Way of the Daimyo Conversion

Alex ST Avatar

Aug 9, 2016 15:31:02 GMT -5 Alex ST said:

Thoughts:



Vassalage: I really like the way this encourages people to use the vassalage system, and especially to reward and build up their vassals. My only suggestion would be to make it at predictable intervals so that we don't have to track when each daimyo got each vassal (i.e. points are awarded at the end of winter court and the Setsuban Festival. Note that I don't recall when the Setsuban Festival actually is).





That's the plan. The working idea is to start the clock at session 4 and go every six months from there.
That Vassalage idea was Tim's brainchild.


I like the way the advisers are done, though I'd make the ability a little more specific rather than just "provide information." Potential examples include:

"Once per session you may make a skill check as if your skill were three ranks higher."

"Once per session you receive a Free Raise to a skill check. You gain this bonus even if you are unskilled and you never suffer unskilled penalties."

"Whenever you succeed at a skill check you gain information as if you'd declared two Raises. These Raises may only be used for increased effect, not to lower the TN."

"Once per session you may automatically succeed at a single skill check of TN XX or lower."



I've deliberately avoided adding bonuses to rolls as to how these guys benefit you. In the Way of the Daimyo Raw, they would be present at the court in which you'd be doing 'battle. In this version, they are off in far away courts, and they offer aid by granting non-mechanical bonuses such as gifts, rumors, and knowledge. They're not at court with you, supplementing your arguments and sweet-talking your competitors.



There will be a chart that randomly determines what benefit you get from your allies month-to-month. I know you don't like charts, but players will not have to see it or deal with it. We'll just roll on it randomly at the start of session. You will get a rumor associated with you guy's purview, or a gift of varying rarity and variety (tokens based on the flavor of the ally).



The Informant's Koku cost seems like a lot of extra work to track. Suggest instead that we change it to, "When you purchase this feature, the koku from your starting package is automatically reduced by 1 koku per rank."



Sure. Paying up-front is reasonable.


Service: Courtiers. I'd like to make this more specific, i.e. "You will receive an answer during the next downtime."



Agreed. I just wasn't sure what time frame to place. What would the default be for people who don't have access to couriers?





Ally: Yojimbo makes a lot of sense in a tabletop game where there may not be any bushi at all, but in a larp it encourages giving scenes to NPCs rather than players. I'd suggest instead that we use this feature to make it easier to get a PC yojimbo, i.e. "If you ask a PC from any clan to be your champion you, they must agree or lose a number of points of Honor/Glory/Status equal to your ranks in this feature."



That's not a bad idea. I'll think on it. But sometimes there won't be a viable/appropriate option.



Location: Suggest we redefine this based on the area of Otosan Uchi. It doesn't matter nearly as much whether a Yasuki has a holding in the heart of Crab lands if the entire game takes place in Otosan Uchi.



Governor specifically is meant to deal with things of that scale. The reason holdings matter is because they grant resources, status, prestige, and can potentially serve as story elements in regards to the metaplot. When conflict arises between the lion and crane and you hear a rumor that the Lion General (if you're a lion) needs a place for his Samurai to rest after a major battle, you'll be glad to have that holding.

While I'm certain it can be re-written to the scale of Otoson Uchii, the individualized Merchant Patron, Master Sensei, and Keeper of the Temple structures are more appropriate for that scale.
Those features grant personal benefits and Koku. Governor features can grant entire resource tokens.




Monuments: Due to the timeline of the game, instead of having this feature grant Glory what about having it prevent Glory from being reduced. i.e. "The passing of time cannot cause your glory cannot drop below your Insight Rank plus 0.2. Each time you purchase this feature increase the minimum Glory by 0.2."



I think Tim suggested this as