyperbolic Sine
Kuroda Tsugiharu (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=23812361&postcount=6)
Sugimoto Tsugiharu
Troubled Assassin
60
21
9
11
3


Zetion
Mateo Alvarez / El Diablo Blanco (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?p=25694293&postcount=200)
Keiji Muto
FOR THE HONOR OF THE MASK
54
19
2
1
4


Tonberryking
? (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=23812945&postcount=10)
Kotetsu
Hengeyokai illegitimate heiress
54
22
6
7
4


Zelphas
Yamazaki Shiori (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=23812534&postcount=7)
Nyx Shiori
Dreamwalker
78
18
3
9
2



Notes:
Adarata uses the Vanguard (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?240364-3-5-The-Flash-Vanguard-Class-amp-Lightning-Fox-Discipline) Class.

System: D&D 3.5
Player Count: 4-5
Style of Play: PBP here on the GitP forums. The game will feature both tactical combat (plenty of it) and roleplay, but roleplay and storycrafting will be emphasized. The game will be episodic in structure, featuring adventures focused around discrete events with significant downtime between them. PCs are starting as teens but will graduate and be adults.
Allowed Content:
PHB/DMG
Tomb of Battle
Magic Item Compendium
Spell Compendium
Path of War Classes (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war) and Disciplines (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers). Any bonuses to CMD are instead applied to the relevant maneuver (Trip, Disarm, etc) described in the maneuver.
PoW Feats are allowed
PF Feats are allowed
For PF sources treat any skill rank requirements as increased by 3 (to account for how the systems handle skills).
GITP Martial Discipline Compendium By Request* (See Below) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?255468-Homebrew-Martial-Discipline-Compendium&p=13879133&postcount=1#post13879133)

Oh, as a note to everyone: the Giantitp Homebrew Martial Discipline Compendium has broken links for the MinMax forums links. At least, when I try to click on them, they redirect to a 404 not found type thing. I was able to find the list on the MinMax forums (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=6265.0), which has working links.

Backstory: (See Below)
Experience: Level 3
Wealth: 2700gp
Ability Scores: 32 point buy
Hitpoints/Health: Max HP for all HD. After adding Con, Multiply the total by 1.5. Example: A 3rd level Fighter with 14 Con has (10 (HD) + 2 (Con Mod))* 3 (level) * 1.5 = 54HP

This results in large hitpoint pools, and this is intentional. It has been my experience that the default hit point pools simply don’t scale fast enough to keep up with the damage scaling as martial adepts grow. It isn’t particularly difficult to create a martial adept that has the potential to 1-round kill adepts of the same level; I want combat to be about clashing martial arts styles and heroic combat, not a test to see who won initiative and lands the first hit.
Alignment: Any Non-Evil
Races: Human. Humans have the following characteristics:
+2 to any 1 stat
4 extra Skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level
1 Bonus Feat at 1st level
Additionally, all characters get the following benefits:
1 Additional Bonus Feat at 1st level
Choose 1 of the following: 1 Exotic Weapon Proficiency or +2 bonus to any 1 skill
Background: Choose any 1 skill that relates to your character’s background. Maybe as a noble you were trained in Diplomacy from a young age. Maybe your father hunted magical beasts and passed on his Survival skills. You gain that skill as a Class Skill and gain 5 free skill ranks in that skill. You cannot exceed your maximum skill ranks in this way.
Feats: Feats are gained at every odd level (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc)
Ability Boosts: At 2nd level, and every subsequent even-numbered level, characters may may apply a +2 Enhancement bonus to one of their ability scores (or increase an existing enhancement bonus by +2, to a max of +6). This bonus may not be applied to the same ability score twice in a row.
These changes are intended to facilitate as many styles of play as possible. In particular, I hate Feat starvation and am granting the extra bonus feats mitigate that somewhat and to let feat-heavy builds come online a bit earlier. Exotic Weapons are also something I gripe with - there are a lot of exotic weapons that provide a unique flavor or open up interesting fighting styles, but there are relatively few of them that are worth spending a feat on. I don’t want that to get in the way of enabling variety.

Classes
As this is a very martial-heavy setting, Tomb of Battle and Art of War classes are encouraged. Other non-magical classes are allowed as are martial variants of the same. I ask you provide a description or link if you intend to use a martial variant of another class. Spellcasting classes are not allowed. Hybrid spellcasters such as Bards should use a non-magical or martial variant. Disciplines may come from Tomb of Battle, Path of War, or the GITP Homebrew Discipline compendium. I will consider Disciplines from other sources - send me a link or source for my review.

Banned Disciplines*

Broken Blade (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?122533-The-Broken-Blade-(3-5-ToB-Discipline)-PEACH) - This school is specifically designed to specialize in defeating martial adepts. I like the school myself, but martial adepts and the clashing of fighting styles play an integral role in this setting. I’m not allowing a school explicitly designed as a hard-counter to martial adepts.
Jade Throne - This school is just extremely powerful - it’s an absolute damage hose that also has mobility boosts and excellent defenses including a skill-check-in-place-of-any-save Counter. It’s just very strong in every category with no real shortcomings to offset that.
Ocean Tempest - The ability to make a full round of attacks as Touch Attacks with a multi-round boost providing escalating bonuses to attack and damage per successful attack and another boost to deny the target their dex for a full round? Going to say no on that.

Note: While my default answer to allowing disciplines from the GITP compendium is ‘yes’, I reserve the right to ban additional Disciplines from the Homebrew Martial Design Compendium - it is too large to go through every Discipline individually up front. However, I cite the above disciplines as well as my reasoning for banning them to try to communicate where my point of balance lies and give you an idea of what I wouldn’t allow. If you have a question about a Discipline, please ask.

Hide and Move Silently are combined into a single skill: Stealth.
Spot and Listen are combined into a single skill: Perception
Balance and Tumble are combined into a single skill: Acrobatics
Climb, Jump and Swim are combined into a single skill: Athletics
Concentration gains the uses of Autohypnosis. Autohypnosis is removed.
Disable Device gains the uses of Open Lock. Open Lock is removed.
Profession skills may be used in place of a Knowledge skill for relevant questions.
Appraise gains the following use: Identify Magic Item. Magic items may be identified with a check of DC 15 + items CL to create. No retry. Attempting to identify a magic item requires at least 1 minute.
Heal gains the following use: Treat Wounds. A skilled medic can attempt to treat their own or others’ wounds. This requires a DC 15 Heal check. On a success, the healer restores 1hp to the target per round, lasting 10 rounds. The user must use a Standard Action each round to maintain the effect. This is a touch-range effect. For each 5 points by which the check result exceeds the DC, increase the hp restored per round by +1. Using Heal in this way requires a Healer’s Kit and counts as 2 uses of that kit.
All Knowledge skills are treated as Class Skills by all classes. What you're able to learn depends on who you are, not arbitrarily based on what class you chose.
Spellcraft gains the functions of Psicraft & equivalent skills. UMD gains the functions of UPD & equivalent skills.
Knowledge (Arcana) gains the functions of Spellcraft. Spellcraft is removed.

Retroactive skill points are allowed at time of character creation. Afterwards, no. If you have any skill in a skill that has been combined into another as a class skill, you gain the combined skill as a class skill.
I of course encourage players to pick knowledges based on whether the character will have it rather than on pure utility. That said, here are some knowledges that I expect to be particularly relevant.

Arcana - Humans cannot use magic innately, but magic is still part of the world. This skill will cover sources of magical power in the land, magical formations and interactions, recognizing magical abilities possessed by demon beasts, and has some tertiary use in identifying magical craftsmanship
Demon Beasts - This is the bardic knowledge of Demon Beasts. Other knowledges can provide more specialized information about particular creatures or abilities, but this skill is useful for identifying demon beasts and getting a broad overview of what they can do.
Geography - The wilds are hostile. Learn important techniques to navigate them!
History - White Cloud city has a long history, with many clan feuds and tradition that date back many years. This skill is useful because understanding the past can shed light on the present. It can also occasionally back-door into other knowledges by, say, recognizing that type of demon beast from a story.
Local - General knowledge about White Cloud City itself and clans, the districts within it, and how people live. Focuses on practical knowledge / commoner's perspective. For instance, this skill can identify various organizations and nobles in the city, but won't be able to reveal much specialized knowledge about them.
Martial - This one should not require explanation
Nature - Animals, plants, nature spirits and natural phenomena. Can identify more beastial type demon-beasts and their role in ecosystems.
Nobility - The Great Clans and nobility of the city. It covers identifying nobles, understanding of political matters, matters of court and court etiquette, and gives specialized information information about noble houses and their roles/holdings in the city. Has some overlap with Local, but from a noble's perspective (imagine a noble who is a political genius but knows nothing about how normal people live).
Streetwise - The underworld of White Cloud City. Recognize what are the safe places, what places are less safe, which guards and magistrates are known to be corrupt. Overlaps with Local, but from an underworld perspective.


GM note: These changes are intended to streamline some skills by combining them with skills that do functionally the same thing (ie, Hide + Move Silently) or to combine often-ignored skills into a more attractive package (ie: Athletics). Appraise and Heal are gaining new functions because they are often-ignored skills that also happen to dovetail very well with core game needs (identifying magic items and healing respectively) that are normally handled by magic spells that would otherwise be unavailable in a non-magic setting.

Overall, the skill changes are designed to make some normally unattractive skills more attractive, and in a world without magic I expect that certain skills which are normally rendered obsolete by spells will retain their usefulness. Additionally, many martial disciplines require skill checks as part of some maneuvers. Combined with the changes to Crafting, my overall hope is that skill choices become more meaningful.

Magic is alive and well in the world, just not in a form that allows humans to cast spells as a traditional wizard or sorcerer. Magical forests and springs with wondrous effects dot the wilds, while herbs and other materials can be harvested that have magical properties.

Most importantly, the very demon beasts that would wipe out humanity also provide their own gift; inside each magical beast’s body forms a crystal that contains the creature’s essence. These magic cores (commonly called soul gems) vary in power based on the creature that they came from, growing in power as the creature does. These soul gems can be harvested from slain beasts and are prized as they are a crystalized source of magical power, which skilled craftsmen can weave into their work to create magical armor and weapons. Skilled inscriptionists can also pour their power into complex inscriptions (scrolls) to create magical effects. It is these arts just as much as the vast array of martial Disciplines that allows humanity to endure.

Note: Crafting in this game (should anyone pick a crafting feat) will be handled mainly through Downtime Actions during the timeskips between Adventures. This is primarily due to the nature of the adventures; the adventures will tend to focus on discrete events that will span at most a few days in which the characters will be actively adventuring or responding to events. I will not rule out mid-adventure crafting, but I don’t expect much of it to occur given the time requirements on crafting magic items. The list of Crafting feats below is not exhaustive and exhibits the basic pattern in which a character picks a Craft skill and then takes a feat which enables the character to create magic versions of the items normally created by their profession.

Other than the obvious need of making crafting magic items possible in a setting with no spellcasters, part of the intention behind these crafting changes is to reward (and require) investment in the appropriate crafting skill in order to advance one’s trade - as should be expected. Becoming the greatest weaponsmith in the city isn’t something to be done overnight. It also serves to democratize crafting skills, making them available to anyone who is willing to make the investment. Further, becoming a crafting specialist remains an investment; while most characters shouldn’t have too much difficulty allocating skill points to a single crafting skill if they wish to do so, taking up multiple crafting skills should be an investment.

Inscriptionist
Prerequisite: Decipher Script 5 ranks
Benefit: You may use your Decipher Script skill to create Scrolls. Your caster level for the purpose of creating scrolls is equal to your ranks in Decipher Script - 3. You must make a Decipher Script check (DC 20 + caster level) to emulate each spell normally required to create the item. Additionally, you may use your Decipher Script skill to identify Scrolls in place of the Appraise skill and may use your Decipher Script skill to activate a Scroll in place of the Use Magic Device skill.

Alchemist
Prerequisite: Craft (Alchemy) 5 ranks
Benefit: You may use your Alchemy skill to create Potions. Potions may emulate any spell of up to 5th level. Your caster level for the purpose of creating potions is equal to your ranks in Craft (Alchemy) - 3. You must make a Craft (Alchemy) check (DC 20 + caster level) to emulate each spell normally required to create the item. Additionally, you may use your Craft (Alchemy) skill to identify Potions in place of the Appraise skill.

Note: The Alchemy and Inscription arts have societal importance in addition to the monetary value of the items they create. With the absence of Staves and Wands, they are the only means of reliably acquiring spell effects. While Martial Disciplines on the whole have incredible variety to them, there are many spell effects that martial disciplines just don’t emulate well, and due to the limits of maneuvers known it may not be feasible to acquire such a maneuver anyway. As such, the importance of being prepared with the appropriate Inscription or Potion when hunting the more powerful magical beasts is widely understood among adepts. A clan can gain influence if they produce a talented alchemist or inscriptionist. Many aspiring Alchemists or Inscriptionists are either trained by or later join the Alchemist Guild or Inscriptionist Consortium, and the major families also seek to recruit individuals with talent in either discipline as well.

Weaponsmith
Prerequisite: Craft (Weaponsmithing) 5 ranks
Benefit: You may use your Craft (Weaponsmithing) skill to create magical weapons. Your caster level for the purpose of creating magic weapons is equal to your ranks in Craft (Weaponsmithing) - 3. You must make a Craft (Weaponsmithing) check (DC 20 + caster level) to emulate each spell normally required to create the item. In other respects, this feat functions as the Craft Magical Arms and Armor feat.

Additionally, you may use your Craft (Weaponsmithing) skill to identify weapons in place of the Appraise skill.

Armorsmith
Prerequisite: Craft (Armorsmithing) 5 ranks
Benefit: You may use your Armorsmithing skill to create magical armor. Your caster level for the purpose of creating magic carmor is equal to your ranks in Craft (Armorsmithing) - 3. You must make a Craft (Armorsmithing) check (DC 20 + caster level) to emulate each spell normally required to create the item. In other respects, this feat functions as the Craft Magical Arms and Armor feat.

Additionally, you may use your Craft (Armorsmithing) skill to identify armor in place of the Appraise skill.

Jewler
Prerequisite: Craft (Jewelry) 5 ranks
Benefit: You may use your Craft (Jewelry) skill to create magical rings, amulets, and bracelets. Your caster level for the purpose of creating these items is equal to your ranks in Craft (Jewelry) - 3. You must make a Craft (Jewelry) check (DC 20 + caster level) to emulate each spell normally required to create the item. In other respects, this feat functions as both Craft Ring and Craft Wondrous Item for appropriate items.

Additionally, you may use your Craft (Jewlery) skill to identify such items in place of the Appraise skill.

Tailor
Prerequisite: Craft (Tailoring) 5 ranks
Benefit: You may use your Craft (Tailoring)skill to create magical clothing, robes, cloaks, vests, or similar items. Your caster level for the purpose of creating these items is equal to your ranks in Craft (Tailoring) - 3. You must make a Craft (Tailoring) check (DC 20 + caster level) to emulate each spell normally required to create the item. In other respects, this feat functions as Craft Wondrous Item for appropriate items.

Additionally, you may use your Craft (Tailoring) skill to identify such items in place of the Appraise skill.

Additional crafting feats may be allowed subject to GM approval.

This game will be making use of a modified version of M&M’s Victory Points system. Victory Points represent that something that sets the PCs apart from everyone else, whether it be luck, talent, or determination. Victory points allow players some ability to edit the plot of a scene and come through at critical moments. Players start each Adventure with 1 VP and have the opportunity to earn more over the course of an Adventure. Additional VPs may be earned through Complications (see Complications). Unspent VPs do not carry over to the next Adventure. Note that Victory Points are a player resource, not a character resource.

Victory Points may be spent for one of the following benefits. Unless otherwise specified, spending a VP may happen at any time and does not require an action.
Edit Scene - You can “edit” a scene to grant your character an advantage by adding or changing certain details in a scene. For instance, in a previous superhero game a character who was trying to hide his identity and powers noticed that he was being tailed by a foe. He used an Edit Scene to add a bus pulling up to a bus stop at the nearby corner, which he used to slip the tail. Editing a Scene does have limits - for instance, you cannot edit away damage taken or the effects of enemy attacks.
Improve Roll - You may re-roll any d20 roll and take the better of the two rolls. When rerolling in this way, if the reroll die’s result is less than 11, add 10 to the die roll and treat the result as non-natural (ie, it cannot crit).
Heroic Resolve - You may reduced damage taken from a single attack or source by 10 + 2 * character level.
Inspiration - You can spend a VP to get a hint, clue, or bit of help from the GM. This could be clue toward escaping a deathtrap, evaluating a possible plan, or a clue for understanding a political machination.
Instant Counter - You may spend a VP to take an immediate Swift or Immediate Action. This does not count against your action limit.



The most important consideration I will use in selecting players is the character's ... character. Story is going to be a big focus here, so I’m looking for exciting characters, not just a pile of mechanics with a name. That being said, I am not requiring an extensive backstory - I find that complications can also tell me quite a bit about a character. Backstories should be as long as you want them to be in order to convey the character.

The following are some items to consider when crafting backstories and complications. You do not need to address all of them, nor should you feel limited by them. They’re just considerations I find helpful in creating characters and make a decent starting point.
What clan does your character come from and what are they like? Are they known for a particular craft? What martial disciplines do they hand down? What is their status?
What is your relationship with your clan? Are you the successor (and all the obligation that entails) or a member of a branch family? What (if anything) do they think of your character, and what does your character think of them?
What is your character’s highest ambition? If they could have their idyllic life, what would that idyllic life look like?
What are the character’s problems? What does the character believe their problems are?
Who are the significant people in your character’s life? Do they have friends? Enemies? Allies? A crush? A rival?
Who or what (if anything) is your character loyal to?

I will be using M&M’s Complications system (https://www.d20herosrd.com/character-creation/#complications).

Complications are your character’s personal motivations and issues. Maybe the character has a sibling or loved one that they treasure and will do anything to protect. Maybe the character has a bad reputation and is treated unfairly because of a previous incident. Perhaps the character has been betrothed to someone they detest. Or maybe you have a rival who will take any opportunity to challenge you. These are the sorts of things that form your character’s Complications.

Choose at minimum 2 Complications. There is no upper limit. During the game, the GM can choose to invoke a character’s Complication and introduce an element to the scene for a character to roleplay around. If the GM invokes a Complication, that character’s player is awarded a Victory Point. Additionally, may choose to award a character a VP when a character does a strong job of roleplaying out one of their character’s Complications. For example, if a character with a personal code of honor sticks to their code in a situation where doing so is clearly not the “smartest” thing to do, the GM may rule that action is worthy of a VP.

Here is a great list of ideas for Complications (https://www.d20herosrd.com/character-creation/#TOC-OTHER-COMPLICATIONS). Note that that list is not exhaustive; you are free to invent your own Complications, although the GM is the final arbiter of what is and isn’t appropriate. Some examples of Complications which are particularly appropriate for this setting:

Commoner [Prejudice] - The character is comes from a family of commoners. Although the Academy welcomes any kid with the potential to become a martial adept, in practice many noble families look down upon those from a commoner background. This character is likely to face prejudice and mockery for their lowborn origins, and must be careful in their response as offending a powerful noble clan too greatly may lead to retaliation against the character’s clan. The character may also face pressure from their clan as becoming a high ranked adept is one of the sure ways for a clan to gain prominence and improve their status.
Bitter Betrothal [Relationship] - The character has been promised to another and one or both of you are not at all pleased with the situation. Perhaps the families agreed to the betrothal for political reasons, perhaps the clan patriarchs go way back, perhaps it was to settle a debt between the families or it is merely a way of one clan taking a hostage from the other. Regardless of why it happened, the situation can cause significant headaches to one or both of you. This can range from disharmony making even simple tasks very difficult despite both characters mostly maintaining decorum to one character acting outright possessive of the other.
Obligation [Responsibility] - There is someone to whom you are indebted or for whom you must fulfill some significant duty. The nature of this debt can vary considerably - perhaps you were only accepted to the Academy due to someone’s intervention, or perhaps someone saved your life or the life of someone precious to you, perhaps this person trained you in a School that you would normally be forbidden from, or perhaps your clan are vassals to another clan which provided shelter and protection at a critical time. Regardless, when the debt comes due the character must do their utmost to fulfill it.

I love Complications because it makes everyone’s experience more enjoyable. As a GM, they provide a trove of of tools for generating and enhancing stories as well as creating drama within a story. As a player, they often make the story more fun as the character needs to roleplay around their issues and dealing with one’s Complications is a great way for a character to have a personal arc within the larger story. The fact that they’re also a source of VP is just a bonus.


If you have an ability that grants multiple attacks on a charge, any bonuses applying to charges only apply to the first attack.
Death occurs when negative HP reaches 10 + 2*character level.
Combat will use Block Initiative
No fluff restrictions on special materials - if it comes from a source that doesn't fit the setting the fluff can be modified. If the special material comes from a source other than the pre-approved sources then run the material by me.
Magic/Psionic/Incarem/ETC transparency is in full effect.
If your class lists you as having access to 5 disciplines, you can swap out any number of those disciplines for other disciplines in equal number. You may ignore class-based restrictions. Given the variety of classes and class variants I'm allowing I don't feel any need to honor arbitrary "Warblade Only" type restrictions when the individual who created the discipline only had 3 classes to worry about.
If the discipline has a prerequisite that isn't a class-based one (ie, Sublime Tapestry requires knowledge of maneuvers from 6 other disciplines before one can access Sublime Tapestry), it remains in effect but can be reviewed if the prereq is completely arbitrary. Sublime Tapestry is an example of a prereq that I like because the requirement forces a character to master techniques from a variety of schools and plays directly into both the mechanics and lore of the Sublime Tapestry discipline, which is intended as being for adepts seeking to master and unify all the styles. Prereqs like "you must kill a [insert monster] and eat its heart" are arbitrary and the kind of thing I'm open to ignoring.
Key ability scores on disciplines have always struck me as annoying and using a class-based key ability score is the better system. If you have a key ability score from a class, use that for any schools gained by that class.
As long as the body slot affinity is compatible I'm ok with changing an item to an item of a different slot. Just note the original item for any such item that you're slot-swapping on your sheet.
PF magic items are not approved. I expect a lot of transparency between PF and 3.5 magic items, but I'm not sufficiently familiar with them that I want to blanket-ok them. I will review individual items if you provide a link.
Anyone with a crafting feat is spotted 50xp for crafting items before the game. You must pay/meet all other requirements. Any unused xp from this pool is lost at the game's start. After the game starts, crafting during interludes between adventures will be handled by downtime actions, which will abstract the process.
New Item: Ring of Holding.
This ring is commonly used throughout White Cloud City. The ring connects to an extradimensional storage space that can contain as much as 3 cubic feet or 50lbs of material. Even when filled, the ring's weight does not change. The ring can transport any object held in the hand that fits within its remaining storage capacity as a move action. The user can likewise retrieve any specific item stored within the ring as a move action. Any retrieved item automatically appears in the user's hand. Storing or retrieving an object provokes attacks of opportunity. If the ring is ever destroyed, all items stored within the ring are spilled out in a disorganized pile.
CL 3; Rope Trick. Price: 400gp. - lbs.


My general stance for advancing the round handling PCs that haven't posted is to NPC them. In doing so, I will play them tactically conservatively - that means not taking risks in positioning and expending no nonrenewable resources. In the context of a martial game, that means I will use maneuvers but I will not expend consumables or resources with a daily limit (like ki pools or abilities with an x/day limit), even when it would be tactically advantageous to do so. I will avoid dangerous or risky positions (such as provoking AoO), even if there may be a tactical advantage in doing so. If any player would like me to follow a different set of rules when NPC'ing their character, feel free to say so and I'll honor any directives you would like.

I will always give at least 1 day's notice before I advance a combat round where PCs haven't posted. I don't stick to an exact schedule in how long I'll wait on a round, but you can generally expect that I will advance a round around 1 week after the round started.

[Dorni]

Status Tracker:

Map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14ZObHY9RXenTF8odgNDGr6rBwHHfuuuuf8rjLYiRfNs/edit?usp=sharing)

0 Floating VP

All: +1 Sacred bonus to saves vs fear, enchantment effects, STR checks, and attack and dmg rolls

Tsugiharu: fine
Keiji: fine, 0/54 damage
Kotetsu: fine
Shiori: 19/78 damage

Scorpion 1: 71 damage, Pinned w/Keiji Dead
Scorpion 2: 70 damage, takes +3d6 damage (1 round, harmony-shattering strike) Dead
Scorpion 3: 96 dmg Dead (WP)

Venom Sacs: 4 normal, 3 pristine

Maneuver Quick Reference


Broken Blade (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/broken-blade-maneuvers/)
Solar Wind (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/solar-wind-maneuvers/)
Steel Serpent (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/steel-serpent-maneuvers/)
Tempest Gale (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/tempest-gale-maneuvers/)
Thrashing Dragon (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/thrashing-dragon-maneuvers/)
Veiled Moon (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/veiled-moon-maneuvers/)
Body of the Night
Discipline: Steel Serpent (Stance) 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Description: A wielder of the secrets of Steel Serpent knows his body and how to use it effectively in the art of stealth. By learning to manipulate his ki flows to obscure his movements from sight and hearing, using his body- control to mask the signs of his passage. The disciple may add his ranks in the Heal skill to his ranks in the Stealth skill when making a Stealth check while in this stance as a competence bonus. While in this stance, when making an attack against a flat-footed opponent or one that has been denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, the disciple gains a +4 competence bonus to attack rolls and inflicts an additional 1d6 points of damage. This is a supernatural ability.

Leaping Spirit Dance
Discipline: Veiled Moon (Stance); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Description: Light as a feather, the Veiled Moon disciple moves gracefully in combat, with the smooth and practiced grace of an incorporeal being. The disciple gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC and a +2 competence bonus to Reflex saves while in this stance so long as he moves at least 10 feet on his turn each round. This bonus increases by +2 at initiator level 9, and by an additional +2 at initiator level 17.
Dimensional Strike
Discipline: Veiled Moon (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee or ranged attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: By shifting slightly between two worlds, the disciple confuses the senses of his foe so he may land his attack more easily. The initiator initiating this strike causes his foe to be flat-footed to this attack.

Disarming Shot
Discipline: Tempest Gale (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Ranged attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: Your careful training allows you to fire shots from an unexpected angle and strike opponents where they least expect it, their weapons. Make a ranged attack. If it hits, it deals weapon damage as normal, and you can make a disarm attempt against the target as a free action, using a Sleight of Hand check in place of your combat maneuver check. This disarm attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Disturbing Blow
Discipline: Veiled Moon (Strike) [mind-affecting]; Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Special
Description: By establishing counter-resonance within the spirit of an enemy with a well-placed blow, the disciple may disrupt and disturb its next action. The initiator must make a melee attack against a target creature, and if successful, cause the target to suffer a -4 penalty to the next d20 roll that he makes.

Dizzying Venom Prana
Discipline: Steel Serpent (Boost); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Next melee attack or ranged attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Fort negates
Description: By focusing his ki onto a weapon, the disciple readies a spiritual poison which dizzies and confuses the minds of his foes. After initiating this boost, the next melee or ranged attack that the disciple makes staggers his foe for 1 round. In addition, if the target fails a Fortitude save (DC 11 + initiation modifier), the target also suffers 2 points of Wisdom damage. This is a supernatural ability.

Hunting Serpent Blow
Discipline: Steel Serpent (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: The disciple hunts his foe through the emulation of a hunting serpent, obfuscating his true attack until the moment he strikes. The disciple makes a Heal check with a difficulty equal to his opponent’s armor class. If this check is successful, then the target is made flat-footed and the disciple may make a melee attack against him, inflicting an additional 1d6 points of damage if successful. If this Heal check fails, then his opponent sees through this ruse, and the disciple makes his melee attack with a -2 penalty as the enemy is anticipating his attack.

Offensive Roll
Discipline: Thrashing Dragon (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: As the disciple moves by his opponent, he may drop into a tumbling roll and strike at it from a surprising angle. The initiator must move at least 10 ft. alongside an enemy (which provokes attacks of opportunity unless the initiator is using Acrobatics to tumble) and make an Acrobatics check with a DC equal to the target’s Armor Class. If successful, the target is considered flat-footed and the strike inflicts an additional 1d6 points of damage. The character initiating this maneuver may move up to his full base speed, making the attack along any point of the moment.

Sting of the Asp
Discipline: Steel Serpent (Strike); Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack or ranged attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: Through the use of this maneuver, the disciple readies a weakening dose of ki energy with his weapon’s strike to sap his foe of its power. The disciple makes an attack against a target; if successful the strike inflicts an additional 1d6 points of damage and 2 points of Strength damage (Fortitude save DC 12 + initiation modifier; success halves this Strength damage). On the round following a failed save, the corrupted ki energies inflict an additional 1d6 points of damage and 2 additional points of Strength damage. This is a supernatural ability.

Sting of the Rattler
Discipline: Steel Serpent (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack or ranged attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: Disciples of Steel Serpent learn to emulate the swift and powerful strikes of the serpent kingdom and leave lasting wounds through the power of their ki. By focusing this harmful energy into a single attack, the disciple may cause more grievous injuries than his opponent would register immediately. The disciple makes an attack and if successful, inflicts an additional 1d4 points of damage. The following round on the disciple’s turn, the enemy takes an additional 1d4 points of damage due to the venomous ki that has built up in the wound. This is a supernatural ability.




Dancing Leaf (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?85614-I-m-A-Leaf-On-The-Wind-Discipline)
Leaping Gale (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?134088-The-Age-of-the-Warriors-a-ToB-expansion-book-idea/page13&p=7780204#post7780204)
Lightless Divine Wind (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?256759-quot-Did-you-hear-it-The-voice-of-the-Divine-Wind-quot-3-5-Discipline-PEACH)

Iaigoshi
Discipline: Lightless Divine Wind (Stance); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Description: Dropping in to a crouching stance, you are ready to draw your weapon at a moments notice. You are treated as though you have the Quick Draw feat.

Phantasmal Blade Stance
Discipline: Lightless Divine Wind (Stance); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Description: You watch and wait for when the opponent is off guard, for that is when you strike. While in this stance, you gain an additional +1d6 skirmish damage.

Aerial Leap
Discipline: Leaping Gale (Boost); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instant
Description: When you initiate this boost, make a Jump check and move the distance indicated by the Jump check, as either a long or high jump. You need not take a move action to move this distance, nor need you wait if it exceeds your speed. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity, although you may negate those with a successful Tumble check. You cannot move through enemies without a Tumble check.

You may initiate this boost while in the air (such as in the middle of another jump); such is always considered a standing jump, even if you have abilities to always have a running start, such as the Transcend Weight stance. This maneuver is a supernatural ability if used while airborne.

Crawling Ivy Strike
Discipline: Dancing Leaf (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 Round
Description: With a quick, unexpected attack, you throw a foe off his guard, allowing you to dodge his blows with ease. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent. If the attack is successful, then you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against any melee attack that opponent makes for 1 round.

Crimson Mirage
Discipline: Lightless Divine Wind (Boost); Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Melee
Target: One creature
Duration: Until End of turn
Description: Using your fierce killing intent, you trick your opponent into reacting to an attack that isn't there. Make a feint attempt against a single foe as a swift action. If successful, you may treat the target as flat-footed until the end of your turn.

Lesser Divine Wind Strike
Discipline: Lightless Divine Wind (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: The basic attack of this discipline, the adepts practice it daily. You draw, strike, and sheath in one swift motion, catching your opponent off guard. If your opponent is flat-footed, or otherwise denied their dexterity bonus to their AC, you gain an additional +1d6 damage on this attack.

Mizuchi
Discipline: Lightless Divine Wind (Boost); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: You strike with inhuman speed. You may make a single normal attack as a swift action with this maneuver.

Swift Stride
Discipline: Leaping Gale (Boost); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of Turn
Description: You gain +10 feet to your base land or fly speeds as an enhancement bonus. This provides the normal bonus on Jump checks.



Eternal Guardian (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/eternal-guardian-maneuvers/)
Far Realm (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?61164-Footsteps-1&p=3410915#post3410915)
Golden Lion (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/golden-lion-maneuvers/)
Infinite Shore (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=7450)
Sleeping Goddess (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/sleeping-goddess-maneuvers/)

Unbroken Stride
Discipline: Sleeping Goddess (Stance); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Description: With careful steps and focused psionic power, you can slightly shift how you interact with the world, moving over liquids as if they were solid, sprinting along walls, and even walking through the air. While you maintain this stance, you can walk and stand on liquids and other unfirm surfaces as if they were solid ground. You can move at your normal speed, but you cannot run on such a surface. This stance does not protect you from any negative effects that the surface might carry, such as the heat of lava or the stickiness of a spider’s web. At initiator level 5th, you gain the ability to move along walls and ceilings as if under the effect of a spider climb spell while you maintain this stance, except that you do not need to use your hands to climb and can fight normally. At initiator level 10th, you can walk through the air as if it were solid ground, gaining a fly speed equal to your land speed with good maneuverability while you maintain this stance. However, while flying in such a way, you cannot hover. At initiator level 15th, your maneuverability when flying in this way increases to perfect, and you can even stand still in midair, hovering as normal.

Unnatural Presence
Discipline: Far Realm (Stance); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Description: There is something subtly wrong with the way you move, the way you talk, the way your footsteps seem to come a half-second before or after your feet touch the ground. This strange aura helps steel your allies against attack, but leaches their will over time.

While you are in this stance, all allies adjacent to you get a +2 morale bonus to their armor class, but suffer a -1 penalty to will saving throws. This stance is a supernatural ability.

Body of Delusion
Discipline: Sleeping Goddess (Counter); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal or 60'
Target: You or one ally
Duration: Instant
Description: The most basic tenet of the Sleeping Goddess discipline is that a strong enough belief, channeled through the lens of psionic power, can do anything. With this technique, you momentarily enter a state of denial, asserting through your power that you are not and will not be harmed. You can initiate this counter when you take damage from a melee or ranged attack. Make an Autohypnosis check, using your opponent’s attack roll as the DC. If you succeed, you take only half damage from the attack, although any other effects of the attack are resolved normally.
Augment: You can augment this maneuver in one or more of the following ways:
• For every power point you spend, you gain a +1 bonus on your Autohypnosis check.
• If you spend 3 power points, you take no damage from the attack on a successful Autohypnosis check, rather than half.
• If you spend 5 power points, you are completely unaffected by the attack on a successful Autohypnosis check, taking no damage and ignoring any additional effects of the attack.
• If you expend your psionic focus while initiating this counter, you can use it in response to an attack damaging an ally within 60 feet. If you do, make an Autohypnosis check as normal, then apply the effects of this counter to that ally rather than yourself.

Devouring Mirage
Discipline: Infinite Shore (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: You siphon off a bit of your enemy's psyche, devouring it to bolster your own form. As part of this maneuver, make a melee attack. If it hits, you gain 1d6+1/initiator level temporary hit points.

Drowned Aggression
Discipline: Infinite Shore (Counter)[mind-affecting]; Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instant
Description: A brief flicker of dream disrupts your opponent and spoils his aims. You may initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by an attack. Your attacker takes a -4 on his attack roll.

Fear the Reaper
Discipline: Eternal Buardian (Counter)[fear]; Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: 60'
Target: One ally
Duration: Instant
Description: You have learned to use the fear you create as a method of defense for both yourself and your allies. You can initiate this counter in response to a melee or ranged attack being made against an ally (including you) within 60 feet. Make an Intimidate check, using your opponent’s attack roll as the DC. If you succeed, the attack is negated, and the attacker becomes shaken for one round, as if you had demoralized them with the Intimidate check.

Guard's Oath
Discipline: Eternal Guardian (Strike)[curse]; Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: A central concept of the discipline of the Eternal Guardian is the ability to restrict an opponent’s movement—prevent their escape or halting their advance. Your basic but potent strike allows you to harry and disrupt a foe until they lay down their arms. Make a melee attack. If it hits, it deals weapon damage as normal, and the target must succeed at a Will save (DC 11 + your initiation modifier) or become cursed and unable to move within your threatened area (including with 5-foot steps and using the Withdraw action) without provoking an attack of opportunity from you for 24 hours. If the target drops all weapons it is holding, it can make another saving throw to end this effect. An affected target that is not holding a weapon can draw or pick up a weapon, then drop it to gain a new saving throw, but can never gain more than one save per round against this curse.

Harmony-shattering Strike
Discipline: Sleeping Goddess (Strike); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instant
Description: You strike at both your enemy’s body and his spirit, creating a destructive link between them and your allies. Make an attack. If it hits, it deals weapon damage as normal, and the target must succeed at a Will save (DC 11 + your initiation modifier) or for one round, any attacks from your allies against the target deal an additional 1d6 points of damage. Augment: You can augment this maneuver in one or more of the following ways:
• For every 2 power points you spend, the additional damage your allies deal to the target increases by 1d6.
• If you expend your psionic focus while initiating this strike, your target does not get a saving throw against it.

Vicious Energy
Discipline: Far Realm (Boost); Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of Turn
Description: A hissing, sparkling energy colors your flail, dancing out from the tip, and back to your hand. Your face is a rictus of pain and triumph as it arcs out at your enemies.

You channel energy from the Far Realm into your weapon. With every strike, it damages your opponent, but also recoils back at you. Until the end of your turn, your weapon gains the vicious quality. If it already has the vicious quality, it deals 4d6 damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.



Other Rules Quick Reference

The forest floor is as described on the map. At 20ft elevation one enters the forest Understory. In the understory, each tree has thick branches coming off the sides that can support a person's weight. These branches are assumed to cover all squares within 10ft of a tree's trunk (I'm not going to draw individual branches). Balancing on these branches requires making a DC 12 Acrobatics check at the start of your turn each round (or upon entering the Understory). You do not need to make a check for every branch or tree you balance on.

By default you move at half speed while balancing in the Understory. You may take the normal -5 penalty to move at full speed.

By default, you are Flat-footed when balancing. If you have 5 or more ranks in Acrobatics you are not flat-footed.

If your check is successful, you may move freely within the Understory as long as the square you move through is within 10ft of a tree trunk. You may make an Athletics check to jump from one tree to another if their branches do not overlap.

While you are in the Understory, you ignore any movement penalties for heavy vegetation on the forest floor.

Descriptions of movement in fluff need not completely match the distance calculation on the battle map as long as they don't provide a mechanical difference. In fluff you are assumed to be jumping from branch to branch to get to your destination.

You may leave the Understudy by hopping off your branch and dropping back to the forest floor at any time. Movement spent moving directly down is doubled. If you make an attack immediately upon landing, you may treat that attack as a Charge or Dive

[Dorni]

Setting Notes

Nestled amid the mountains lies White Cloud City. Fortified by mountain defenses and brimming with martial adepts, White Cloud City stands as a beacon in a harsh world. Ruled over by a City Lord supported by the 5 Great Clans, the city is the great center of humanity. But not all is well in White Cloud City.

Some clans have origins dating back to the city’s founding while others were welcomed in over the city’s thousand year history, each with their own influences and martial Disciplines that blend together in the great tapestry of the city. The many clans get along, well, like an extended family. They coexist in a complex web of alliances, rivalries and hostilities that simmer beneath the surface. But however bitter the rivalries become, they rarely escalate to open bloodshed and war in the streets. After all, everyone knows that a conflict that spiraled out of control would make the city easy prey for the beasts that lay in wait outside the walls.

The Demon Beasts (some call them Magic Beasts - its the same thing) dominate the land. They hunt and destroy humanity without mercy, and the world is littered with the ruins of kingdoms that were destroyed by bestial hordes. While wonders and treasures await for those willing to undertake perilous journeys, travel is nonetheless extremely dangerous. While there are about a dozen settlements and some clans exist outside of White Cloud City, they mostly serve as farming communities or otherwise supply the city proper. In times of trouble they often shelter behind the city's walls. White Cloud City only rarely receives outlanders anymore and largely regards tales of other kingdoms as stories. Numerous times in White Cloud City’s history have the demon beasts gathered into a horde under a particularly powerful monster and assaulted the city itself - and its only thanks to the courage of the city’s martial adepts have they been repelled.

And so it remains vital to the city to always raise the next generation of warriors, as not everyone has the inborn spark that allows them to become a martial adept. While many of the clans protect and hand down their own Disciplines and Maneuvers, any young person with with the talent passes through the walls of Phoenix Academy. Boy or girl, noble or lowborn, every young adept is vital to ensure White Cloud City’s future.

Phoenix Academy is so dedicated to its charge of raising the next generations that upon entering the Academy students go by an assumed name in order to emphasize that while you are in the academy everyone is a student on equal footing regardless of their background. This system is imperfect - after all, it’s easy enough for someone to make their real identity clear if they want to and some students of noble lineage don’t hesitate to let you know they’re from a powerful family - but it is generally respected. This system results in many unusual friendships and interactions that have done almost as much as the city’s walls to keep the city together.

Our story starts in Phoenix Academy with the new incoming class. Your character is a new student. You’re also a teenager. Age is variable - while children can be trained in martial arts, mastering martial maneuvers requires a degree of self-awareness and enlightenment. Children change and grow so fast that they lack that stable sense of self, so training as an adept usually begins as a teen.

So. You’re a new student. Who are you?

Assumed names are intended as actual names rather than callsigns. The main requirement is that the name obscure the student's origin, ie John Targaryen becoming John Snow. Whether you want to change the student's first name in their assumed name is up to you. If you want to back-door in a callsign into your name by picking a name that works as a normal name but has a double meaning, I won't stop you.
There are two surnames that are used in connection to the school - Asako and Shiba. Asako refers to the student body, so anyone claiming to belong to the Asako clan is understood to be a current or former student of Phoenix Academy. Shiba refers to the faculty and anyone claiming that clan is likewise understood to be a faculty member.
Default in the setting is for names to use the eastern format where clan name is first followed by individual name (who would literally put themselves before their clan?). This convention isn't required though.
You will want to come up with the character's true name as well. The characters start out in the academy, but you will graduate from it during the campaign. Your character may also choose to share it prior to that.
The students get to pick their own names. If they don't then one will be assigned to them. The degree of family or outside influences on the student in picking a name is up to you. The Academy has to accept the name and exercises a veto which they mainly use to make sure the name is respectable and to stop that one rebel kid from demanding to be known as "King Explosion Murder".
First, the assumed name is only used in the academy. You're free to use your normal name at home or otherwise outside of a school context. When you graduate, you can freely leave the name behind. However, the degree to which most people discard their academy name varies from person to person. Most people hold on to the name as a sort of nickname among friends, so it isn't uncommon for adults to invoke friendships from their academy days by using or referencing their academy names.

They can also function as a sort of second identity. For instance, I am Tamori Ryuchi and my clan has a feud going with another clan. I have a friend or contact in that clan (or clan allied with them), but they won't meet with me because our clans are supposed to be at war with each other. However, if I reach out to that person under my name from the academy, Asako Ryuchi, then that person isn't entertaining Tamori Ryuchi the person with whom their clan has a blood feud, they're meeting their friend from the academy, Asako Ryuchi. As long as our discussion doesn't step outside the roles we're in it doesn't matter that I'm the same person - its a polite fiction that it is honorable for people to respect. Likewise, if such a meeting were to occur and a member of the clan I have feud with showed up and attacked me, they're openly insulting the individual who agreed to meet with Asako Ryuchi and by extension that individual's clan's honor since it was a member of that clan which agreed to the meeting and the promise of safety implicit in that agreement. This can result in the wonderfully delicious situation in which an individual can legitimately feel obligated to draw their weapon and protect their clan's enemy from their own clansman in order to defend the clan's honor.

The fact that it is a tradition itself also has some force. If you discard your assumed name and broadcast your real identity, or start publicizing someone else's real identity, then you are violating the academy's tradition and technically offering them an insult by doing so. The consequences of which will vary depending upon the situation. Additionally, since everyone knows this is the tradition, seeing another student violate that tradition on academy grounds would be seen in the same light as seeing another student breaking the rules.

Of course, all of this varies by whether the individuals in question behave honorably or if they can't spit on the concept of honor fast enough.

Now, in terms of pure utility, its both a very good disguise and a paper thin one. Remember that any given student doesn't know if another student has changed their entire name or just their surname, so you can't really be sure how much of any student's name is actually real. On the other hand, if you know the individual prior to meeting them at the academy then of course you would still recognize the person. Also, anyone willing to really dig into it can probably discover an individual's real name, particularly if they track the person down outside the academy. But again, it comes back to a question of what they do with that information once they have it.

People in this setting will always have two names - their own and their clan's. If the person has only one name, its understood to mean that the person has no clan, whether by exile or abandonment or other means.


Something for perspective is that everything I wrote in the main thread is true generally, but not necessarily true in every specific instance. My intention is to give everyone a large amount of latitude in creating their character concepts and inventing plot elements within the city and seeing what everyone comes up with. If your concept calls for a specific race/monster/uncommon practice to be present in the setting, I'm willing to hear it out and figure out how it can be neatly integrated.
The 5 Great Clans are not the only clans in the city. Far from it. There are many, many clans in the city from "regular" noble clans to minor noble clans, noble-in-name-only clans, and plenty of commoner clans. There are a handful of organizations that cut across clans, like the Alchemist Guild and Inscription Consortium. And of course, being cast out of your clan for [reasons] is also possible. The players are allowed and encouraged to invent whatever they need to for their backstories.
The exclusiveness of Disciplines varies. Some disciplines will be more commonly known and not considered secret and you can expect to see them be disciplines a lot of adepts dip into. There are others that are more secretive or restricted to a particular clan - it varies by the discipline lore, and I'm deliberately not specifying which is which right now so PCs can invent discipline lore as they need to. If two PCs pick the same discipline with contradictory lore, we'll explain that between selection and game start.
White Cloud City itself has a bit of a wuxia kitchen sink feel. The predominant culture is japanese-influenced, but the threat of the Demon Beasts means it has welcomed refugees from a variety of now-fallen cities and countries over its history, so if you want to create, say, a nordic conclave within the city (or just use an english name) I'm on board with it. As long as that clan or set of clans abides by the city's laws and helps defend the city they'll be welcomed.
Regarding languages, Common is really the big language. Elven, Dwarven, etc are treated much like ancient languages from dead empires and may see such use if you explore ruins from such a civilization. Some languages may prove useful for communicating with the few monsters that are capable of speech. Its also possible your clan has developed a specific sub-language like Theives' Cant.
There is a distinction between a martial adept and a well-trained fighter, as there is an inborn quality that is necessary in order to become a martial adept. Some adepts call it ki, others call it animus, for others its soul power, willpower, the accursed will or more. Scholars fight over whether these are in fact the same thing and adepts are just awful communicators, whether they're in fact separate power sources, or whether they're all facets of a single greater whole that isn't fully understood. In common usage, most people are content to call the person with that quality an adept.
Non-martial-adepts may learn maneuvers, but mastering even a handful requires incredible effort (ie, feats) which greatly limits how far they can advance down the martial path. That doesn't mean they can't potentially still become well trained and effective fighters, but it is quite rare for such individuals to be able to match a comparably trained adept.
The specific details of an inter-clan marriages are worked out when the marriage is agreed to, but typically they are as follows. One partner in the marriage will leave their clan and join the other clan. The clan who is losing the member receives a financial or otherwise valuable gift(s) from the clan receiving the new person. The higher status the person who is leaving the clan the greater the gift that is received. Lavish giving can also be a way for clan to demonstrate their clan's capability, especially among noble families. After the marriage the one who left their clan and any children from the marriage are members of the clan they joined. Although the spouse is no longer part of their old clan, the bonds with their old clan are rarely severed completely and visitation is allowed.

Here's a rough scale:
level 1-3: typical student/apprentice/noncombatant
5: typical guard / rookie warrior / veteran craftsman
7: Experienced warrior / skilled craftsman
9: Expert warrior / master craftsman
11: Elder / Master warrior
13: Most powerful masters in the city
14+: Warriors of legend

Without getting to exact mechanics, the demon beasts tend to be more bestial than humanoid. They often similar to wildlife like bears / apes / snakes / etc, but bigger, stronger, faster, and with features like armored hides, breath attacks, or other assorted magical abilities. While animistic beasts are the most common, there are no shortage of demon beasts that come from what we consider the more mythical creatures like hydra, lycantropes and manticore, with more powerful beasts like dragons and phoenixes being (thankfully) more rare. Humanoid monsters exist as well, but don't expect to find monster civilizations. Undead exist but are uncommon and are usually spawned from unnatural origin like a person (or beast) dying near a source of dark energy. More powerful undead may act intelligently, but never retain anything humanity would call intelligence.

Demon beasts are not universally hostile. To be clear, many are and regard humanity as little more than one more source of food, and roaming predators especially cause the city and its outlying villages no end of headaches. Other demon-beasts will establish a territory and while they will attack anyone who enters it, they will keep to their own territory if left alone. There other beasts, especially those that share characteristics with more "natural" creatures like dryads or spirits are largely neutral towards humanity. It is possible to establish rudimentary communication with some of these creatures and to hold a conversation with the oldest and most powerful of them, but such creatures almost never leave the places they call home.

Demon beasts, as expected, start young and grow more powerful as they age. However, demon beasts don't seem to die of old age, instead growing continually and becoming increasingly more powerful as they do. Demon beasts also have the capacity to learn, so as they survive longer they become increasingly effective fighters and hunters. Those that live to become ancient beasts become terrifyingly cunning in addition to their terrifying power. As you might expect, a demon beast's soul gem grows larger and more powerful (and more valuable) the older and more powerful the beast.

Now, occasionally a demon beast can evolve. This is a rare occurrence that happens when a sufficiently powerful beast comes into contact with a sufficiently powerful source of natural energy. The energy overflows and transforms the beast into something... different. The exact result depends entirely on the beast and the energy source, as the latter usually influences the changes to the former.

Now, there is the occasion where a demon beast can evolve to a state where it becomes fully sentient. You would think this would be great because then White Cloud City can communicate with the beasts and come to an understanding. You would be wrong, and you would be far from the first casualty statistic who got the idea to try. You remember those bestial hordes that gather hundreds or thousands of beasts and lay waste to cities and toppled empires? Those are what happens when an ancient beast develops sentience. They have the raw power to compel other beasts to follow them, the intelligence to gather and lead the horde, and very much retain their inherent hostility to humanity.

It is possible that if a demon beast were captured at a young enough age that it could be tamed and raised. It is rare, but it is possible. Keeping them tame requires forming a bond with the beast while it is very young and keeping that bond strong by raising the beast and giving it regular attention. If the owner dies the beast often reacts poorly, refuses another partner, and/or becomes hostile. The bonding requirement makes selling beasts a nearly impossible business model, and White Cloud City has never succeeded at domesticating demon beasts at any meaningful scale, especially not the more aggressive and carnivorous varieties.

While especially big demon beast hordes have breached the walls several times during the city's history and done incredible damage, the city has always pulled through. Fortunately, that kind of disaster is very rare and the walls are not under attack 24/7.

White Cloud City regularly sends out a constant stream of hunting parties that cull demon beasts around the city and nearby villages, both to keep the beasts at bay and to harvest their soul gems. These hunting parties can be all from the same clan or be a mixed clan group, and fielding warriors to this duty is a way for a clan to gain respect. The Guard will do this duty as well, but they don't have the numbers to garrison the walls, police the city, and carry out this duty at the same time on their own, so in practice the clans field a sizable percentage of the hunting parties. It helps that those hunting parties are allowed to keep most of the soul gems they collect.

Demon beasts harass the farming villages more than the city proper, but occasionally a particularly powerful beast or a pack of beasts will get close enough to test the walls. Demon beasts that move in herds are the most dangerous in this regard as they can move in sizable herds (although much less in size than a horde). Those events are dangerous and can result in casualties, but usually the city is well equipped to handle it.

Demon attacks inside the city are a rarity. They're almost always the result of a beast that either burrowed in (again, rare) or a beast someone let inside the city going berserk. This latter one is also rare, as its generally accepted to put down a tamed demon beast when its master dies, both due to the bond between them so they can be laid to rest together and because the beast often will not take to another master.

In families where both parents are adepts its the norm for the children to also be adepts. The odds of a child being an adept drop the fewer adepts are present in the family tree and the further back they are, but it isn't a fully genetic trait. Its somewhere between nature and nurture. It follows genetic lines, but there's also an element of randomness to it (which is why you see commoners without adepts in their family develop it or nobles have disappointing children who don't). Also, its been observed that a child from a family without adepts in it who is trained from a young age by an adept has an elevated chance to become one themselves (this chance is still nothing like a reliable one, but the percentile bump is real)

One could argue that White Cloud City's own culture is either helping or sabotaging it. Becoming a martial adept brings with it a rise in status. Marriages are often between individuals of more-or-less similar status, which means that martial adepts tend to marry other martial adepts, which means that the martial adept trait appears most strongly in high-status lines and tends to get centralized within that population.

One could argue that this means there are fewer adepts born than would be if the city were more liberal with their marriages as the trait would be spread around further.

One could argue back that the number of non-adepts still greatly outnumbers the number of adepts, so if the populations aggressively mixed the city would actually breed the trait out of existence.

One could also argue that this whole situation reinforces existing status differences in the city and/or contributes to class problems / inequality.

One could also wonder if putting all martial adepts in a boarding school as teens was a deliberate choice by the city's founders. The world may never know.


I have not elaborated on the 5 Great Clans. I have ideas for them, but I also want the players to have a role in crafting this city and their character's stories so I've held off on describing them so far. Applicants are welcome to make a character that hails from one of the 5 Great Clans and invent lore for their clan, but you may not be of the ruling clan (ie, City Lord's clan).
The Great Clans have fluctuated over time. At times in White Cloud City's history there have been 6, 7, or 4 Great Clans as the various clans rise and fall in prominence. That said, the Great Clans do not change very often - as to be expected of powerful organizations with incentive to maintain their status. I imagine that 3 of the current 5 Great Clans have been Great Clans more-or-less since the city's founding, 1 Great Clan having achieved that status a 100-200 years ago (so they earned the status but did so awhile ago) and 1 Great Clan that gained recognition as a Great Clan ~20 years ago, so they're still super new and have a chip on their shoulder since they don't have the amount of history or get quite as much respect as the other Great Clans.
The city's rulership has also passed between the Great Clans over years, but it does not do so lightly. Usually it happens when a Great Clan doesn't have an obvious heir who is ready to lead (White Cloud City will not put itself through having a 4-year-old City Lord), or the current City Lord has so badly misbehaved / mishandled his office that the other Clans decide it is worth it to oust him and pass the rulership to someone else. This isn't a decision they make lightly, but the threat of the demon beasts means the city can't tolerate an incompetent and the clans have too much pride to be abused by a tyrant. Being allied with the tyrants on the other hand... those have been some dark eras.
There is a City Guard which as an organization is independent of any clan, but they take orders from the City Lord so the City Lord's clan is often thought of as having the forces of 2 Great Clans (once for themselves, once for the "unaffiliated" forces they control). In times of danger though, the City Lord will call upon the other clans to provide aid and it is expected that those clans do so (although they fight under their own banners when they do so). As for enforcibility... after an attack is over, lets just say its a really, really terrible idea to be known as the clan that ignored the call to defend the city from attack. Especially when all those other clans just lost clansmen in the fight while you sat back and contributed nothing.

[Dorni]

Between episodes, each PC has the opportunity to take Downtime Actions. These Downtime Actions are intended to represent that the PCs life doesn't just stop between adventures and they will continue to make advancements towards their long-term goals.

Downtime actions will generally require some sort of check, depending on what you are trying to achieve. The GM will select a target DC and required number of Successes based on what the player is trying to accomplish. If the player passes the check, they will be awarded 1 Success towards accomplishing the goal. For each 5 points by which the check result exceeds the target DC, the player will earn an additional success.

All Downtime Actions are divided into two types: Training and Social. A player can expect to recieve 2-4 Downtime actions of each type each adventure.

Training actions encompass a character's personal growth, whether it be by academy instruction, personal training, or seeking out others to learn skills. They often have tangible mechanical benefits, such as Feat Retraining. These downtimes often do not require a check.

Social actions encompass a large variety of tasks. Common examples include building a relationship with an NPC, contributing to an organization, or undertaking an investigation. These are often of longer term or indefinite duration.

A player may choose to exchanges 2 Training actions for 1 Social action, or vice versa. A player may choose to exchange any 2 downtime actions for 1 Victory Point.

There are three main types of Downtime Actions:

Immediate Actions: Things like learning the answer to a specific question, accomplishing a specific task, and other short-term, one-time things are immediate actions. They are generally similar to Edit Scene and Inspiration uses of Victory Points. You make a check to determine if you succeed. In some cases, where enough persistence will lead to eventual success, you can spend one additional Downtime Action per degree of failure to treat the attempt as a success.

Extended Actions: Extended actions are those that will take prolonged amounts of time working towards the goal. Extended actions will require a specific number of total degrees of success before they are complete. Some may also include milestones that provide a partial benefit before the task has been fully accomplished. Degrees of failure past the first will deduct from accumulated degrees of success.

Indefinite Actions: Indefinite actions don't have a set endpoint; they provide some manner of benefit which constantly accumulates. A running tally of degrees of success is kept, and those degrees can potentially be spent to gain some benefit or offset some complication. Some indefinite actions will provide more immediate, concrete benefits for their degrees of success.

Training Downtime Actions

Lore Studies [Training] - Gain 3 skill points to spend on Knowledge skills. No check required.
Practical Studies [Training] - Gain 2 skill points. No check required.
Martial Retraining [Training] - You learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. You do not need to replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. You must meet all requirements for the new maneuver. You may not lose a maneuver that would cause you to fail to meet requirements for your other maneuvers. No check required.
Advanced Martial Study [Training] - You gain 1 Manevuer Known. The maneuver selected must come from one of your known disciplines. You must meet any requirements for the selected maneuver. No check required. This actions costs 2 Downtime Actions.
Feat Retraining [Training] - You learn a new Feat in place of one you already know. You must meet all requirements for the new Feat at the time the old feat was taken. For example, if you choose to retrain a 1st level feat, you must qualify for the new feat at 1st level. No check required.
Extra Monster Hunting [Training] - Make a DC 10 level check. You earn [Level * 100] extra gold from monster hunting. For every 5 points by which you exceed the DC, this amount is increased by 20%.
Hardworking Craftsman [Training]: Craft, Profession, or Perform DC 15. You earn [Level * 100] gold from your chosen profession. For every 5 points by which you exceed the DC, this amount is increased by 20%.
Crafting [Training]: You craft up to 1000gp worth of items. You may craft any number of items within this limit. You must pay all base costs, perform any checks required to create the item(s), and have any appropriate item creation feats. If you have feats that affect crafting costs, the benefit of those feats applies toward this limit.
Social Downtime Actions

Kuroda Spy Network [Social] - Diplomacy, Gather Information, or Stealth DC 15. The Kuroda have a massive spy network throughout the city, and by helping it Tsugiharu can learn information and build up favors. Successes may be spent to learn information about individuals or clans or to gain assistance in some matter. Cost increases based on the difficulty or danger of the favor being asked, or the sensitivity and secrecy of the information being requested.
Dreamwalk [Social] - Lucid Dreaming DC 15. The Yamazaki effort to guard the Dream Realm is unending, and by carrying out patrols and assignments Shiori can gain favor within the clan and learn from observing an individual's dreams. Successes may be spent to learn information from an individual's dreams to gain insight into the person's desires and feelings, or to call in assistance from the clan. Cost increases based on the difficulty or danger of the favor being asked.
Build Relationship [Social] - Varies. You spend time working with or gaining the favor of an individual or organization. The benefits from this action depend on the relationship being built.

Downtime Actions

Relationship Building (Yumi) [Social, Indefinite]: 2/2 Successes
Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or level check DC 10. Successes may be spent to call in favors and gain minor assistance from the NPC, or to shift the NPC's attitude toward you.

Kuroda Spy Network [Social, Indefinite]: 2/5 Successes
Diplomacy, Gather Information, or Stealth DC 15. The Kuroda have a massive spy network throughout the city, and by helping it Tsugiharu can learn information and build up favors. Successes may be spent to learn information about individuals or clans or to gain assistance in some matter. Cost increases based on the difficulty or danger of the favor being asked, or the sensitivity and secrecy of the information being requested.


Dreamwalk [Social, Indefinite]: 6/6 Successes
Lucid Dreaming DC 15. The Yamazaki effort to guard the Dream Realm is unending, and by carrying out patrols and assignments Shiori can gain favor within the clan and learn from observing an individual's dreams. Successes may be spent to learn information from an individual's dreams to gain insight into the person's desires and feelings, or to call in assistance from the clan. Cost increases based on the difficulty or danger of the favor being asked.

Relationship Building (Hitomi) [Social, Indefinite]: 1/1 Success
Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or level check DC 10. 1 Additional success for every +5 by which you exceed the DC. Your closeness to Hitmoi enables you to pull off feats of teamwork. Successes may be spent on the following:
Share Skills - 1 success; You have given each other pointers in a skill you possess. You may use your ally's skill bonus in place of a your own for a single check. The ally must agree to allow this to occur, as they may choose to share some skills but not others
Share VP - 1 success; You may spend one of your VP on Hitomi's behalf. You may use any function of VP.
Inspired Teamwork - 2 successes; You may share a [Teamwork] feat that you or your ally possesses. For the duration of the current encounter you may treat yourself or your ally as if you possessed a [Teamwork] feat that either of you already possess.

[Dorni]

Just for good measure

[Hyperbolic sine]

Kuroda Sugimoto Tsugiharu (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1861551)

The Hidden Scalpel [Motivation - Patriotism]: The Kuroda clan's first and foremost objective is the continued prosperity of White Cloud City, and this has been drilled into Tsugiharu's head since he could comprehend language; without the City there wouldn't be anything else, and in the face of such an important objective the end justifies the means.

Softhearted [Motivation - Doing Good]: ...but does it really? Would not rescuing a child in mortal danger, in order to remain concealed from one's target, really be the right thing to do? Is the Kurodas' approach a necessary evil?

Hesitant Knife [Quirk]: Tsugiharu sometimes wonders. And, never really having gotten the hang of 'switching off' his emotions, when in the process of inflicting a potentially deadly blow on a fellow human being he...sometimes hesitates.

Defective Blade [Enemy/Rivarly]: Tsugiharu's relationship with his brother Yaichiro is...somewhat complicated. He is aware of Tsugiharu's doubts, that they sometimes dull his blade, and has taken upon him to force either one of two resolutions: temper his spirit into that of a proper Kuroda, or break it so as to leave the family no choice but to disown him - sad, but at least he'd be free from all restraints and could choose a life he'd be better suited to. This might seem cruel, but...let us not forget that it was a moment of softhearted weakness that spawned the Dark Guild.

The Hidden Clan : The Kurodas have a vested interest in having as few people as possible make the connection between their clan and their disciples' assassin-like combat style. The assumed names policy of Phoenix Academy helps, but sometimes it's not enough...and sometimes, active action is required.

The Hidden Clan, Pt.2 [Reputation/Prejudice]: However, some clans know, and little can be done if their scions connect the dots. While there would be virtually no risk of them letting out the secret publicly, as they'd be pressured by their own clan to not do so - the Kurodas clearly wouldn't stand by idly - there would also be nothing to prevent them from treating Tsugiharu as befitting of their view of his clan, and conversely he would be pressed to not stain the Kuroda's image.

The War in the Shadows [Enemy]: Will Tsugiharu get caught in the crossfire? Or will he be the target?

Brakeless Tongue [Quirk/Temper]: Tsugiharu, unfortunately, tends to say exactly what's on his mind when he's ticked off.

Biased Training [Weakness]: The Kuroda fight from the shadows, and a "fair fight" is considered a worst case scenario; being severely outnumbered is grounds for retreat, not a last stand. Their training reflects that, focusing on one-on-one techniques, and Kuroda martial artists - at least before acquiring battle experience at the Academy - struggle when surrounded in a melee.

[Relationships]


Kuroda Iwamoto Yaichiro: Firstborn of the current Kuroda head and successor to the clan's leadership, he is the product of a strict upbringing and a desire to become a worthy heir. He possesses the charisma of a leader and has an amiable, though somewhat manipulative, personality; however, he also embodies the very essence of the Kuroda clan, being able to purge all emotions - almost as if flipping a switch - to become cold and ruthless when the situation calls for it - and, regardless, he never lets emotions get in the way of 'what is best', which shows in his relationship with his younger brother. A year older than Tsugiharu, he is already enrolled in the Academy. He uses both Steel Serpent and Veiled Moon maneuvers, but his main focus is actually the Tempest Gale school, as he is extremely talented with thrown weapons.

Kuroda Fujimoto Satsuki: The third child, she is a chipper bundle of energy and, well, she is remarkably well behaved despite that - respecting authority and doing one's duty are pillars of the Kuroda upbringing, after all. Sort of, anyway...she never breaks a rule, but she has an outstanding talent in finding loopholes (and then playing innocent); moreover, while not nearly as good as her eldest brother in 'switching off' her emotions at will, she does so by reflex when seriosuly wielding a weapon, so she still ranks higher than Tsugiharu in Kuroda-ness. Unlike her eldest brother, as well, she actually gets quite along with Tsugiharu; a year younger, she's slated to attend Phoenix Academy next year. Her dual wielding style chiefly uses the Thrashing Dragon and Riven Hourglass schools.

Kuroda Hitomi: Tsugiharu's mother, and current head of the Kuroda clan. Iron willed and, despite her diminutive frame, a fearsome warrior, she took on her role with some reclutance when the time came, but has since been putting her utmost effort into leading the clan; this, unfortunately, means that no matter how much it pained her, she was the clan head before being a mother, and that she could never show leniency towards her own son's rebellious attitude. In the last years she's been escalating the efforts against the Dark Guild and, well, they answered in kind. No one would be surprised if she had an [i]accident.

Kuroda Katsuyoshi: Tsugiharu's father, he was a commoner before marrying into the Kuroda clan. While not a martial artist (how he ended up married to the head of the Kuroda, basically the only case where the clan cares about pedigree, would be a story all on its own...and of course, it did not happen without causing some internal strife), he is a skilled alchemist, and has taught his children a trick or two. Not bound by the burden of command, he was the one who comforted them after they were scolded, though he never failed to point out that Hitomi wasn't being strict out of cruelty and, in fact, she loved them as much as he did - in fact, he is the main reason why they (and Tsugiharu in particular, since the other two never prompted as much scoldings as him) didn't grow up hating her.

The name Kuroda - whose ancestry includes both the founders of the Steel Serpent and Veiled Moon schools - is simultaneously famous and unknown, cursed and thanked, influential and of no consequence; moving in the shadows, refusing allengiances to anyone but White Cloud City itself, they are the surgeon's hidden scalpel, excising tumours that endanger the City's continued prosperity and leaving the citizens none the wiser. Despite neither being particularly large nor having actual political power, it is sometimes called (by those in the know) the 6th Great Clan or the Hidden Great Clan, a testament to the influence its very existence exerts: at their best, they are a shield against threats from within, Demonic and human both, unbreakable and incorruptible; at their worst, a bunch of government-sanctioned hired killers. If they had to be summed up with two three-step axis, they'd be Lawful Neutral.
As an aside, since the Steel Serpent school requires perfect anatomical knowledge, they also produce a lot of skilled healers, who are the public face of the clan.

The Kuroda clan, as an organisation, answers only to the City Lord and the highest government officials. They are their hidden eyes and ears in the city, and, of course, sometimes their hidden sword as well; that all-out conflicts between clans are rare is not entirely thanks to the involved parties sense of responsibility. They also act as a deterrent against one of the aforementioned officials - or even the City Lord himself - abusing their power too much, out of fear of the others labeling them a target, while at the same time not being so powerful that, should they go out of their minds and decide to stage a coup, they could have decent chances of avoiding complete destruction. Lastly, they intervene in place of the City Guard when the need for secrecy is imperative.

The circumstances surrounding them mean that the Kurodas have unusual policies when it comes to relationships with other clans, especially marriages: for instance, those who wish to marry into the clan must sever formal ties with their own, so as to maintain the Kurodas' neutrality, and vice versa for those that want to marry out...though of course, in the latter case, either it was a member without knowledge of the Kurodas' true nature, or the newlywed is expected to become a valuable informant if the need ever arises. They are, however, not particularly concerned with pedigree, and actually tend to avoid arranging marriages (up front, at least...they certainly can arrange for two compatible persons to spend time together so as to ignite the spark). Another quite unusual policy regards the clan's trademark schools of martial arts: not make them the clan's trademark schools. Whereas others clans take pride in being the only ones knowing a certain school and pursue only that to the exclusion of eveyrthing else, the Kurodas have since their founding strategically "seeded" the basics of the Steel Serpent and the Veiled Moon into other clans when marrying out; now, even though they're still relatively rare schools, they're not automatically linked to the Kuroda clan. The clan has also have taken in bits of other schools from those who married in, and the Kurodas are not particularly stuck up on what schools their members pursue: what matters is the end, not the means, and - especially with the fact that all martial artists are required to attend the same academy - varied techniques mean an even lesser chance of someone noticing a pattern.

Of course, not all Kurodas are aware of the clan's real line of business: as mentioned before the public face of the Kurodas is that of a clan of healers, and they run a sizeable portion of White Cloud City's medical facilities. They also use this to explain their policy on marriages, claiming that healers should remain neutral regardless of the parties involved.

They also hold a secret, buried under the pages of history and centuries of coverup, a secret that if brought to light could spell the clan's doom...a past mistake, and a shadow war still being waged to right it.

Once upon a time, there was a man: he was greedy and, not content with the status quo, began using the clan he was the current head of for "unofficial" business, of course in exchange of substantial payments. His name was Kuroda Shigekiyo and, under his rule, the clan actually prospered; until, of course, he grew careless, and started attracting attention from that part of the Kuroda who had been left in the dark (as they wouldn't have allowed such a thing). It would have been only a matter of time before his dealing would start attracting the attention of outside forces, and so the clan was quick to act; with those who had known, but turned a blind eye, turning against them as well, Shigekiyo and his factions were quickly dealth with. However, the new head was Shigekiyo's brother: not having the heart to order his execution, he instead stripped them of their name and sentenced them to exile.

A grave mistake. Several years later, when rumours of a Dark Guild of lawless murderers started circulating, it was far too late. The Kuroda clan and the Dark Guild have been waging a shadow war ever since, with no resolution in sight: the former is too powerful for the Guild to take out with an all-out attack, and the latter has been proving extremely elusive.

To this day, the name Shigekiyo is considered bad omen by the Kuroda, and it is effectively a forbidden name within the clan.

It is at the very centre of this secretive clan that Tsugiharu was born, second son to the family head. With almost all the responsibilities of the firstborn, and yet almost none of the perks, he did not have a particularly fulfilling (or interesting, for that matter) childhood...which is why, perhaps, he developed a - relatively - rebellious attitude and never fully took to heart all of the clan's principles, much to the disappointment of his parents and the contempt of his brother. Still, that did nothing to lower his aptitude for martial arts, and his training met all the established milestones until he reached age 15 - the Kurodas consider this the threshold where the risk of secrets slipping out because of a child's thoughtlessness is sufficiently low - and was enrolled to Phoenix Academy, where he assumed the Sugimoto name (purposefully different from the one chosen by his brother).

As for what his goals after enrollment are, well...other than improving his martial arts, as a Kuroda he's supposed to weave connections, and certainly he's not against becoming strong or making friends, but...he doesn't really have goals. As far as he's concerned, the years he'll spend at the Academy will be a chance to live free from his clan's shadow, the constant reminder of what he's supposed to become, and the doubts gnawing at his heart. Though, of course, whether that's actually going to prove true is another matter entirely (and it's not like procrastinating will really help in the long run, but hey - that's what teens do).

If Tsugiharu had to be described in one word, that word would be "unremarkable". With average height, compact muscles - geared towards agility rather than raw strength - barely noticeable under his clothing, ordinary features and a quiet demeanor, he tends to not stick long into people's memory; add to that his deeply ingrained stealth training, and he more often than not goes by unnoticed if he's not proactive in drawing attention to himself. He has the mark of an initiated Kuroda - a snake, coiled around a waning moon, with a scorpion's tail - tattooed on his right fist, but in a special ink, invisible without pouring a specific alchemical reagent on it, so it does nothing to make him stand out; the symbol holds meaning within the clan, but the Kuroda have (obviously) no interest in giving outsiders a way to identify them.

He's quiet, but he's not crippingly shy; he's just not the type to start small talk conversations on his own. In fact, his brain-mouth filter starts malfunctioning when he's ticked off, so if he (or someone else) can't de-escalate a quarrel quickly enough he's liable to start addig fuel to the fire. He is, otherwise, quite good natured, and certainly doesn't go around looking for fights. Let it also be said that, while his attitude in considered rebellious by his clan's strict standards, he is hardly a rebel: he has no issues with respecting authority and doing what he's told, most of the time. When he does break a rule, it's not out of a "rules are stupid" or "rules don't apply to me" feeling, but rather a "I know I'm breaking a rule, but doing what I think is right requires breaking it" one.

His favourite martial implement is the "scorpion's tail", though he's trained in the use of a variety of weapons - including his own fists - and usually also carries a couple of chakrams and some shurikens; one must always be prepared and adaptable.

Miscellaneous notes

Default Stance: Body of the Night.
Dimensional Strike
Dizzying Venom Prana
Fading Strike
Weakening Venom Prana
Sting of the AspDimensional Strike
Disarming Shot
Fading Strike
Weakening Venom Prana
Sting of the Asp



5th Darkstalker.
6th Retrain Deadly Agility, Weapon Finesse > Extra Stalker Art (Killer's Implements), Weaken the Prey.
7th Steel Serpent Style; Stalker Art: Murderous Insight.
9th Steel Serpent Fangs.
11th Extra Readied Maneuver? Fuse Style?; Stalker Art > Rogue Talent > Ninja Trick (Pressure Points).
13th Steel Serpent Venom. Will we even get this far?

[Zelphas]

Yamazaki/"Nyx" Shiori (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1865875)

Shiori will speak with "Bolded Dim Grey."

The Ishikawa family was once one of the many smaller clans near White Cloud City. Lacking either a bloodline that consistently produced Martial children or the numbers to exert great influence, the Ishikawa’s bent their talents to diplomatic pursuits, soon becoming excellent tradesman, diplomats—and spymasters. Acknowledging their skill, about six hundred years ago the powerful Yamazaki Clan assimilated the Ishikawas into their ‘family’, granting the group nominal status as a Branch Family of the greater Clan. Since then, the Ishikawa family has done all that they can to make themselves indispensable to the Yamazaki Clan, negotiating more favorable arrangements among the other Great Clans and always ensuring that the Yamazaki clan has plenty of money in its coffers.

For the first ten years of his life, Ishikawa Shiori seemed like just another scion of the branch family. He failed to show any spark of Martial talent, but he was charming and clever with words from a very young age and even proved to be an excellent liar—a great benefit for a diplomat, when properly managed. He did well in his tutelage and seemed set for a comfortable life as a low-level negotiator or, if he showed some drive, a place as a mid-level diplomat for the Yamazaki Clan.

One character trait of the young Shiori that was both boon and bane to him was his insatiable curiosity, and it was this trait that ended up altering his life permanently. In the not-inconsiderable library of the Main House of the Ishikawa Family was a Book, bound in an odd green-grey leather and clasped tightly shut. This Book was laid out on its own separate desk in a far corner of the library away from any other desks and books, and every Ishikawa child at the age of four was shown this book and told in no uncertain terms that they must never, ever open it. For six years, Shiori was able to resist the temptation; then one day he found himself in front of the Book in a deserted library, with no other duties for hours. It was too much; Shiori opened the Book.

The screams brought the rest of the household to him mere seconds later.

The Book was deliberately placed, for the Ishikawa family prized loyalty to their Clan as the chief virtue; any child foolish enough to read the Book deserved their fate for disobeying their elders. That fate was most often death; the Book held descriptions of horrors, written in arcane glyphs so horrifying that most adults were driven irrevocably insane if they read through the entire book and most children simply died outright, horror stealing their life from them. When the elders of the Ishikawa family came to the library, they expected to find a corpse. Finding Shiori gibbering and shrieking on the floor, his eyes too wide with horror but otherwise untouched, they were surprised, but not shocked, for the Book served a second purpose.

Two weeks later, the nearly-catatonic Shiori was offered to the Yamazaki family by the Ishikawas; the Book had not only broken his mind, but had expanded it. He had manifested the Martial spark, the Book either drawing out his latent power or else implanting power within him. The Yamazaki Clan adopted Shiori into the main branch on account of his power, and he was sent away to the special training camp set aside for this particular occurrence; after all, this was not the first time that the Book of the Ishikawas had given a foolish child both madness and power, though Shiori was the first of his generation. After a year, another foolish Ishikawa child joined Shiori in his “training”; Hitomi, a distant cousin nearly the same age as Shiori who had heard vague rumors of what had happened to him and was filled with curiosity as a result. The training Shiori and Hitomi faced in a remote encampment within Yamazaki territory dealt with weapons training and developing their Martial techniques, indeed, but it also forced the traumatized children into a semblance of sanity by harsh methods, until after six years Shiori was just barely presentable to society once more.

The brutal training could have, would have easily destroyed what was left of Shiori’s sanity, if not for what he had discovered upon reading the Book. Monsters, so impossibly terrifying that their mere description could—and did!—drive men mad, existed, and they had no love for humanity, just like the beasts outside the walls of White Cloud City. Shiori knew this with a knowing that was deep in his bones; but he also knew that he had been given both the knowledge and the power to fight them. He worked hard at mastering the training, did all he could to appear at least nominally sane to the rest of civilization, and encouraged Hitomi when she faltered, all due to these two burning convictions: Nightmares were real. And he could fight them. Rechristened with the Yamazaki name, Shiori was sent off to Phoenix Academy to continue honing his skills for the good of the city.

So soon after getting one new last name, Shiori was told to pick a different one, since keeping names hidden is one major part of Phoenix Academy life. He and Hitomi decide to go with the last name "Nyx".

I’ve Seen THEM (Motivation: Responsibility/Phobia): Shiori is driven by the fact that monsters beyond all human comprehension wait just outside of reality and want to get in. He sees it as his duty to identify and destroy these monsters, for the sake of the physical and mental safety of everyone around him. This responsibility also extends to Demon Beasts: after all, you never know when a Demon Beast might be one of THEM in disguise… or when a human might be… or a potted plant… or—

I See Everything (Obsession): Despite years of harsh training to appear at least functional in society, Shiori is not what anyone would call sane. He keeps a journal where he writes down everything he comes across, filling page after page with crooked, barely-decipherable handwriting. If he comes across something he has never seen before, his first instinct is to write down everything he can about it; while it won’t necessarily cause him to stop what he’s doing when his life is in immediate danger, anything less will leave him torn between his responsibilities and writing what he sees down.

My Calm-Things (Quirk/Weakness): Among his things, Shiori has 5 clay mugs of various shapes and sizes, a signal whistle, a bell, 5 pounds of aquamarine sealing wax, and 10 feet of heavy, slightly rusted iron chain. If he has a designated place that he knows he will return to in order to sleep, Shiori will arrange these various items in odd patterns around his bed; if not, he will keep them on his person at all times. If one or more of these items are lost, stolen, or destroyed, Shiori quickly becomes distressed, finding it hard to concentrate until they are returned or a proper replacement is found. A “proper” replacement isn’t necessarily an exact replica of the item; many more-or-less random everyday items can substitute for the specific ones here, if Shiori takes a liking to them.

It Was Open (Quirk): Shiori understands that a closed door means that he should probably knock before entering. That’s about all he can remember concerning rules of etiquette around doorways and entryways. If a door is open (or there is no door), he will have no qualm with wandering inside; if a door is closed, he will knock and then try the handle. If the door turns out to be unlocked, he will open the door and walk inside.

False Yamazaki (Reputation): Despite now having the surname ‘Yamazaki’, Shiori was originally an Ishikawa and is quite a bit odd, on top of that. True, blood-related Yamazaki scions tend to see him as an embarrassment at best and a repugnant nuisance at worst. Two Yamazaki scions are currently at Phoenix Academy: Hayate, two years Shiori’s senior, who seems to have decided to act as though Shiori doesn’t exist; and Mami, who is starting at the same time as Shiori and delights in making a fool out of both him and Hitomi.

Little ‘Mi (Relationship): Yamazaki Hitomi is the same age as Shiori and thus is starting Phoenix Academy at the same time he is; however, she has had one year less of training, and struggles much more with both her powers and her sanity than even he does. Shiori is fiercely protective of her, seeing her essentially as his little sister.

THEY Come in Dreams (Quirk/Weakness): Occasionally, Shiori will wake up screaming. Blood-curdling screams. They are fairly random, and can be an enormous nuisance. Because of this (and perhaps... other... reasons), Shiori lives in a constant state of near-exhaustion. He is especially susceptible to sleep effects, and can sometimes simply doze off during a long lecture or a quiet time of the day.

You Can't Know (Secret): Even in his state, Shiori knows that telling anyone who doesn't know about THEM about... THEM... would be incredibly bad, both for him and the other person. He cannot explain what he is afraid of, where his powers come from, or why he is always exhausted.

Yamazaki Shiori is small for his age, thin, and pale, with hair bleached white by a long-ago terrifying experience and eyes so pale grey they look almost white as well. He almost seems like a child carrying the heavy oak shield and large spiked flail he carries into battle, but he wields both with deceptive strength and is quite a bit hardier than he looks.

Personality-wise, Shiori is distant and… odd, seeming to have little concept of the “mood” of the room he’s in or the social maneuverings of those around him. Occasionally, flashes of his diplomat training shine through, however, and he can be quite charming and persuasive… when he remembers to be.

The Far Realm is an infinite distance and time away from any other realm. It is a place that fails all the prerequisites of being space, a place where time runs upside down and inside out and matter is more of a suggestion if it’s considered at all. Such a place is anathema to beings of the known Planes and especially the Material Plane, and the things that pass as creatures inhabiting it are so far from ‘normal’ reality that to imagine them invading is as ludicrous as it is terrifying. In order to even understand what they were invading, they would need to find a middle ground, a Plane of existence that has aspects of both the Far Realm and the Material Plane blended together in an illogical mixture.

The World of Dreams provides just such a middle ground.

To call the World of Dreams a ‘place’ is misleading, though it does share some aspects with the concept of space. Seen from outside, it resembles nothing more than a sphere filled with starlight, constantly shifting and changing, dying and re-forming ‘constellations’ orbiting around a massive, glowing ‘sun’ in its center. That ‘sun’ is the Dreamheart, the strongest conduit between our world and the World of Dreams; each separate ‘star’ is a separate person’s dreamscape, their own personal domain of dream and nightmare.

There are very few hard rules of the World of Dreams, but one stands out: relational distance translates to physical distance. Distance morphs and twists unnaturally between the dreamscapes, but sentient beings that know each other in reality find that their Dreamscapes cluster together; the closer the connection, the closer the dreamscapes. Extremely close family members or lovers occasionally find their dreamscapes overlap, though of course they rarely remember such an occurrence.

This mixture of logic and illogic gives the Eldritch Horrors of the Far Realm a foothold in something resembling our reality, but the connection is still tenuous. Though they may be scant, the World of Dreams still has rules, and it still resembles the world of the Material Plane far more than the Far Realm. The Eldritch Horrors burrow into dreamscapes more-or-less at random, greatly weakened by the transition from pure insanity to a semblance of order. They feed off of the emotions and psyche of the dreamscape’s ‘owner’ like a parasite, slowly corrupting their dreamscape until it resembles the Far Plane and growing in power all the while. Once a dreamscape is fully corrupted, the Eldritch Horror leaves it, bloated with the power it consumed, and seeks a new dreamscape to inhabit. The ‘owner’ of the dreamscape does not survive the corruption; they slowly go insane and eventually die in their sleep, seemingly dead from terror. While the first attack of an Eldritch Horror often takes place at random, and their movement afterwards is erratic, they all seem drawn towards the Dreamheart, and the gateway to our world.

The corrupted dreamscapes do not naturally fade from the World of Dreams, at least not immediately; they present a far worse threat than the Eldritch Horror that created them in the first place. The minor Eldritch Horrors, those that can survive (though weakened) the transition from the Far Realm to the World of Dreams, have all the apparent sentience of mindless Beasts. There are Greater Horrors in the Far Realm, however, creatures of malevolent intellect possessing forms so nonsensical that their very presence in a Plane with any sort of order would spell destruction for that entire Plane—and for the being as well. A fully corrupted dreamscape is just close enough to the Far Realm that a Greater Eldritch Horror can manifest a shard of itself within it without obliterating the entire World of Dreams. Instead, the Greater Horror’s mere presence begins corrupting all dreamscapes near its form, the corruption spreading and accelerating as the Horror pours more and more of itself into the dreamscape. If the Greater Horror’s advance is not checked, the World of Dreams would soon fall into the Far Realm—and with such a close connection established, the Material Plane would soon follow.

Unfortunately for the creatures of the Material Plane, most beings are unaware of the fact that they are even dreaming while they are asleep; they are totally unable to defend against a parasitic infection by the lesser Eldritch Horrors, much less a Greater Horror’s concentrated attack. Fortunately for the people of the Material Plane (and the people of White Cloud City in particular), they have the Yamazaki Clan. Whether the ability was developed in response to the infection of the Eldritch Horrors or came about as a fortunate coincidence is lost to history, but at some point in the past the Yamazaki Clan gained the ability to awaken the power of Lucid Dreaming in its Martial adepts. Calling themselves Dreamwalkers, the Lucid Dreamers of the Yamazaki Clan dedicate themselves to the discovery and eradication of all forms of Eldritch Horror ‘infection’, hoping to ensure that the doomsday scenario of a Greater Horror manifesting in the World of Dreams never happens… again.

In their history of learning to deal with the Eldritch Horrors infecting their dreams, the Dreamwalkers discovered an unsettling fact; knowledge of the Far Realm served as a beacon to the Eldritch Horrors, drawing them to the dreamscapes of knowledgeable mortals like flies to rotting meat. Because of this, knowledge of Eldritch Horrors is kept strictly to the heads of the Yamazaki Clan, fully-fledged Dreamwalkers, and the City Lord. Even Dreamwalkers-in-training are carefully kept from knowing what they are training to fight, facing down their first Horror long after they have gained the power to kill them in their own dreamscape. The other Clans, having no knowledge of the Yamazaki Clan’s duty, consider the Clan to be somewhat weak and timid, conservatives who refuse to send their warriors outside of the Walls of White Cloud City and have far more influence with the City Lord than they deserve.

The branch families of the Yamazaki Clan do not have the innate ability to Lucid Dream that the Main family does; if any child from one of the branch families develops the ability to Lucid Dream, they are adopted into the main family and secretly trained to become a Dreamwalker, though only rarely do they rise in the family ranks. Occasionally, for extremely powerful Eldritch Horrors, a Dreamwalker will go into the dreams of powerful warriors from the branch families, gathering their dream-selves together to serve as ‘Yojimbo’, extra warriors to aid him in battle even though they are not Lucid Dreamers themselves. These Yojimbo are often selected ahead of time and given carefully portioned knowledge of what they will be facing; their dreams are guarded by Dreamwalkers after said knowledge is given them, to defend their relatively defenseless dreams against invasion by Lesser Horrors.

If any person discovers the Far Realm outside of the Clan, the Dreamwalkers have a series of responses. For those like Shiori and Hitomi, the unique position of receiving enough knowledge to attract Lesser Horrors to them and just enough power to qualify as a Martial Adept means that they go through Dreamwalker training in reverse: they know what they have to fight, and now must gain the strength to fight them. At his current level of power, Shiori is unable to kill a Lesser Horror on his own in his dreamscape; when one comes to him, he can only attempt to confuse and capture it by forcing his dreamscape into perfect, rigidly-controlled order. A full-fledged Dreamwalker checks in on Shiori and Hitomi’s dreamscapes at least once every night; if they find a Lesser Horror trapped there, the owner of the dreamscape watches carefully as the Dreamwalker eliminates the threat. Shiori and Hitomi are considered useful, but expendable by the main family; they have the potential to be powerful Dreamwalkers, but for now they draw Lesser Horrors to them consistently and provide a convenient place to continue slaughtering them, and if Shiori and Hitomi should die it is no great loss to the cause.

There are some few people who deliberately seek out the Lesser Horrors of the Far Realm, allying themselves with the illogical creatures in return for temporary power. The Dreamwalkers act immediately and brutally when such a creature appears. In the past, the Dreamwalkers simply killed the tainted person and then tracked down the Horror he or she allied with, but they soon discovered the horrible consequences of taking down the ‘weaker’ enemy first. Dreamscapes do not simply vanish after their ‘owner’ dies; they linger for a time, sustained perhaps by the memories of that person in other minds before finally fading back into the Dreamheart. Without the unconscious resistance of a mortal psyche, a Lesser Eldritch Horror can corrupt and consume a dreamscape almost instantly; the Dreamwalkers often found themselves facing a much stronger foe than they expected, and on at least one occasion they arrived in the dreamscape to find a shard of a Greater Horror already beginning to form. Now, the most powerful Dreamwalkers descend into the person’s dreamscape and through it, seizing the tainted person’s physical form and dragging him bodily into the Dreamheart. In the Dreamheart, they are able to tear the Lesser Horror from its willing victim’s psyche, battling and destroying it before dealing with the mortal creature that allied with it.

To those outside of it, the Yamazaki Clan has a very odd structure. The Main Branch seems to do very little except generate Martial adepts which then serve posts on the city walls or within White Cloud City itself, never outside of the city. The branch families handle the Clan's treasury, diplomatic relationships, artistic endeavors, and other miscellany, each branch seemingly groomed for one general purpose.

In reality, the Yamazaki Main Family spends nearly all of its resources in its constant battle against the Eldritch Horror infestation of the World of Dreams, trusting the branch families to deal with the necessities of being one of the Five Great Clans in White Cloud City. The Yamazaki Clan takes an active role in city politics, though it is nearly always a conservative voice; facing a threat from beyond their world, the Clan is hesitant to spend many of its resources on worldly issues.

Since dreamscapes survive for a short time past the death of their 'owner', Dreamwalkers take a special interest in the dreamscapes of the recently deceased to ensure that no Lesser Horrors happen upon such a tantalizing prize. For this reason, the Miyamoto Branch Family of the Yamazaki Clan are the premiere undertakers of White Cloud City, allowing the Clan to know about deaths almost as soon as they occur.

Default Stance: Unbroken Stride

Readied Maneuvers:
Drowned Aggression
Guard's Oath
Impossible Girth
Harmony-Shattering Strike

[manwithaplan]

Noginori Adarata (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1861402), currently going by Izuka Adarata.

I think my best bet for this is not to go hard on the prose, but rather to write some solid answers for the questions in the OP. So with that in mind...

What clan does your character come from and what are they like? Are they known for a particular craft? What martial disciplines do they hand down? What is their status?

Adarata is of the Noginori, a long-standing commoner clan of farmers. He is trained in the logistics of the sowing and the hard work of the reaping. He takes pride and joy in his work, and is prized for his exceptional intuitiveness with crop farming - come poor weather or poor soil, Adarata will find a way to produce harvest. Noginoris are not warriors, and no martial discipline is associated with them. They have no particular status in the city. In all ways they are a commoner clan, and their lifestyle has never amounted to more than simple modesty. The only thing that is extraordinary about them is that they have a rivalry - well, rivalry might be a bit generous - with another clan, the Hazan. The Hazan are brewers, and not particularly good brewers - their technique has gone unchanged in several hundred years, which has begun to cost them business. They were very similar to the Noginoris in status, and there is an enmity between the two as the Hazans see them as their best option for a weaker clan to bully. Three years ago, their firstborn son Yasuda was adopted into Phoenix Academy after proving himself to have a spark of martial talent. Since then the Hazans have become especially boisterous, drunkenly jeering at Noginoris in the street and mocking them, for soon the Hazans believe they will be leaving them behind with their newfound status.

What is your relationship with your clan? Are you the successor (and all the obligation that entails) or a member of a branch family? What (if anything) do they think of your character, and what does your character think of them?

Adarata is destined to one day be the head of his clan, be it as it may a clan of commoners, and he is beloved among them for his benevolence and his talent. He is entirely a Noginori at heart, and happy to be one.

Unfortunately, things have gotten a little more complicated recently - the Hazans got into another shouting match with the Noginoris on the city streets after sundown. This time, when no guards happened to be around, it turned into a fist-fight. With his athleticism, young Adarata foolishly leapt into the fray and got several licks in before the brawl was broken up. This aggression was not smiled upon by the Noginori, who defend themselves physically and verbally but try hard not to agitate their enemies. Even so, nobody could deny it; even accounting for his athleticism, Adarata was a skilled (if unconventional) fighter. This street fight lead to his being enrolled in some simple self-defence training, where it was quickly discovered that he indeed had the gift of martial talent.

What is your character’s highest ambition? If they could have their idyllic life, what would that idyllic life look like?

Adarata is not a particularly ambitious young man, and has always been more than content to take over the farm, marry a woman, and continue his family's legacy. Even now, faced with the possibility of being a mighty defender of the city, his very fighting style betrays a subdued appetite for greatness. His strikes and his steps are simple, combing natural strength and practical sense with very little of the flourish and spectacular technique of a trained martial adept. His brawls are like the rest of his life - perfectly successful, of course, but not something that anybody would get a lot of fulfilment out of watching. In the sudden change of moving from farmer to Phoenix initiate, he would be hard-pressed to tell you exactly what his idyllic life is. At times, it almost seems like he is already living it.

What are the character’s problems? What does the character believe their problems are?

Adarata's problem is, like many adolescents, his inability to discern his own destiny. He was perfectly happy as a farmer and perfectly happy as a warrior, which begs the question of whether 'perfectly happy' is the best that he can do. His real problem, though, is that doesn't know about that last section. He sails through life with contentedness, and if he isn't careful, he's at risk of sailing through the whole thing without ever stopping to take anything that is valuable to him.

The only struggle that Adarata knows he has is with the Hazan, with Yasuda, and with his instructors who are constantly asking him to improve. But there is no consistency in what they tell him. One day his footwork seems unusual, and the next he is not poising himself properly, and on the third his strike does not follow through properly. But on all three days, his technique does exactly what they asked him to do, and usually quite effectively. Adarata's unorthodox and unattractive style seems to work perfectly fine, and the only time when he isn't up to standard is usually when he actually tries to carry himself in the way that his teachers tell him to. For that reason, he always gets called up matters of form that he already knows about, and tends to get a rather poor reaction when he says "I know, but this way works better for me."

Who are the significant people in your character’s life? Do they have friends? Enemies? Allies? A crush? A rival?

Adarata loves his entire clan, but his father Sonobu has been particularly supportive of him and his new talent. Adarata wears Sonobu's jacket, a prized heirloom that is exceptionally well-made and offers better protection than most armour that a martial adept would wear. His real relationship is not really his relationship, but the relationship between his clan and the Hazan. Now that both clans have a young prodigy in Phoenix Academy, their future power dynamic is entirely uncertain.

More directly, Adarata is the rival of Yasuda, the Hazan boy. Yasuda has had years more training than Adarata, but has not had Adarata's decade of physical training on the farmer, and the pair are the same age. Where Adarata's family loves him and is curious to see what he makes of himself, the Hazans are hard on Yasuda about taking this opportunity to expand their power. There is constant pressure from them to succeed, and it is visible in his combat form - every step and strike is perfectly calculated and executed, the work of a teenager who has spent tireless nights awake, alone, making sure that everything is up to par. There is fear in his eyes when he fights, not of his opponents (who he will usually defeat rather easily), but of making a misstep in front of his class. Adarata has little enmity towards Yasuda (though he does get a little amusement from the thought of defeating him), but Yasuda recognises him as the Noginori firstborn, and is very much out to take him down, both in the ring and in the social sphere.

Who or what (if anything) is your character loyal to?

Adarata is loyal to his clan, to his classmates, and to anybody who is in need. As a farmboy, he has very little capacity to see to his own comfort and success, but as a son in a large clan, he has an eye for opportunities to serve other people. Even so, it is the Noginori clan that he cares about most, and there is nothing in the city that he could betray them for.
Commoner [Prejudice]: Adarata comes from a line of farmers. He loves farming. He also loves his family, but that doesn't change the fact that they are of low status and low wealth. He is not a popular man, and that is unlikely to go better for him now that he is in Phoenix Academy, and surrounded by a number of nobles.

Freestyle [Quirk]: Adarata has always had a gift for improvisation and intuition in the midst of trouble. This leaks heavily into his fighting style, a combination of raw speed and power (Tiger Claw and Lightning Fox) with on-the-spot pragmatic thinking (Stolid Sphinx, a very obscure and unusual discipline). He tends to find unorthodox ways to perform the techniques he is asked to perform, which causes friction between him and his instructors, who believe he could be a greater fighter if he took the art form more seriously Furthermore, he tends to struggle with written and technical tests - he has to consciously remember the things that he subconsciously thinks of during a fight, then analyse them to figure out how he would have to change them to be doing them 'the correct way'. Because of all this, he's often seen as a poor listener with little passion for training.

Loser [Reputation]: Because of how poorly he does in class (see Freestyle), combined with bullying from Yasuda, Adarata is pretty uncool in Phoenix Academy. He struggles to make friends and, due to his very ordinary fighting style, other students find it very easy to look at him as 'just a commoner'.

Yasuda and the Hazan [Rivalry]: The Hazan clan is the rival to the Noginori, and therefore Yasuda has made himself the rival to Adarata. Ultimately, one of them will be greater than the other, and the greater son will make for a greater clan, shaping the destiny of everybody in their family. Adarata is happy to make friends, but Yasuda is violent about ensuring that he comes up on top, and is not above bullying or social warfare to get the edge over Adarata.
Speedster's Footwraps

As a free action, the wearer can activate the power of the wraps, treating themselves as if they were under the effects of the haste spell. Every day at dawn, roll a number of d4s depending on the level of the wraps. This is the total number of rounds that the wearer can benefit from the haste effect during the day. The duration of the effect need not be consecutive rounds.

A crafter can improve his Footwraps to a higher level, only counting the difference in base price to determine cost and time.

Speedster's Footwraps, Least:
1d4 rounds per day. 2,400 GP.

Speedster's Footwraps, Lesser:
3d4 rounds per day. 7,200 GP.

Speedster's Footwraps:
5d4 rounds per day. 12,000 GP.

Speedster's Footwraps, Improved:
10d4 rounds per day. 24,000 GP.

Speedster's Footwraps, Greater:
15d4 rounds per day. 36,000 GP.

Speedster's Footwraps, Supreme:
Unlimited rounds per day. 48,000 GP.

Default Stance: Momentum.
Top Speed: 22.86 km/h (14.2 m/h).
Odometer: 0000000 Miles :smallfrown:
Long Jump Record: 30 Feet.
High Jump Record: 7.5 Feet.

[Rizban]

Cōngmíng Gōngjiàng (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dynJVRiUmmsdy_TVuthRjT26EEfIv6b0GrGng-NLbNU/edit#gid=1497159469)

Will be using Goldenrod for speech color.

I'll get the rest posted when I'm not on my phone.

[tonberryking]

Kotetsu (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1861937)

"She will be speaking with this stormy dark slate gray." This 'silver' color instead.



The Great status may come and go for some clans but the Murakumo (lit. Gathering Clouds) have maintained a solid standing for decades, even centuries as a powerful clan in the city. Mostly because they are disciplined to a staggering degree, and of course there has never been a shortage of monsters for their ranks to fight. Without cause nor care to political allegiances other clans have they can and will come to the city's aide any time there is a siege or invasion of monsters, maintaining a just as strict stance of neutrality for politics. Their warriors are often referred to as Stormbringers; though they may not have created it, they have perfected a combo of the Lightless Divine Wind and their own Leaping Gail Disciplines no other clan implements, creating an associated visual of leaping, thunderous warriors. A true Master Stormbringer is recognized by their ability to fly short distances, but far enough for them to be deployed with rapid ease.

Personally, they are regarded as humorless but many are often still helpful, a rare few are heroic and all of them are to some degree able fighters. Many of are teetotalers and eschew most pleasures (or regulate/mitigate them) and bloodlines have disposed them towards having gray eyes and silver hair of varying shades. Every member of the clan, even those who do not fight, are all taught that they are part of the fight against monsters. Those Stormbringers who survive into old age rarely retire unless they are crippled or need to manage their families; some even become instructors of the Phoenix Academy.

However, dark clouds gather over the clan presently. For over seven decades the sole Patriarch of the clan is one Ogami Murakumo. Old Ogamaru (his academy name) had little choice; his first three adult children one after another fell to demon beasts over the years, postponing his retirement each time. Nephews and nieces too fell in battle before he could groom a warrior successor; by tradition he cannot surrender clan leadership to his oldest remaining son (the clan Steward, who is not a warrior) or any minor clan members, and for years he has waited for his grand children, nieces, and nephews, simply refusing to die until one of them can graduate the academy and be deemed a worthy successor....


Currently his granddaughter, two grand nephews and the son of a cousin are due to enter the academy; their parents went behind his back and had a 'gentlemen's agreement' that no child would be given a head start...

...However...

There is the matter of the clan's illegitimate heir...



Before he was the responsible, if weary steward of his father's Clan, Takeru Murakumo was a capricious youth. The youngest of Ogami's original children allowed him some small measure of freedom while his older brothers and sisters were alive and he took that freedom to the city's arts: painting sculpture but in particular the theater scene. It was somewhat frowned upon but he wasn't getting into gambling nor drinking nor anything untoward and so Ogami, who had recently lost his first born son was busy grooming his second born as an heir let it go. Life was short. Let the lad become cultured. But with young Takeru came his bodyguard Tsugumo, an older but very distant cousin whose job was to regulate the boy and keep him out of trouble.

Tsugumo failed.

Over the years, Takeru became smitten with a minor actress who worked in both the Noh and Kabuki traditions. In total secrecy, an astounding feat for a Murakumo, he courted the girl. Even gave her his signet ring in a moment of passion. Tsugumo, having lost his own young wife to illness didn't have the heart to put a stop to this, but kept it under wraps and chaperoned his cousin away from too much rashness. Or so he thought. It may have gone another way, but then one after another Ogami lost his second and third born children to the same monster. The clouds burst, just as the faintest of rumors spread that a Murakumo boy was spending an awful lot of time behind the curtains of theaters. By some miracle Takeru and Tsugumo kept the the affair hidden, making Takeru out as a would be playright, but Ogami's lenience was gone forever. Takeru would become clan steward whether he liked it or not, his thunderous father squashing any complaints or arguments. To drive the point home, Tsugumo was kicked out; Ogami blaming him for his son's "follies" when he should have been preparing him to help the clan, a move that devastated Takeru almost as much as being separated from his first love. But he dared not admit to anything...

Tsugumo became a ronin and for a time was lost in the cups of alcohol, until by chance, he encountered Takeru's former lover. To his horror, she was pregnant.

To his even greater horror, as he gained her confidence, he would eventually discover she wasn't human.




The first of Ogami's grandchildren was born on a rainy day 16 years ago, to a hengeyokai mother, her true form that of a hare.

Superstitions and negative press surround these beings. Many hengeyokai flocked to White Cloud, if gradually, over a century ago, assimilating to human culture, but eventually some of them were exposed. Some were even killed for claims of deception but others took note of their powers and thought they could be of use. Outlying clans have many, especially cranes and hares as scouts who can pass relatively without harassment through monster strewn lands. Other hengeyokai took to theater and entertainment, delighting crowds they were desperate to win over. But in spite of any progress there remains issues. Paranoia of their duplicitous natures still runs rampant. As not everyone is aware of how their powers work it has been a common frame job for a human accused of misconduct to say they were being impersonated in the past by hengeyokai. But because many of the original immigrant hengeyokai were the elderly and children, there has been a longstanding assumption that they aren't fighters and worse, that they are cowardly by nature. Obviously this notion has been squashed in the outskirts of White Cloud, but further inward, old associations die hard.

Tsugumo nearly died from the shock of realization that Takeru had a child with one. Time after time after time he tried to get word--any word-- to Takeru but his expulsion from the clan only led to failure. To say that the child's maternal family was scared would be an understatement; they feared reprisal from the Murakumo clan and had little reason to trust the man who 'helped' this happen... but even they didn't have the heart to abandon the baby or her mother. Cooler heads, eventually, ultimately prevailed. It was agreed upon that Tsugumo would marry the child's mother and claim her as his own; he became a bodyguard for the theater troupe and sent about providing for "his" daughter. As he was disgraced, hopefully, no one would be the wiser.


"Kotetsu" was the name she gave upon joining the Phoenix Academy--it can mean either Little Iron or Tiger Iron but as she wrote it in 'basic' script, no one is quite sure which she meant and she won't elaborate.

She is and was a tomboy through and through, but a congenial one. Raised by other hengeyokai and welcoming humans left her comfortable in her hare form; Kotetsu quickly developed a strong sense of familial duty because of it, always eager to help even if she didn't quite know what she was doing. But while she was too honest to make for a decent actress, Stepfather Tsugumo found in her a natural aptitude for the sword. After begrudging consent from Kotetsu's maternal family he openly taught her basic sword drills that looked impressive, but in secret bequeathed to her Murakumo clan disciplines. Ironically this would have gotten him expelled from the Clan if he were still there. Kotetsu, to the delight of her family, was deemed a fine stage fencer; during masked performances she would swap places with young actors for stage fights with the audience little the wiser. Kotetsu didn't mind giving away credit for her performances; the aplomb of the audience and knowing it made her co-actors more of a success was reward for her; even offstage she often did others' chores and covered for them. She found them to be her responsibility, more than the other way around and ironically she grew up to be more of Tsugumo's daughter than her real father's.

But like her surrogate father, she may have made a mistake that could lead to unimaginable consequences...


The Hengeyokai had by this point begun to dominate the theater scene, and after a recent, popular series of plays featuring heroic thieves and corrupt officials, there were those in power who took offense at the success of either. Complaints and attempts to shut down theaters followed, but a riot occurred following a rare monster attack inside the city near the theater district that the local clan was rather, suspiciously slow in halting. The theater guildsmen tried to levy a counter complaint but were met by clan warriors, someone threw a rock and the latter used this excuse to attack the "rebels." No one would have stopped them and risk the political fallout of the clan cleaning house...

No one, except, of course, for the Murakumo.

Kotetsu and her father were at the scene, as guards for the actors, and Tsugumo was hurt badly in the resulting riots. As Murakumo rained down trying to break up the fight some warrior from the aggravated clan tried to finish off her father and without thinking, Kotetsu grabbed her parent's weapon and struck his attacker with two, far-too fast blows. A Murakumo noticed, and came to their aide, saving their lives.

He also seemed to note that for a "human" commoner, she had awfully familiar silver hair, and recognized Tsugumo. He also didn't fully believe she was his child as he claimed; only the main family had hair that light.

Kotetsu's would later have two reasons for joining the academy. One, her family didn't have any other idea of where to safely send her, and Tsugumo felt that she would end up there sooner than later anyway... The other, more personal reason is that she is tired of her kind being thought of as lesser, tired of seeing people hurting commoners and subtle corruption hurt people who can't fight back. Tired of being thought of as a monster, she is determined to put her sword skills to use for the benefit of others, but even now she is woefully unaware of the powder keg she now represents....



Illegitimate Heir/Inheritance Conflict/Discord's Pawn She's been told that she's the daughter of a disgraced ronin, and believes it. But she has the silver hair of Murakumo clan nobles, she's been trained in arts that only the Murakumo combine, and her sword has a Murakumo signet ring in the pommel. It's not going to take a master detective to figure out she's really the bastard of someone important, and it might only be a matter of narrowing down potential fathers to realize she's the bastard of the Clan's steward. Who just sent his other child and potential clan heirs into the school.

Open Secret Identity Kotetsu hasn't admitted that she's a hengeyokai and entered the school as a human, but she's hardly an actress. Hengeyokai already have reputation problems, but even for a warrior academy that excepts all entries, this very well may create trust issues with others if /when the mask comes off.

Monster Among Monster Hunters/The Good Monster The Murakumo are monster fighters. They have steadfastly remained out of politics or acted without care towards them, and nobody is quite sure what they would make of hengeyokai, let alone that one is the illegitimate granddaughter of the patriarch. The Hengeyokai are considered cowards, tricksters, and even inhuman by many. Kotetsu firmly believes she isn't a monster, and is determined to prove it, but will she even be allowed to when all is said and done?

[Dorni]

We now have an IC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?584683-White-Cloud-City-IC).

And so it begins.

[manwithaplan]

Diplomacy (DC 10) [roll0].

Knowledge (DC 15) [roll1].

[tonberryking]

Kn-Local roll: [roll0]

[Rizban]

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Zelphas]

Before I forget: Shiori took 10 on that diplomacy roll. He just hasn't acted on the information gained at the moment.

[Zelphas]

Just for fun: perception to see if Shiori notices Tsugiharu before he speaks: [roll0] ...I'll take that as a no.

[manwithaplan]

Lol, I too will gamble. Perception [roll0].

[Hyperbolic sine]

I'll roll Sense Motive to get a grasp on Kaede's, well, motives...maybe she just looks nice. :smallbiggrin: [roll0] The White Cloud RNG sure is stingy.

[Dorni]

Tsugiharu assesses that Kaede is just the sweetest person and she just didn't want to see her classmates start a fight or develop a grudge.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Knowldge (Local/Nobility) to see what I know about this Kaiu clan (assuming the previous was only to recognise the heraldry/whatever and doesn't invalidate this one): [roll0]+4/+2. 15/13.

[Dorni]

Knowldge (Local/Nobility) to see what I know about this Kaiu clan (assuming the previous was only to recognize the heraldry/whatever and doesn't invalidate this one): [roll0]+4/+2. 15/13.

The pervious spoiler wasn't just the heraldry; it also contained some info on the Kaiu clan. The mention of the Kaiu name is sufficient for the retry, so you can open the spoiler now. Here it is for convenience:

There isn't any mon or design that announce's the boy's identity, but the color scheme is clearly the clan colors of the Kaiu Clan - one of the city's Great Clans. The Kaiu boast that "We Are The Wall", and they make good on that claim as some of the city's foremost builders, engineers, and stonemasons. They maintain the city walls and are experts in fortifications.

But they're not only builders of fortifications - as the foremost builders in the city, they've constructed significant portions of the city over the years and are major landlords. Much of their political power comes from owning marketplaces and being able to decide which businesses to rent space to.

[tonberryking]

Knowledge Local roll: [roll0]

[tonberryking]

and a forgetful knowledge nature check: [roll0]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Knowledge (Local): [roll0]

If it can be attempted untrained (can it?), Knowledge (Nature/Demon Beasts) [roll1] Well, I guess it doesn't matter.

[Rizban]

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Rizban]

How large are the hunting groups, as discussed in class? Should we just assume that all of the players form a single party? Were these preassigned, or are we forming them now?

[Dorni]

The groups are forming now. There will be a minimum of 5 but no strict upper limit. I suppose its no spoiler that the PCs will be assigned together - if you pair up on your own then that's fine, but if you pair off in 2s or 3s then your Sensei will assign you together before you go. I'm equally disposed to either option.

You have been in classes a week, so you have some freedom to describe what's happened in the intervening time. It probably shouldn't surprise you that the Kaiu brothers have formed a gang from students who are either like-minded or have evidently decided its better to be with him than be his target.

[Dorni]

Oh, question for you, Dorni. How are sleeping arrangements? Unless there are single rooms, I guess, but that would be space-inefficient

Sleeping arrangements are dorms with a room mate. Students are required to spend their first year in the dorm, but after that they may stay in the dorm or set up other arrangements. Students who hail from within the city (ie, most of them) will visit their homes over the weekend / in the evenings as they see fit, so some roommates will be around a lot and others will be conveniently absent for stretches. OOC, I haven't assigned roommates in my notes. If you want to be matched with another PC I'm all for it. Otherwise you can take your chances and leave it up to me.

Edit: Just copying this over from the Discord. Tsugiharu and Adarata have already been decided as roommates.

[Rizban]

Let's go kick the anthill and fight everything that swarms out. :smallamused:

[Dorni]

Heads up that I'm going to move us along to the hunt with my next post, which will probably be Sunday. As much as I enjoy characters bouncing off of each other, its past time we started doing the awesome martial adepts part of the martial adepts campaign. So if the team wants to approach the hunt with any specific strategies in mind let me know, otherwise I'll be extrapolating.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Heads up that I'm going to move us along to the hunt with my next post, which will probably be Sunday. As much as I enjoy characters bouncing off of each other, its past time we started doing the awesome martial adepts part of the martial adepts campaign. So if the team wants to approach the hunt with any specific strategies in mind let me know, otherwise I'll be extrapolating.

My idea would be to go for a stealthy approach with Tsugiharu 130-140' in front of the rest of the group to scout the way, searching for a couple of workers. Once found, we try to ambush them and focus fire on the first, while the tankiest of us stalls the other. This way we can gauge both their defence and offence, and determine how many we can take at once, while keeping the risk to ourselves low. Of course, though, if we happen to pass by a lone ant we're not getting the chance go by.

Though of course this isn't the fastest way to go at it, so if someone has reasons for wanting to be the first to finish the hunt (or wants to do something else for whatever reason) speak now or forever hold your peace. :smalltongue:

[Dorni]

Tsugiharu Stealth: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[Dorni]

With the first combat coming up, I'd like to give you all a heads up with how I plan to run combats. Let me know if you've got any questions.

Block Initiative
We will be using Block Initiative. For anyone not familiar with it, what will happen is I'll roll initiative for all characters. First the PCs who won initiative will act, then the bad guys will act, then we'll alternate between the PCs and the NPCs. When the PCs are on turn, they can act in any order and I'll resolve their actions as they are posted. If for some reason you want to hold your action until another character has acted, you may post immediately but specify in the post when you'd like your character's action to be resolved.

Please roll all dice needed to resolve your action in your IC post.
Please include a spoiler describing your character's actions as part of your IC post. Because this is a martial campaign where swift and immediate actions will play a big role, please note the action types of the actions your character is taking.

Please roll all dice for your character's actions in that post. This includes attack, damage, skill checks, or anything else your maneuver requires. If the attack requires a save or opposed roll from the target, please roll any dice needed to resolve the action regardless of the result. IE, if a maneuver were to deal 5d6 bonus damage if the target fails a save and 2d6 damage if they make it, please roll both sets of dice. I will do the same when rolling for NPCs. This will reduce the amount of back-and-forth posts required to resolve a particular action and will help keep the game flowing. I recognize that this will mean the players gain an advantage from knowing the dice results. For instance, knowing an attacking NPC will land a hit before the player decides whether to initiate a Counter. While on balance this shifts the game balance in favor of the PCs, I'm ok with this because A) the NPCs will operate in the same fashion and B) I consider the benefit to keeping up the game momentum to be worth it.

On Counters
If you intend to use a Counter, you may resolve the Counter in the OOC before you make your IC post. Players may post their actions for the round without waiting for all other PCs to declare any Counters for the [previous] round. Once a PC's actions for the round have been posted, they may no longer decide to go back and initiate Counters for attacks against them the previous round.

[Rizban]

Block Initiative
We will be using Block Initiative. For anyone not familiar with it, what will happen is I'll roll initiative for all characters. First the PCs who won initiative will act, then the bad guys will act, then we'll alternate between the PCs and the NPCs. When the PCs are on turn, they can act in any order and I'll resolve their actions as they are posted. If for some reason you want to hold your action until another character has acted, you may post immediately but specify in the post when you'd like your character's action to be resolved.So, is this determined yet, or are you waiting for us to actually enter combat?

Rolling to determine the 2 withheld maneuvers.
[roll0], [roll1] Brew Alchemy - 1st Thought Shield - 1st Psychogenic Shield - 1st Dismiss - 1st Sage Strike - 1st Devouring Page - 2nd

Edit: Apparently, Mystic gets to pick initially granted maneuvers, unlike the Crusader who gets them randomly. Eh, I'll stick with what I rolled though.

[Dorni]

I haven't rolled initiative yet. Hyperbolic declared that Tsugiharu was going to scout and he won the stealth roll, so the ants aren't aware of you yet.

[Dorni]

Perception: [roll0] Yeah, Tsugiharu is in the clear

[Dorni]

[roll0] vs 10 Yeah, Izuka gets noticed immediately

[Dorni]

We have a Map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14ZObHY9RXenTF8odgNDGr6rBwHHfuuuuf8rjLYiRfNs/edit?usp=sharing)

And Initiative:
Ants: [roll0]
Tsugiharu: [roll1]
Izuka: [roll2]
Congming: [roll3]
Kotetsu: [roll4]
Shiori: [roll5]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Yyyyeaaaah...no. Begone, natural 1. Stupid as it might be, I'll use a VP to reroll that. [roll0] Well, ok then.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Additional crit damage: [roll0]. Also Deadly Strike would trigger even if the ant isn't flat-footed, but I didn't think to roll separately from the stance's "sneak attack"...:smallsigh:

[Hyperbolic sine]

Note to self: critical hits need to be confirmed. [roll0], +4 if flat-footed.

[Dorni]

DC 18 Fort [roll0] vs Dizzying Venom Prana: On fail, 2 Wis damage
DC 19 Fort [roll1] vs Sting of the Asp. Automatic [roll2] damage. 2 Str damage (save halves). On fail, 1d6 damage + 2 str damage next round.

[Dorni]

Kotetsu fails to Acrobatics through an occupied square; her motion is stopped and provokes an AoO from Worker 1. Attack Kotetsu with Bite: [roll0]. On hit, [roll1] Miss

[Dorni]

Also, I'm going to go ahead and institute a new houserule. (I know I said I'm serious about not making changes now that we're underway, and I mean it this time!)

The issue I was tussling with is magic items, specifically stat-increasing items, and how they're pretty much required and assumed by the system. They function as both a gold tax and a locked down item slot. While you can have a custom magic item that provides a stat boost along with whatever other benefit of the magic item you're combining it with, it isn't realistic for everyone in the setting to have commissioned full sets of custom magic items and it makes finding treasure dull as half the item slots won't be replaced by some random item no matter how interesting the effect because stats. So, here's what we're doing:

Ability Boosts: At 2nd level, and every subsequent even-numbered level, characters may may apply a +2 Enhancement bonus to one of their ability scores (or increase an existing enhancement bonus by +2, to a max of +6). This bonus may not be applied to the same ability score twice in a row.

As lv 3 characters, you qualify for an ability boost at level 2. This ability increase may be applied after the current combat is completed.

[Rizban]

Ability Boosts: At 2nd level, and every subsequent even-numbered level, characters may may apply a +2 Enhancement bonus to one of their ability scores (or increase an existing enhancement bonus by +2, to a max of +6). This bonus may not be applied to the same ability score twice in a row.

As lv 3 characters, you qualify for an ability boost at level 2. This ability increase may be applied after the current combat is completed.Sounds good to me.

[Dorni]

Ant [roll0] vs Congming Trip result 20 Tripped
Ant [roll1] vs Congming Bull Rush result 20 Pushed 5ft

[Zelphas]

Whoops, screwed up the attack roll. Let's try that again: [roll0]

[Zelphas]

Okaay then, Shiori. rolling to confirm the crit: [roll0]

[Zelphas]

Aaand I apologize for the triple post, but extra crit damage: [roll0]

[Dorni]

Will save DC 15 vs Harmony Shattering Strike: [roll0] Failure

[manwithaplan]

Attack [roll0] for [roll1] Bludgeoning damage.

[manwithaplan]

Sorry to double post but I'm going to start my turn by preparing and using a Sudden Leap, and I'll see how far that takes me before picking actions.

Jump [roll0].

[Dorni]

Heads up that I plan to advance the round on Thursday.

Also, I'd like to invite some discussion. My general stance for advancing the round handling PCs that haven't posted is to NPC them. In doing so, I will play them tactically conservatively - that means not taking risks in positioning and expending no important resources. In the context of a martial game, that means I will use Strike maneuvers but will generally refrain from expending Boosts. I will not expend consumables or resources with a daily limit (like ki pools or abilities with an x/day limit), even when it would be tactically advantageous to do so. If any player would like me to follow a different set of rules when NPC'ing their character, feel free to say so and I'll honor any directives you would like.

I will always give at least 1 day's notice before I advance a combat round where PCs haven't posted. I don't stick to an exact schedule in how long I'll wait on a round, but you can generally expect that I will advance a round around 1 week after the round started.

That said, I'm open to other ideas if my players would prefer I handle PCs that haven't posted.

[Rizban]

Heads up that I plan to advance the round on Thursday.

Also, I'd like to invite some discussion. My general stance for advancing the round handling PCs that haven't posted is to NPC them. In doing so, I will play them tactically conservatively - that means not taking risks in positioning and expending no important resources. In the context of a martial game, that means I will use Strike maneuvers but will generally refrain from expending Boosts. I will not expend consumables or resources with a daily limit (like ki pools or abilities with an x/day limit), even when it would be tactically advantageous to do so. If any player would like me to follow a different set of rules when NPC'ing their character, feel free to say so and I'll honor any directives you would like.

I will always give at least 1 day's notice before I advance a combat round where PCs haven't posted. I don't stick to an exact schedule in how long I'll wait on a round, but you can generally expect that I will advance a round around 1 week after the round started.

That said, I'm open to other ideas if my players would prefer I handle PCs that haven't posted.
That's fine with me. Seems reasonable.

[Dorni]

Rolling to confirm ant's crit: [roll0] Does not crit

[Dorni]

I expect that the final ant will die this round, so heads up that two things are about to happen.

1) When the combat ends, the rule for Ability Boosts will come into effect. This means that everyone gets to retroactively apply a +2 Enhancement bonus to one stat of their choice due to having gained the first boost at lv 2.

2) Now that everyone has had a chance to test run their characters in the first combat, I will allow sheet edits and adjustments. Once combat is over I'll do a wrap-up post and the GM post following that will be a move-along post. I'd like to have adjustments finished when I do the move-along, so now is the time to swap out any maneuvers, schools or equipment.

Also, I want to highlight Rizban and Hyperbolic for listing their current / granted / expended maneuvers in their IC posts. It was extremely helpful for keeping track of maneuvers and I would like to ask everyone to do so (in whatever format you prefer).

[Hyperbolic sine]

I used the Ability Boost on Wisdom; as far as the first post table is concerned, +1 to both Initiative and Perception. Now I'll start missing by 1 every time, mark my words.

No edits on my part.

[Rizban]

Adding bonus to Wisdom and switching out Bolster for Staunching Strike.

I think only Shiori took any actual damage that I saw. Since Congming had the Spoils of War stance active, and Shiori got in a hit after that 1 hp damage, it should be already healed.

Also, hey, I just rolled a nat 20. Even if it does nothing, that's still cause for celebration!

[Zelphas]

Adding the +2 boost to Wisdom. No other changes.

[Dorni]

Good point, Shiori gets healed by Spoils of War so she is back to full health.

Conming (and anyone else who checks) can harvest the soul gems with no issue. Once the beast is slain harvesting the gem is easy and only requires a little training (ie, a random commoner might not be able to but anyone who has been through the academy can). Conming is pretty sure the workers gems would fetch 30gp apiece while the soldier's could sell for 45gp.

Let me think about the idea of harvesting beast components for alchemy. The soul gems will be a regular part of loot from beasts, the alchemical components idea wasn't something I had considered in advance. I think the idea has lore merit (for some creatures moreso than others), but my concern is that fighting beasts becomes an exercise where the party gains X gp worth of soul gems while the crafters gain a bonus share. Extrapolated over a campaign, that means that either A) most of the characters become some form of crafter so they don't miss out on 'bonus' loot or B) one segment of the party gains a persistent wealth advantage. And as a secondary concern, if I do decide to implement the idea I would want to systematize it rather than needing to fiat it each time, so I'd need to come up with a general formula I like.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Off the top of my head you could do something like this:

Harvested materials need to be treated/purified/etc so, factoring the costs of the tools and reagents, the profit over buying the components is negligible unless you're dealing with bulk quantities (the alchemist guild can, a student at the academy I'd wager not).
However, harvesting lets you stock up on second-rate material, which while useless on its own can be used to patch up mistakes without any loss in effectiveness of the product (or practice before the real deal, so as to reduce waste). Harvesting lets you gain points (DC 15, +1 point for each full 2 points of success on the check, max=creature's HD?) that go into a pool for later use.
When an appropriate crafting check fails by enough to ruin some of the materials, the crafter can spend points from the pool (1 points = 5 gp?) instead of having the buy the components again, up to half of the crafting cost (a "waste half" failure can be negated completely, a "waste all" ca be downgraded to "waste half").


This way, harvesting doesn't give extra gold to work with, but it still has its uses (dampening the effect of failures) so there's still reason to do it.

[Rizban]

Good point, Shiori gets healed by Spoils of War so she is back to full health.

Conming (and anyone else who checks) can harvest the soul gems with no issue. Once the beast is slain harvesting the gem is easy and only requires a little training (ie, a random commoner might not be able to but anyone who has been through the academy can). Conming is pretty sure the workers gems would fetch 30gp apiece while the soldier's could sell for 45gp.

Let me think about the idea of harvesting beast components for alchemy. The soul gems will be a regular part of loot from beasts, the alchemical components idea wasn't something I had considered in advance. I think the idea has lore merit (for some creatures moreso than others), but my concern is that fighting beasts becomes an exercise where the party gains X gp worth of soul gems while the crafters gain a bonus share. Extrapolated over a campaign, that means that either A) most of the characters become some form of crafter so they don't miss out on 'bonus' loot or B) one segment of the party gains a persistent wealth advantage. And as a secondary concern, if I do decide to implement the idea I would want to systematize it rather than needing to fiat it each time, so I'd need to come up with a general formula I like.My main argument in favor of it is that the majority of my offensive maneuvers are going to require consumable alchemy items to use. So, being able to harvest anything that allows me to offset that cost is appreciated. It's not necessary, though it would be nice, especially if we're not going to be getting a consistent income, which I would expect in a low magic/limited magic item setting. I haven't used any yet, because I didn't think it wise to expend my current stock in the first, easy encounter.

I'm also happy to craft items for my allies when I'm able.

[Dorni]

Just going to copy this over from the Discord:

I appreciate the thought and effort from everyone, but after thinking about it I've come around to the idea that I'm overthinking this whole thing.

Its long been a staple that PCs will find things like jewels or art items that they then sell, and are treated functionally as just another form of loot/wealth. Alchemical components fit neatly into that box. These items are fungible; any such items can be sold to translate their value into gp, which can then be spent on anything. While technically such items would be part of the "X gp of materials" required when crafting for the associated profession and thus allow crafting to occur using those gathered materials instead of gp, you're not going to be crafting when you're out in the wild in the first place. There isn't much difference between "I use this 100gp demon-tiger pelt to create a coat with Craft (Leatherworking)" and "I sell this 100gp demon-tiger pelt and buy herbs to craft potions."

This also solves the issue of wealth imbalance since once the realization is made that wealth is fungible, its more-or-less the same as any other form of loot. Further, since the party will mostly be together when they discover such items on screen there's not a lot of reason to worry about PCs getting locked out.

----

So for general purposes, I will be allowing harvesting monster parts and I'll just be abstracting them based on their value. As far as using them for alchemical purposes in the field, yes and no. In the vast majority of cases you'll need to refine the raw materials before they can be used, so you won't find ready-made alchemical items in the field. The exception is if a monster has a suitable anatomy or special attack (ie, you can attempt to extract poison from a creature with a poison attack). In this encounter the soldier ant had an acidic spit attack, so with your Craft (Alchemy) check you manage to extract 1 Acid Flask's worth of acid from the soldier.

[manwithaplan]

Survival to make an Ant Trap [roll0].

[Dorni]

The desperation in those cries for help sound genuine.

The sound is distant and muffled by the forest, but you can tell that the racket crashing through the underbrush has two sources. One obviously belonging to the student and another belonging to something chasing him.

[manwithaplan]

Preemptive Leaping Dragon roll so that I don't have to edit for my description.

From T24: [roll0].

[Hyperbolic sine]

Does Tsugiharu know something on the giant bat? Knowlege (Demon Beasts) [roll0] It is a demon beast.

[Dorni]

Heads up that I'll be advancing the round tomorrow

[Dorni]

Kotetsu Athletics DC 15: [roll0] Pass

[Dorni]

Nezu attack damage: [roll0] + [roll1]: 7 Damage
Nezu counter damage: Half of: [roll2] + [roll3]: 3 Damage
Nezu Fort vs Sonic Screech DC 17: Fort [roll4] Pass

[manwithaplan]

Fortitude [roll0].

[Dorni]

Hanyangi Fort DC 20: [roll0] Nope! Asp has stung

[Hyperbolic sine]

The Hanyagi likes its 2s on Fortitude saves. :smallbiggrin:

Belated Knowledge (Martial):

DC 11 [roll0]
DC 12 [roll1] Yeah, well, I guess you'd recognise one of your own brother's disciplines.

[Rizban]

Rolling
[roll0]

Of course.

[Dorni]

Hanyangi is less than 16 hd. Iron Gaze bonus will apply

[Dorni]

Heads up that I'll be advancing the round on Thursday

[Rizban]

By my count, assuming I haven't missed anything, the damage taken is:

Nezu 6
Izuka 12
Shiori 10


Congming's 8 points of healing should be going to Izuka.

[Dorni]

Yep; I keep all the damage recorded in the Status Tracker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=23812185&postcount=2) in post 2.

[Dorni]

Totally not a bluff check: [roll0] And if it were, Nezu is the best bluffer ever

[Dorni]

You get the impression that Nezu is satisfied with regard to the gem so long as he gets his share. Odds are pretty good that the story is going to grow in Nezu's bombastic retelling, but you don't get the sense that hes malicious or trying to steal all the credit.

[Dorni]

I'm just going to point it out here since its a houserule, but remember that Healer's Kits can also be used to cheaply restore HP.

[Rizban]

I'm just going to point it out here since its a houserule, but remember that Healer's Kits can also be used to cheaply restore HP.

That requires having a Healer's Kit and ranks in Heal... :smalltongue: I planned on taking a rank or two when we next level up, but being trained in healing isn't something that made sense to me with Congming's background. So, he doesn't have any ranks in it at the moment... He's never needed it before.

Edit: Also, if he does use the cure moderate wounds scroll, he plans to try to extort some of those soul gems in exchange for the healing...

[manwithaplan]

Spending :smallcool: Inspiration: Which method (hunting young Hanyangi vs. going to block the tunnels) is best for minimising danger for other students?

[Dorni]

Alright, Inspiration incoming! For the record, when an Inspiration is invoked I'll default to spoilering it for the person who spent the VP, but the player can always choose to declare it public information.

So, your best guess is that the choice that minimizes the danger to other students is to hunt the young hanyangi.

Nezu is right to point out that the hanyangi are already roaming the forest. Based on the current combat you can estimate that while the hanyangi are dangerous, they probably match up unfavorably to a full group of 5 students working together. So long as they're not caught totally unaware a group might take some wounds but should probably be able to hold off one of the creatures. Its a different story for the students who are alone, or if multiple hanyangi attacked at once.

Adarata has the option to use his great speed and endurance to try to run back to Sensei alone, but the group first heard Nezu running through the forest somewhere behind them. Ergo, the hanyangi are roaming the forest between the group's current location and Sensei. Adarata would risk encountering the creatures on his own if he made the attempt, and it would be difficult to race past them with their sonic attack. This option would be very dangerous for Adarata and is probably best avoided.

The risk that the adult hanyangi might bring help is real; you dimly recall hearing about how hanyangi live in colonies. While they hunt in smaller groups, you can't be sure how long ago the hanyangi first encountered the ants so its possible more hanyangi are on the way. You figure this is a low possibility; the hanyangi likely cleared out all the ants before they thought to alert the colony, and Nezu's story makes clear that he stumbled on the hanyangi recently, not hours ago. And if the adult hanyangi is currently feeding, it probably isn't going to be leaving the ant nest right away and so probably isn't an immediate threat to the other students like the ones already in the forest are.

Still, the odds of more hanyangi showing up are not zero. Closing the tunnel immediately forecloses that possibility but means you'll encounter the adult hanyangi right away and you'll be trusting the other students to handle themselves against the young hanyangi.

Rescuing the other students reduces the risk to the students, but could mean that help shows up for the adult. It also means you'd be planning to engage in multiple fights. However, it could also be possible to recruit other students to help in taking down the adult.

[Dorni]

I'll allow you to carry over unused healing rounds to a new target. It makes sense to me that a healer should be able to split their effort between multiple patients if they're all together.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Aye aye. I'll edit my last post to heal some more people, then.

EDIT: ...I'm glad I did. I don't think I've ever posted something with so many typos without immeditely noticing. :smalleek:

[Dorni]

Nothing to see here [roll0]

[Rizban]

My grandfather and one of my best friends both passed away just recently, so I haven't been online lately. Sorry for not being around.

[tonberryking]

I'm sorry dude. I hope you get through this okay...

[Dorni]

I'm also sorry to hear that. I hope things get better and you get through this alright. Don't worry about posting - if you need time I won't wait on Congming

[manwithaplan]

Perception [roll0].

[Zelphas]

Perception (DC 25): [roll0]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Perception DC 25 [roll0] Spending ki point, boosted to 27.

[Hyperbolic sine]

And double post because I'm dumb.

Knowledge (Martial) DC 15 [roll0] Sigh.

[Dorni]

First, I need to make a correction. Its Yumi that makes Shiori feel that uneasy feeling, not Saori. I've already corrected it IC.

As for possible causes of uneasiness, you're not really sure, but you think it might have to do with the nature of how Yumi uses her spark. There are a lot of different ways that power manifests. Your best guess is that her power source has some kind of resonance with your sensitivity to the dream realm.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Perception DC 25 [roll0] Spending a ki point, boosted to 30.

[Zelphas]

Somewhat pointless, but just to see what Shiori can see as well, Perception (DC 25): [roll0]

[manwithaplan]

Stealth (DC 22) [roll0].

Da Big Sense Motive (DC 20) [roll1].

[Hyperbolic sine]

Sense Motive DC 20 [roll0]

Stealth [roll1]

[Zelphas]

Bluff: [roll0]

Sense Motive (DC 20): [roll1]

[Stevesciguy]

Character details!:


Wulfric Ragnar, AKA 'Lash' (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1862938)

He'll speak in a dark green, if that's alright.

Born to two adept parents, Wulfric dived head first into the exhilarating world of battle. Having begun his training from a young age, he actively sought out worthy opponents to duel in both his own clan and the others in the city.
He spent much time exploring the streets, even participating in both legal and illegal fighting rings where he tests his skills against adepts trained in every way imaginable. In these circles, he's well known for being both a formidable opponent and a sore loser.

Wulfric strives to improve himself, always researching new techniques or training so that he may become one of the greatest warriors in his clan's - and the City's - history. He aspires to one day become the leader of his clan, although that day is far off.

One of his dreams is to make the perilous journey to the far north, where his clan originated. He is convinced that the people who chose to remain have not died out, and must be warriors of unparalleled skill in order to have survived. He salivates at the idea of learning from them, although many of the adults in the clan reasonably dismiss this as wishful thinking.

Hot-Headed[Temper]:
Wulfric is quick to anger, and slow to cool. He is particularly set off by insults(real or perceived) to his skill or competence. When angered, he is quick to lash out, often with words, but on occasion, with his fists.
His given name is often the subject of jokes, that it represents his lashes of anger as much as his style of fighting. This also irks him.

Competitive Clan[Rivalry]:
The Chained Serpent clan is strictly meritocratic, and as such, competition for high positions among those eligible is fierce. While this never ending battle of one-upping each other is a primary driving force in the clan's rise through the ranks of White Cloud City, it has resulted in a culture where every man and woman is a potential rival, who must be beaten in their quest for status. As a result, Wulfric is unusually competitive, seeing most parts of life as a competition to be won.

Wulfric has a particularly intense rivalry with an individual known as Avaldir Galli. Wulfric and Avaldir represent opposite ends of the spectrum in many ways; where Wulfric prefers being lightly armored, Avaldir prefers wearing thick plate. Where Wulfric is quick on his feet and fights with finesse, Avaldir is slower, and uses raw strength to do his fighting. The few things they have in common is their lust for battle and hot-headed tendencies. While the rivalry is not outright hostile, they see each other as an opponent to be defeated, and interact accordingly.

Thrillseeker[Motivation]:
Wulfric's primary motivation is the near-addictive thrill of battle. He actively seeks out tests of his skill, and competent adepts to duel with. He longs to leave the city walls so that he might face the savage skill possessed by the demon beasts.

Before the demon beasts arrived, the people who would become the Chained Serpent clan lived as a scattering of villages far to the north. Composed of both humans and elves, they mixed freely, resulting in a large population of half elves.

It is not entirely known what created the clan's reverence for the chain. Some say that an imprisoned hero broke the chains that bound him, then used them to fight his way to freedom, before teaching his people the techniques he had learned. Others say the origin is not so heroic, that heavy chains were used as decent and widely available weapons that commoners of the land could use when defense was necessary. In any case, reverence for the chain began to heavily pervade the culture of the future clanspeople.

When the demon beasts came, the people fought valiantly. Their chains bound and tripped the terrible creatures, but without walled settlements, defense was a never ending battle. In an effort to preserve themselves, the people of all the different villages fled south, united in their desperation for survival. The journey took them across perilous icy wastes, hounded by the beasts along the way. When they arrived at White Cloud City, their numbers were half of those who left. Contact with those who chose to stay was lost, and has not been reestablished due to the danger of such a task.

Through time, the people of the Chained Serpent integrated into White Cloud City. The physical traits of their heritage were largely lost. Most members now only have hints of their elvish blood: slender builds, slightly pointed ears, brightly colored eyes, and so forth. Their culture, however, ran strong, keeping their traditions and knowledge alive. Today, while not one of the 5 Great Clans, they are one of the more influential clans in the city, hoping to soon make their move to rise to Great Clan status.

They've achieved their influence so far through a combination of their performances and their contributions to the City's defences. While their performers are seen in many concerts of various types, they often save their public chain dancing performances for significant events or festivals, gladly showing off their most skilled dancers.

The clan is still very thankful to the city for giving them refuge during their time of need. As such, the clan happily supplies many of its warriors to the defense of the city, so the city's forces have a significant number of Chained Serpent adepts. Many of these warriors have ascended to leadership positions within the city's military, and the officers from other clans often think fondly of those clan members who have willingly risked their lives for the city that saved them in their darkest hour.

The odd reverence the people of the clan have for chains has spread throughout their entire world. One of the less battle oriented applications of this is the performance known as 'chain dancing'.

The term is fairly self explanatory. During chain dancing, the performers wield chains in each hand, sometimes dyed vivid colors. While dancing the performers weave their chains into graceful shapes, appearing as though they are controlling metallic snakes. More impressive is the performances put on by groups of dancers.

When multiple dancers perform together, they weaves their chains together and apart, and clash them together in a rhythmic beat. Combined with colorful flowing robes or dresses, the performers can appear as a single massive beast, howling with a thunderous metallic roar. In some cases, chimes are built into the chains, each chain having a different note, and the performers can create a curious style of music in this fashion.

These performances are not always entertainment, however. Before battle, warriors of the clan will use a simplified version of chain dancing, matching the rhythmic clashing to their war chants as they advance upon the enemy, creating an intimidating display of unparalleled coordination. The metallic roar combined with the ruthless advancement of the warriors leaves even hardened enemies quaking in their boots.

Some of the more spiritual(or big headed) members of the clan believe that their knowledge, traditions, and the sparks of their adepts are the metaphysical chains restraining the world-eating serpent. They believe the clan must keep their culture alive, for if they were to ever run out of practitioners of their way of life, the serpent's bonds would weaken, break, and doom the world.

The clan worships a pantheon very similar to the real world Norse pantheon. The major change is, as above, that Jormungandr is not swimming in the sea, but bound in chains, and will break free of the chains during Ragnarök, rather than emerge from the sea. Jormungandr's chains were forged by the dwarves of Niðavellir, and reinforced by the will of the Chained Serpent clan as described above.

Their traditional fighting style is a hodgepodge of techniques, blended together into a format that blurs the lines between battle and performance. Practitioners of the clan use spiked chains which they weave in graceful patterns, the clattering of the metal creating an intoxicating rhythm. However, in battle this art is as brutal as it is beautiful, with opponents spending much of the battle on the ground, disarmed of their weapons. Dislocated limbs are not uncommon.

Chthonic Serpent is the primary discipline used by members of the Chained Serpent. While the techniques are guarded, they are not closely guarded, being taught to new members of the clan, as well as those judged worthy of learning its techniques. As a result, clans allied closely to the Chained Serpent may have practitioners of the Chthonic Serpent, although due to the unusual weapon required, and the exceptionally high standards set by the teachers, it is not seen terribly often outside of the clan.

The Chained Serpent clan, in addition to Common, speaks a bastardized version of Elvish. This language has mixed with common in various ways, becoming a language all on its own. While speakers of this language can read and understand Elvish, complex concepts or details between the two are lost, and so is only somewhat useful for translation purposes.

The Chained Serpent clan is intended to be based off of ancient Scandinavian culture to a fair degree. There are a few differences; for one, there are no social classes of the same kind that existed then. Before the people who would become the Chained Serpent clan joined the city, there was not as much raiding as is portrayed, although there was still some.

An idea that Dorni suggested in a private message that I liked: the clan uses tattoos to describe achievements made by an individual. A specific example: all clan members who go to the Phoenix Academy are given a tattoo of a Phoenix on their right upper arm before they leave.

While their elvish blood is greatly diminished, it has had one significant lasting effect on the clan: their lifespans are 10-15 years longer on average, but they mature at the same rate as regular humans. This means that the clan has many very highly trained warriors, as a 35 year old warrior of the clan will be in similar physical condition as a 25 year old from another clan, but with another 10 years of experience.

[Dorni]

Stealth or Bluff vs Opposed 22

Nari: [roll0] Nope
Yumi: [roll1] Totally Cool
Saori: [roll2] Nope

[Dorni]

Alright, finally did a full dive through Wulfric.

I see that you added the +2 Enhancement bonus at lv 2 to Dex, but please note it on your sheet. It matters since you can't select the same stat consecutive times.
Broken Blade requires being unarmed or using a Discipline weapon, which the Spiked Chain is not. So Flurry Strike could be used by Wulfric unarmed, but not with his chain.
Not an issue, but the choice to use Fateful Blow with a 20/x2 weapon has piqued my interest. Are you planning on building into crits down the line?
Also not a rules issue, but would you mind listing your Grapple mod as one of your attacks on the sheet just to track the bonus? I have a feeling you're going to be making a lot of them ;)

[Hyperbolic sine]

Knowledge (Martial) [roll0] Nice.

[Stevesciguy]

Alright, finally did a full dive through Wulfric.

I see that you added the +2 Enhancement bonus at lv 2 to Dex, but please note it on your sheet. It matters since you can't select the same stat consecutive times. oops, can do. I'll put it in the additional notes section
Broken Blade requires being unarmed or using a Discipline weapon, which the Spiked Chain is not. So Flurry Strike could be used by Wulfric unarmed, but not with his chain.oh, I missed that. Alright might need to swap it out
Not an issue, but the choice to use Fateful Blow with a 20/x2 weapon has piqued my interest. Are you planning on building into crits down the line?No, it's just that I have a feature that triggers on a crit, so being able to guaranteed confirm it when I get one is nice. Although, with some of my other build components, I'm not sure I need it anymore
Also not a rules issue, but would you mind listing your Grapple mod as one of your attacks on the sheet just to track the bonus? I have a feeling you're going to be making a lot of them ;)can do! That's the plan:smallbiggrin:


Excited to get going and fight some demon bats!

[Dorni]

Anima, or Animus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/classes/mystic/#TOC-Animus-Su-), is a form of energy possessed by some adepts. They describe it as a roiling, turbulent arcane energy that wells up from deep within. Animus users harness their anima to power and enhance martial maneuvers. Unlike Ki, which requires an active effort of a practitioner's will to invoke or maintain, Anima is connected to the body's fight-or-flight response, causing it to well up on its own in response to danger (real or imagined). While this does mean that Anima isn't 100% at the beck and call of its user, it more than makes up for it because it will continue to swell as long as the user remains threatened, giving animus-using adepts great longevity in combat. Further, the arcane nature of this energy lends itself very well to powering flashy, spectacular disciplines.

As an arcane energy, it has some similarities to the arcane energies harvested from the soul gems of demon beasts. This doesn't result in animus users being stigmatized though - quite the contrary, as the daily experience of controlling anima can help an animus user to quickly grasp the intricacies of manipulating energy from soul gems to craft enchanted items. This talent doesn't necessarily make them better craftsmen than others and won't substitute for a lack of hard work to master a craft, but animus-users who do work hard can become very versatile craftsmen.

[Dorni]

Tsugiharu bonus damage for Crit: [roll0] Base +[roll1] Deadly Strikes + 13 = Total 27

Also, is there a reason you listed the Chakram as 1d6 base damage in your post while chakram is a 1d8 weapon on your sheet?

[Zelphas]

Lucid Dreaming: [roll0]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Total damage including crit, Deadly Strike and Body of the Night: [roll0] + [roll1] = 25.

[Dorni]

Hanyangi 1 vs Bull Rush (17): [roll0] Moved 10 ft

[Dorni]

Nari AoO on Hanyangi 1: [roll0], on hit [roll1] damage Hit, Crit Threat
Saori AoO on Hanyangi 1: [roll2], on hit [roll3] damage Hit, Crit Threat

[Dorni]

Nari crit confirmation: [roll0], on hit [roll1] bonus damage Nope
Saori crit confirmation: [roll2], on hit [roll3] bonus damage Confirmed, 11 total damage

[Dorni]

Hanyangi 2 Will DC 15 vs Harmony Shattering Strike: [roll0] Success

[Hyperbolic sine]

...copied from last round and forgot the actual damage roll. [roll0]. +1. 13.

[Dorni]

Hanyangi 2 Fort DC 20 vs Sting of the Asp: [roll0]. On failure, [roll1] damage and 2 str damage. Repeats next round. Success halves the str damage this round and eliminates the lingering damage. Success. 1 str damage

[Hyperbolic sine]

Noticed I only applied +1 damage from Saori rather than +2, so H2 should be at 49 damage. And H1 at 122, if we want to be nitpicky.

[Dorni]

So, in discord the other day a few people expressed some interest in Legacy Items. I love the concept of legacy items, but I'll also be the first to pile on the creators for poorly executing the idea and over-designing them. Especially when the idea is so, so simple: They're an item that grows in power with the wielder. That's it. Equipment in D&D gets discarded and replaced by necessity as a character levels up. So when a character first sets out they might inherit their family's ancestral weapon, which has great personal meaning to them... only for the character to go on to gain a few levels and no longer use the weapon because its outdated and they need a better weapon to keep up. By making it a Legacy Item, the item can grow in power with you and you'll never need to discard your character's "signature" item.

To that end, I'm providing some rules and clarifications for Legacy Items. Legacy Items are completely optional - you don't have to have one.

Legacy Item Rules

1. Eligible Items: Despite the book being called "Weapons of Legacy", almost any item can be a legacy item. A character may only possess one Legacy Item at a time. A newly founded legacy item cannot have a value of more than 4,000gp, and if it is a weapon, shield, or armor, its current effective enchantment bonus cannot be higher than +1. In addition, the item should be an item of significance to the character. This doesn't necessarily mean that the item needs to already have a long and storied history (although it could), but the item is going to be something the character carries with them for their entire career and will be building a bond with. It should be something that could plausibly be identified as a character's signature item.

The Founding Event requirements are nonsense.

2. Select a Ritual.
You will need to complete a ritual to unlock the item's Least powers and another ritual when you are ready to unlock the item's Lesser powers. Many of these example rituals involve a trial, test, dedication, or similar commitment. The ritual chosen should be thematically appropriate for the item. Within one week of completing the listed activity (whether before or after), you must expend the gold cost associated with the ritual (least or lesser). If you are founding a Legacy Item, I will permit you to choose the details of the Lesser ritual when we approach the minimum level to unlock it.

Here are the example rituals that the book suggests, but you may feel free to design your own rituals as appropriate for your item.

Trial By Enemy: Choose one creature type (such as an elemental, dragon, aberration, and so on), or a specific foe (such as an evil half-dragon). You must defeat a chosen foe with a Challenge Rating equal to or greater than your character level.
Requiem: Enact a memorial service in the location where the founding event occurred or in a similar location. The memorial rite recounts, reveals, or recreates the founding event.
Ordeal: Undergo a challenge that is physically demanding or involves physical or mental danger, and that somehow recounts, reveals, or recreates the founding event.
Test: Prove your prowess in some skill, test, or feat. Alternatively, you must run a gantlet of successive challenges or labors.
Purification: The item must be purified in some way. This might involve bathing it in special waters, anointing it with blessed oils, or some other action and materials relating to the founding event.
Meditation: Meditate on the item for one day per character level. You must spend at least 8 continuous hours in meditation each day; during this period, you cannot engage in mentally or physically demanding activities, such as combat or spellcasting. If your meditation is interrupted, the ritual fails and must be restarted; however, you do not need to pay its gp cost again.
Pledge: Dedicate yourself to some principle or philosophy related to the founding event. Each time you fail to act in accordance with this pledge, you are unable to use the two highest-level available abilities of your legacy item for one day. If you repeatedly fail to honor the pledge, you lose access to those abilities for additional days.
Reverence: Enact a service that reveres a deity, spirit, or other aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, or rituals. You must enact the service in the location where the founding event occurred or a similar location.
Quest: Pledge yourself to a specific activity related to the founding event, such as slaying some great foe, recovering a magnificent relic, surviving a mythically dangerous passage, and so on. Unless you specify otherwise, you are presumed to be following the quest; however, each day after the initial pledge that you have not completed the quest, you have a 10% chance of being unable to use the two highest-level available abilities of your legacy item.

3. Ritual Costs:
Least: 4,500gp, 1 Downtime Action, Min character level 5th.
Lesser: 16,000gp, 2 Downtime Actions, Min character level 10th.

These costs supersede the cost tables listed in the book. There will be no permanent penalties to saves or such nonsense just because you took up your father's sword.

4. You may select an Omen, but it is not required

5. Select the Legacy Item's abilities. This post (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=485.0) has a very useful compilation of abilities for Legacy Items. As usual, the GM will need give final approval once you've finished designing the item.

[Hyperbolic sine]

AoO of doom: [roll0] for [roll1] damage.

[Hyperbolic sine]

...well then. Critical confirmation of doom: [roll0], Deadly Strike activates for a total extra [roll1] damage. Aw. :smallfrown:

EDIT: Forgot Shiori's +1. Though I think a 17 is still barely a miss.

[Dorni]

Rolling to confirm Nezu's crit: [roll0]. On confirm [roll1] + 6 = 26 damage Confirmed

Tsugiharu gains an AoO against the hanyangi
Izuka gains an immediate Move Action on Saori's turn. This movement doesn't count against his movement for the round.
Izuka, Tsugiharu, and Kotetsu gain Elemental Glyph. All movement speeds possessed by each ally under the effect of the glyph gain a +10-foot enhancement bonus to speed. In addition affected allies may choose to make one turn of up to 90 degrees while making charge attacks.

[Dorni]

Just for clarity, you don't need to roll anything to harvest a defeated demon-beast's soul gem.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Insight Sense Motive DC 20 [roll0] [Insert joke about understanding the opposite sex.]

[manwithaplan]

Geography [roll0].

[Hyperbolic sine]

Martial Lore DC 11 [roll0]

[Stevesciguy]

Knowledge(Martial) roll: [roll0]

[Zelphas]

I'll give the Knowledge (Martial) roll a long-shot try (DC 15): [roll0] Well okay then.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Nobility DC 15 [roll0]

Martial Lore DC 15 [roll1]

[Stevesciguy]

Using a Victory Point to reroll that attack roll:
[roll0]

...well ok then. I guess this is payback for my good rolls elsewhere. That's an 11+8 is 19

[Dorni]

Still enough for a hit!

[Dorni]

S1 Grapple vs 19: [roll0] Grappled

[Stevesciguy]

Hooray! Glad it was worth it

[Dorni]

Soldier Ant 2 attack: [roll0] Miss

[Hyperbolic sine]

I...don't really have anything meaningful to post IC, so don't wait for me. Here's some more Perception [roll0]. Look at that! It's a tree!

[manwithaplan]

Yes! I, too, will sit around rolling more Perception [roll0].

[Dorni]

You can occupy a square with an ant corpse without a roll.

[Dorni]

Apologies for missing this IC -
You do not spot anything threatening in the forest.

[Zelphas]

Diplomacy (DC 20): [roll0]

[manwithaplan]

Natural 20!

[roll0].

Rats

[Hyperbolic sine]

Natural 14!

Sense Motive [roll0]. Swarm of rats.

[Stevesciguy]

Uh oh

Perception: [roll0]

So close

[Zelphas]

Perception (DC stacked): [roll0] ...Wow.

[Dorni]

So, I haven't been enforcing this strictly this adventure, but each of your classes' details differ slightly they take a couple minutes to change out their readied maneuvers for a different set of readied maneuvers. You don't get to pick a wholly different set every time an encounter begins. I'm not going to enforce that this combat, but I'd like to see everyone edit their main character posts with the set of maneuvers you have readied along with your default stance.

[Hyperbolic sine]

So, I haven't been enforcing this strictly this adventure, but each of your classes' details differ slightly, but they take a couple minutes to change out their readied maneuvers for a different set of readied maneuvers. You don't get to pick a wholly different set every time an encounter begins. I'm not going to enforce that this combat, but I'd like to see everyone edit their main character posts with the set of maneuvers you have readied along with your default stance.

I've actually been meaning to do that for a while, since I actually have two sets of default maneuvers. Done, at last.

[Zelphas]

So, I haven't been enforcing this strictly this adventure, but each of your classes' details differ slightly they take a couple minutes to change out their readied maneuvers for a different set of readied maneuvers. You don't get to pick a wholly different set every time an encounter begins. I'm not going to enforce that this combat, but I'd like to see everyone edit their main character posts with the set of maneuvers you have readied along with your default stance.

Got my Maneuvers edited onto my main post in the OOC.

[Dorni]

Tsugiharu hits. Fort DC 19 vs Dizzying Venom Prana: [roll0] Pass

[Stevesciguy]

Expending Wulfric's last VP to reroll the grapple attempt:
[roll0]

GOD DAMN IT

[Dorni]

Hanyangi vs Grapple DC 19: [roll0]

[Dorni]

Lash's movement to M21 moves through a threatened square and provokes an attack of opportunity. Attack with Claw: [roll0]. On hit, [roll1] damage. Hit
You may roll a DC 15 Athletics check to avoid the AoO.

[tonberryking]

Responding tonight after a lapse.

[Dorni]

Round 1
Lash needs to make an opposed grapple check against DC 23 to prevent the Hanyangi from escaping the Grapple.

[Stevesciguy]

Grapple Check vs. DC 23:
[roll0]

Hell yeah! Hanyangi remains grappled! No it doesn't :smallfrown:

[Hyperbolic sine]

Probably won't be able to post later, so in case I can retcon into attacking:

Attack Pack Lord 1 with Sting of the Asp (+4 from BotN, +1 from Saori) at [roll0], crit on 30+; VP reroll if it misses at [roll1] [roll2].

On a hit:
Weaveblade: (+1 from Saori) [roll3] damage;
Sting: [roll4] damage; 2 Str damage (Fort DC 20 halves; on a failed save, 1d6 damage and 2 Str damage next round);
BotN: [roll5];
DS: [roll6].

[Stevesciguy]

Wulfric is frustrated that he lost his grapple, so he's just gonna whack it.(gotta roll here since I can't reroll in my post)

Attack Roll(+2 flanking, -2 power attack): [roll0]
Damage Roll(+4 power attack): [roll1]

Oooh, boy. Hope my rolls don't look like this for the rest of the fight

[manwithaplan]

Hmm. Will reroll my attack with the Floating VP [roll0].

[tonberryking]

Confirming Crit!

[roll0]

Holy spoons, I confirmed the crit with another crit!

[tonberryking]

Back up damage:

[roll0]

[Zelphas]

Okay, Shiori uses Martyrdom to take 15 of the HP damage that Lash just took, and then spends 3pp to knock off 9 points of damage from himself. So, that boils down to:

Shiori: 6 damage

Lash: 1 damage

[Dorni]

Rolling to confirm Yumi's crit: [roll0]. Extra damage: [roll1] Does not confirm
Rolling to confirm Kaede's crit: [roll2]. Extra damage: [roll3] Definitely confirms

[Dorni]

Kotetsu damage from hanyangi: [roll0]

[Dorni]

Round 2
Kotetsu was attacked for 22 damage
Lash, Shiori, Tsugiharu, Kotetsu are affected by Lesser Sonic Screech. 9 Sonic damage and Sickened for 1 round. Reflex DC 17 halves the damage and negates the Sicken.

[tonberryking]

[roll0] Reflex save.

[Stevesciguy]

DC 17 Reflex Save: [roll0]
DC 15 Knowledge(Martial): [roll1]

Words words words

[Hyperbolic sine]

Reflex DC 17 [roll0]
Insight DC 15 [roll1]

[Zelphas]

Reflex (DC 17): [roll0] No
Knowledge Martial (DC 15): [roll1] Ow

Also, Shiori is going to activate Fear The Reaper in response to the attack on Kotetsu. Just to make the IC cleaner, I'm going to roll the Intimidate here.

Intimidate (DC 24): [roll2] ...That's too close. Spending 1 VP for a reroll.

[Zelphas]

Initimidate redux (DC 24): [roll0] Success! The attack misses Kotetsu, and the Hanyangi Pack Lord is Shaken for one round.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Round's actions:

Swift: Switch to Leaping Spirit Dance.
Move: L21 [T>] K21 [T>] K22.
Standard: Ready to use Disturbing Blow before Adarata attacks; [roll0], crit on 29+; on a hit, [roll1] damage and the hanyangi takes -4 on its next d20 roll.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Should have included this in the previous post. :smallsigh:

If it's a miss, VP reroll [roll0] [roll1].

[Zelphas]

Okay, the Aid Another was successful, but that attack roll definitely was not, so I'm spending 1 VP to reroll it here.

Attack on Hanyangi Pack Lord redux: [roll0] Crit chance (crit is a 2): [roll1] No crit, but a 25 should hit.

[manwithaplan]

The attack roll's fine but I'll use my last VP to reroll that Bull Rush. [roll0].

[manwithaplan]

And...I'll use the Floating VP to reroll that again. Sue me! [roll0].

Edit: I didn't think this would come up, but for every 5 feet it gets pushed past the first 5, it will take another point of electric damage.

[Dorni]

Hanyangi vs Bull Rush DC 28: [roll0] Bull Rushed 15 ft

[Dorni]

Attacks of Opportunity:

Kaede: [roll0], on hit [roll1] + [roll2] damage. Hit
Yumi: [roll3], on hit [roll4] damage. Hit, Crit threat
Hitomi: [roll5], on hit [roll6] + [roll7] damage. Hit
Saori: [roll8], on hit [roll9] + [roll10] damage. Hit

[Dorni]

Yumi crit confirmation: [roll0], on confirmation [roll1] bonus damage. Does confirm after Flanking is added

[Dorni]

Off-target chance:
Kaede: [roll0]. Fine
Yumi: [roll1]. Crits Izuka
Hitomi: [roll2]. Fine
Saori: [roll3]. Fine

[Dorni]

Yumi does not get the damage bonus from Harmony Shattering Strike against Izuka. Reduce damage by [roll0] Deals 37 damage to Izuka

[Dorni]

Izuka's Bull Rush moves the Hanyangi out of threatened squres, which provokes AoOs from Tsugiharu, Shiori, Lash, and Kotetsu. Note that these attacks have a 25% chance to hit Izuka instead.

[Dorni]

Percentile for Kotetsu's AoO: [roll0] Targets Hanyangi

[Zelphas]

All right, I can't roll higher than Yumi's crit, so I'll just use my dose of Matyrdom for this round to ake 15 HP damage from that hit and transfer it over to Shiori. I'm not spending any pp at this time; Shiori will simply lose 15 HP.

[Dorni]

Lash AoO: [roll0]. On Hit, [roll1] + [roll2] damage. Crit Threat

[Dorni]

Rolling to confirm crit: [roll0]. Confirmed
Miss Chance: [roll1]

[Dorni]

Aaaaand bonus damage: [roll0]

[Dorni]

Hanyangi's AoO: [roll0]

[Dorni]

Round 3
Lash provoked an AoO on his turn and was attacked for 18 damage.
Adarata may make an immediate AoO from Nezu

[Dorni]

Pack Lord Fort DC 20 vs Sting of the Asp: [roll0] Resist; -1 Str

[Dorni]

Congratulations everyone, this is the end of the first adventure! I apologize to everyone for my general absence this past month. Sparing the details, the illness I had over christmas turned out to be a case of bronchitis and it took longer than expected to get over it. I'm finally back to being healthy again, so its past time I picked up this game.

With the end of the adventure, now is the time I'd like to ask you all for feedback. It can be any thoughts you care to share - be it on rules, characters you liked or didn't like, or even things you'd like to see more (or less) of. You can post your feedback here, on discord, or send it to me as a PM/DM, however you feel most comfortable.

The next adventure will take place after a 7 month time skip.

All characters advance to level 4. Between the spoils from this adventure and the time skip, characters gain 3420gp over the intervening time. Additionally, all players gain 3 Social Downtime Actions and 3 Training Downtime Actions. Please refer to this post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=23812195&postcount=4) for more information about Downtime Actions and what can be done with them.

Please take this time to level up your characters and ask any questions. If you have any interest in doing side scenes with each other (or with NPCs) that take place during the time skip before the start of the next adventure proper, you are more than welcome to do so.

[Dorni]

In response to Discord:

Relationship Building within the Party [Social, Indefinite]: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or level check DC 10. 1 Additional success for every +5 by which you exceed the DC. Choose a party member with which to build your relationship. Your closeness to the PC enables you to pull off feats of teamwork. Successes may be spent on the following:
Share Skills - 1 success; You have given each other pointers in a skill you possess. You may use your ally's skill bonus in place of a your own for a single check. The ally must agree to allow this to occur, as they may choose to share some skills but not others
Inspired Teamwork - 2 successes; You may share a [Teamwork] feat that you or your ally possesses. For the duration of the current encounter you may treat yourself or your ally as if you possessed a [Teamwork] feat that either of you already possess.

[manwithaplan]

At Level 4, swapping Sun Dips Low for Sweeping Tail.

Training Action 1: Swap Discouraging Strike for Disabling Strike.
Training Action 2: Swap Stick and Move for Flick of the Wrist.
Training Action 3+4: Learn Flash Kick.

Social Action 1: Relationship Building with Tsugiharu [roll0].
Social Action 2+3: Sacrificed for a fourth training action.

Spending 2,400 gold on Speedster's Footwraps, Least. The item descriptions are in my first page post.

Level up should be done!

I really liked this adventure. Very used to episodic PbP by now, so your ability to have us go through a whole bunch of combats without it getting dull was quite impressive. Good pacing with the rising danger of the monsters, a difficulty dip at the end with the big fight outside the nest, and then up to the danger of the final monster. The abilities it had to make it work as a solo were good, and demonstrated that you know what you're doing when it comes to 3.5. Very cool.

Conversely, I did feel like we would drag sometimes when in conversation, or general cool-down scenes. You would say on Discord that you were about to move us along, but the following post would still leave us in the same position - maybe with more information now, but information we could have quickly gotten OOC anyway. Some of those scenes had more rounds than necessary, I think. I'm not saying I want more combat and less talking, it was more a case of like, don't be afraid to take the reins and keep things moving. Or better, if it's time to post IC and the PCs have 60% of a plan, ask us for the other 40% on discord.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Downtimes!

Training #1: Practical Studies.
Training #2: Lore Studies.
Training #3: Lore Studies.

Social #1: Relationship Building with Adarata, Level DC 10 [roll0]. Three successes.
Social #2: Relationship Building with Yumi, Level DC 10 [roll1]+4 Rerolled, 16. Two successes.
Social #3: Holding.

No complaints here, and after a single adventure I can't really tell if there's something that I want more/less of.

I have to say, though, that for a moment I doubted your sanity in making us face something dishing out an average of 80 damage per round with all NPCs paralyzed. Turns out that you managed to estimate the right diffculty for a thrilling boss fight, so...great job! It's bad for my heart, though.

[Dorni]

Relationship Building (Yumi) [Social, Indefinite]: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or level check DC 10. 1 Additional success for every +5 by which you exceed the DC. Successes may be spent to call in favors and gain minor assistance from the NPC, or to shift the NPC's attitude toward you.

Also, could you list which skills you're investing the skill points from your downtimes in?

[Hyperbolic sine]

Sure! Athletics and Bluff +1, Knowledge (Local, Streetwise) +1, Knowledge (Martial, Nobility) +2.

Should I keep a log somewhere?

Also, VPs reset after this, don't they? If so, I'll reroll the Yumi check because why not: [roll0].

Finally, Social #3: Kuroda Spy Network, Stealth DC 15 [roll1]. -4 if bonus from BotN doesn't count. Two/one success(es). Too busy with friends and girls, I guess.

[Dorni]

Should I keep a log somewhere?

I'm not going to stop you from doing so, but just listing the change at the time you take the downtime is sufficient for me since that allows me to check your sheet and verify that its a legal change.

I'm also going to rule that bonuses from stances like BotN don't count towards Downtimes. Yes, you can have a stance up as long as you want and very few things can force you out of a stance, but it still isn't truly a permanent bonus. I also don't want people to be incentivized to hunt for stances or maneuvers that give them a bonus on their favorite Downtime action or feel locked into such stances/maneuvers if they already have them.

And yes, VPs will reset at the start of the next adventure. Use em or lose em!

[Hyperbolic sine]

Makes sense. Then, for the records, I had one new maneuver and one switch: + Fading Strike (VM) and Weakening Venom Prana (SS), - Offensive Roll.

And I think I'll get my weapon and armour enchanted to +1, so -3000 gp.

Levelup should be complete.

[Zelphas]

Hooray, level ups!

For level 4:
+2 to Charisma, bringing Shiori's Charisma up to 20.
Swapping Guard's Oath (Eternal Guardian) for Hollow Darkness Mantra (Infinite Shore).
Shiori gained Echoes of Steel, allowing him to gift a just-used Maneuver of his to one of his allies as a pre-readied Maneuver of their own for one minute.
Shiori Gained his Zealot Mission! Surprising no one, Shiori chose Protection.
Protection grants Shiori the spell-like ability Living Bastion, extending his reach by 5 feet while psionically focused. If he expends his focus, he can cut the damage of an attack done to an ally within his reach in half.
I haven't spent my GP yet; I may just end up enchanting something.

Downtimes:

2 Training Downtimes: Advanced Martial Study to regain Guard's Oath (Eternal Guardian) (weird to do, yes, but it works out).
1 Training Downtime: Practical Study to add 1 point each to Concentration and Perception.

1 Social Downtime: Dreamwalk (Lucid Dreaming DC 15): [roll0] Three Successes!
1 Social Downtime: Dreamwalk (Lucid Dreaming DC 15): [roll1] Zero Successes.
1 Social Downtime: Build Relationship with Hitomi (if possible). I'd like to roll Diplomacy for this, if possible: [roll2] Welp. One success.

I have 1 VP left... I'm not sure what to do with it. I'd like to find out if Yumi has been possessed, but I think that's what the Dreamwalk successes are for.

EDIT: ...when I find out what to roll for Hitomi, can I reroll that? If not, I know where that 1 VP is going!

[Dorni]

Relationship Building (Hitomi) [Social, Indefinite]: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or level check DC 10. 1 Additional success for every +5 by which you exceed the DC. Your closeness to Hitmoi enables you to pull off feats of teamwork. Successes may be spent on the following:
Share Skills - 1 success; You have given each other pointers in a skill you possess. You may use your ally's skill bonus in place of a your own for a single check. The ally must agree to allow this to occur, as they may choose to share some skills but not others
Share VP - 1 success; You may spend one of your VP on Hitomi's behalf. You may use any function of VP.
Inspired Teamwork - 2 successes; You may share a [Teamwork] feat that you or your ally possesses. For the duration of the current encounter you may treat yourself or your ally as if you possessed a [Teamwork] feat that either of you already possess.


Yes, you can use VP to reroll downtimes

[Zelphas]

Relationship Building (Hitomi) [Social, Indefinite]: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or level check DC 10. 1 Additional success for every +5 by which you exceed the DC. Your closeness to Hitmoi enables you to pull off feats of teamwork. Successes may be spent on the following:
Share Skills - 1 success; You have given each other pointers in a skill you possess. You may use your ally's skill bonus in place of a your own for a single check. The ally must agree to allow this to occur, as they may choose to share some skills but not others
Share VP - 1 success; You may spend one of your VP on Hitomi's behalf. You may use any function of VP.
Inspired Teamwork - 2 successes; You may share a [Teamwork] feat that you or your ally possesses. For the duration of the current encounter you may treat yourself or your ally as if you possessed a [Teamwork] feat that either of you already possess.


Yes, you can use VP to reroll downtimes

All right! Hmm; I actually got one success on Hitomi even with my horrendous roll, and Dreamwalking might be more important in the long run, so I'm going to use my VP to reroll the failed Draemwalking one.

Dreamwalking Redux (Lucid Dreaming DC 15): [roll0] Crit chance: [roll1] If crits count, Four Successes! If not, three successes.

[Dorni]

Unfortunately, this isn't M&M where crits give you another +5 on your total. So 3 successes.

Fighting in the Ring [Social, Indefinite]: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, or Level check DC 15. White Cloud City's fighting rings are more than just a place for fighters to earn a payout, settle disputes, and build their reputations. A great many citizens from all levels of society will visit whether it be for entertainment, gambling, cheer their favorite, or to scout and recruit. A fighter can make a great many connections. Successes may be spent to influence an NPC's attitude (ex: they're a fan, or they're wary of the PC's reputation, etc), or to acquire assistance in some matter. Cost varies based on the NPC or the manner of assistance being requested.

[tonberryking]

Just as a heads up I'm getting back from vacay and the crazy holiday rush. I'll be leveling Kotetsu and catching up tomorrow which is my first day off after coming back.

[Zelphas]

All right, I spent 2,000 GP to give a +1 bonus to Shiori's shield and his Mithral Shirt.

I also spent 5 GP to buy 5 pounds of sealing wax, which I would like to add to the list of items in Shiori's My Calm Things Complication (with GM approval).

[Dorni]

I also spent 5 GP to buy 5 pounds of sealing wax, which I would like to add to the list of items in Shiori's My Calm Things Complication (with GM approval).

Sounds fine to me

[Zetion]

Mateo Alvarez AKA El Diablo Blanco/ Keiji Mutoh

Link to sheet is in discord since I don't have enough posts yet. Will Edit it in later.

Mateo was born to Gabriel and Elena Alvarez of the Vagabundo clan. Mateo grew up, like most children of clan Vagabundo, aspiring to be a Luchador. Fortunately for him his father, Gabriel, was a powerful Luchador known as El Diablo, so his future entry into their ranks seemed assured.

Unfortunately at the age of seven his family would lose their place of honor amongst the clan. Mateo’s father had gained a lust for prestige and had begun challenging other warriors from other clans for their weapons. Soon after El Diablo just started taking weapons from other warriors if they lost, even if there was no wager. This angered Clan Vagabundo and came to a head when El Diablo took the weapon from a minor noble.

Knowing that if this was not stopped Clan Vagabundo sent Luchadors after El Diablo to stop him. El Diablo defeated all of them, even going so far as to take one of the Luchadors masks. The insult to the clan was so great that the elders banished him, labeling him a rudos. A bounty within the clan was also placed on his head. One that has yet to be claimed.

Due to this, the honor of Mateo’s family name had been tarnished. Life became hard for Mateo and his mother. Commissions that had frequently come his mother’s way for tailoring dried up. For Mateo his training as a Luchador continued but only because he had shown talent for it. It wasn’t easy as and any specialized training that he might have otherwise received would now come at a cost. He swore at a young age to restore his family name and bring his father to justice.

When Mateo had finally come of age to enter the ranks of the Luchadors Mateo chose the name of El Diablo Blanco as a statement. He would restore his families honor while staying true to the ways of the Luchador. It was also a declaration that he would hunt his father down and bring an end to El Diablo.

Though he did become an apprentice Luchador no stable would accept him within the clan. He would have little to no help in his endeavors and would need to act as Agente Libre in Clan matches.

Mateo, like most of clan Vagabundo, is loud and bombastic, often to the annoyance of others not of his clan. His goal to redeem his family name has made him very driven. This does cause him at times to be a little hardheaded and reckless though.
Around 50 years ago a clan of Luchador’s found their way to the doorstep of White Cloud City. Their home city had been destroyed by demon beasts and they were forced to flee. After an arduous journey in which no few lost their lives the Luchador’s found the city. At first they were denied entry but after showing the prowress of their Luchadors against the demon beasts, the city Lord allowed them in. Since then they have continued to practice the way of Lucha and lend their skills to the city as needed.

In addition to that they have also set up their own trade companies, consisting mostly of tailors, leatherworkers, and paper mills. While their styles and use of bold color combinations hasn’t caught on to well, their consistant quality has earned them a few customers who have become intrigued by the Vagabundo’s patterns. The Clan has also has taken to participating in the colosseum on a regular basis.

The Mask (Honor): Mateo holds the honor of his mask above all else. As such he won’t fight without. The only exception is if his life is in danger. If so Mateo can fight back if only to escape the confrontation or to reach his mask. Once he is out of danger he may not reenter the fight until he has put on his mask.

The Mask (Responsibility): The Mask is Mateo’s symbol as a Luchador. He must take great care to make sure it’s not damaged in battle. He must also properly clean and care for it outside of battle.

The Mask (Temper): Mateo will treat all insults to his mask as a personal insult.

El Diablo (Enemy): Mateo made a declaration when he chose his Luchador name. He will pursue his father, El Diablo, until the man is defeated and justice is met.

Clan (Prejudice): Family is looked down upon in the clan. He is not supported by the clan. He petition aid from the clan but it will usually come at a cost.

Personal code of Honor (Honor): Mateo follow’s the way of Lucha closely. He won’t attack an enemy when they are down and if the match is decided he will abide by the ruling (whether in his favor or not). If Mateo gives his word that he will do something he will follow through.

Hate of people acting dishonorably (Hatred): Does not tolerate others acting dishonorably or against their own code of honor

Recognition (Motivation): In order to regain his family honor, Mateo will seek out performing deeds worthy of praise and recognition, whether it be from his clan or from White Cloud City.

Ally of Justice (Motivation): Due to his father’s betrayal, Mateo can stand seeing villains perpetrate crimes. If he witness’s something Mateo will attempt to do something to stop whatever crime is occurring.

[Dorni]

I finished going over the sheets and it looks like we're just about ready. I noticed a few things but its mostly minor.

Tsugiharu
- Attack with Waveblade should be +9 (3 BAB + 5 Dex + 1 enchant)

Shiori
- I didn't see Shiori's Ability Boosts listed anywhere. If I missed which stats you picked please let me know.
- Where does the +4 armor on the shield come from? A +1 heavy shield would normally be +3 AC

Kotetsu
- HP should be 54.
- Looks like Hengeyokai bonus to dex and move speed only apply in hybrid or animal form
- You still have a few available Disciplines if you want them. I count Lightless Divine Wind, Leaping Gale, and Dancing Leaf, but you have access to 6.

Keiji
- Looks good to me

[Hyperbolic sine]

Tsugiharu
- Attack with Waveblade should be +9 (3 BAB + 5 Dex + 1 enchant)

Fixed, thanks. Though it looked to me all attacks were one lower, not just the waveblade.

[Zelphas]

Shiori
- I didn't see Shiori's Ability Boosts listed anywhere. If I missed which stats you picked please let me know.
- Where does the +4 armor on the shield come from? A +1 heavy shield would normally be +3 AC.

If I'm thinking of the right thing, Shiori has +2 to Charisma under "Racial Features", at the bottom center of the first page. I can't find his level 4 ability score boost anywhere, though...

He gets an extra +1 from the Feat "Focused Shield", which is specifically a +1 to his shield bonus. I can put that 1 in the Misc. tab, if you prefer.

EDIT: Looking at his Ability scores, I think I took another +2 in Charisma.

EDIT 2: Found them (with Hyperbolic's help!); +2 boost to Wisdom at level 2, +2 to Charisma at level 4. Added them to the bottom of page 1 of Shiori's sheet.

[Dorni]

No need, now that I know what I'm looking at Focused Shield shouldn't be an issue

[Zelphas]

Diplomacy (DC 15): [roll0]

If I can take 10, ignore this.

[Hyperbolic sine]

K-nob DC 15: [roll0]

Also, because I'm nosy, Sense Motive (?) [roll1] to see if some classmate looks more personally affected (such as, if they were grieving their grandfather...).

[tonberryking]

Oh yeah, we can roll that Diplomacy check here! [roll0]

[Zetion]

Diplomacy [roll0]

[Dorni]

Your classmates run the full scale of either not feeling much grief or simply doing a good job of hiding it, but two of them stand out as more heavily affected. First, the always-cheerful Kaede is noticeably down in the wake of the news, although she tries to hide it by trying to raise her classmates' sprits. The second is Benjiro, who is more withdrawn and with a somehow shorter temper than usual. He goes hard during sparring, seemingly taking out his feelings that way.

If you want to investigate further, tell me what your approach is going to be and we can figure out which skill to roll. Alternatively, you can spend successes from your Kuroda Spy Network downtime to get the information. 1 Success for Kaede, 2 for Benjiro.

[Dorni]

As per Discord, 3 successes spent on Kuroda Spy Network.

You share your concerns with your clansmen and the Kuroda information network doesn't fail you. In the case of Kaede the information is forthcoming almost as soon as you describe her. Kaede's true name is Ginken Sanae, and Uesugi Hoshi was indeed her grandfather. Her mother, Ginken Katsuko, was born Uesugi Katsuko. She is Uesugi Hoshi's daughter and the current City Lord Nagato's younger sister. She married into the Ginken Clan, who have long been close and loyal allies of the Uesugi. Hoshi doted on his grandchildren, so even though Kaede is of the Ginken clan she still had a relationship with her grandfather.

Benjiro is a bit more of a puzzle. His barely disguised real name, Kaiu Kenjiro, is easily ascertained. The Kaiu are one of the Great Clans. Their family motto is "We Are The Wall" and they make good on that claim as some of the city's foremost builders, engineers, and stonemasons. They maintain the city walls and are experts in fortifications. In fact, as some of the city's foremost stonemasons they've constructed significant portions of the city over the years and are major landlords. The warriors that come from the Kaiu clan are known for their incredible endurance and for favoring heavy weapons with crushing power.

What's harder to figure out is why Benjiro would be so affected by Lord Hoshi's passing. The Kaiu clan frequently butted heads with the Uesugi and as far as the Kuroda can find Benjiro wouldn't have spent any appreciable time with Lord Hoshi. With a little investigation however, it became more clear. It wasn't that he'd known Lord Hoshi personally. The Kaiu clan patriarch had in fact been one of Hoshi's fiercest rivals when the two of them were younger - a rivalry that had ended with the Kaiu patriarch's repeated defeats. However, the man hadn't resented his defeats - instead he had an immense respect for Hoshi's strength and skill. And while later as patriarch of the Kaiu he may have regularly disagreed with Hoshi's policies, the immense personal respect between the men had allowed the two to find common ground.

Benjiro's sadness may in fact be sadness at his own grandfather's obvious pain at the loss of a close and highly respected friend. But from accounts, the Kaiu patriarch regularly shared the stories of Hoshi's exploits. Its likely that Benjiro regarded Lord Hoshi, The Man without Enemies, as something of a hero.

[Zetion]

Diplomacy [roll0]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Sense Motive #1 [roll0]
Sense Motive #2 [roll1]

[Zelphas]

May as well...

Sense Motive (DC 15): [roll0]

Sense Motive (DC 15): [roll1]

[tonberryking]

Sense the motives!

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Zetion]

Sense Motive for Both:

[roll0]

[roll1]

[Zelphas]

Heal check, for fun (DC 15): [roll0]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Le Heal: [roll0]

[tonberryking]

Za Perception: [roll0]

[Zelphas]

Perception (DC 20): [roll0]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Perception [roll0]

[Zetion]

Perception [roll0]

Also Keiji will be buying one potion of Lesser restoration

[Hyperbolic sine]

As per Discord:

Perception [roll0]
Stealth (@+4 for BotN) [roll1]

[Zelphas]

Shiori Perception: [roll0]

[Zetion]

Perception: [roll0]

[Dorni]

Nothing to see here!
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Dorni]

Athletics [roll0]

[Dorni]

Tsugiharu damage:
[roll0] + [roll1]

[Dorni]

S2 Will DC 16 vs Shiori: [roll0] Resists

[Zetion]

Attack on S2: [roll0]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Forgot the roll tags.

[roll0] + [roll1]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Actually, I also got the dice size wrong. [roll0]

[Dorni]

Fort DC 20 (half) vs 4 str damage: [roll0] Failure. -4 Str

[tonberryking]

Confirm critical:

[roll0]

[Dorni]

Kotetsu critical bonus damage: [roll0]

[Hyperbolic sine]

Fort DC 15 (@+3 for Keiji) [roll0], Str damage [roll1] I really did not want to spend a :smallcool: VP so early...min 17, auto-pass

[Zelphas]

Shiori's going to use Martyrdom to grab all 13 of that damage and redirect it to himself; he can't grab the poison too (yet), so sorry about that, Tsugiharu.

[Dorni]

Fort DC 19 vs Fading Strike [roll0] Resists

[Zetion]

Okay using a VP on the first touch attack in my sequence:

[roll0]

[Dorni]

That definitely hits!
Trip DC 34: [roll0] Tripped
Grapple DC 36: [roll1] Grappled

[tonberryking]

Maneuvers Readied:
x2 Mizuchi x1 Mizuchi
Aerial Leap
Shock Blade
Twilight Ambush
Stance: Phantasmal Blade Stance

[Dorni]

S2's attack: [roll0] Crit threat

[Dorni]

Rolling to confirm: [roll0] Confirmed

[Dorni]

Bonus damage: [roll0]

[Zelphas]

Shiori Fortitude Save (DC 15): [roll0] Shiori forgot that they had poison.

[Hyperbolic sine]

This is probably overkill.

Crit confirmation at [roll0] for extra [roll1] damage (or possibly double that).

[Dorni]

Whistles innocently [roll0] ...Well then

[Hyperbolic sine]

Heal [roll0]

[Dorni]

The site looks clear. You don't spot anyone in hiding nearby.

[Zetion]

Appraisal check: [roll0]

[Zetion]

Search Check: [roll0]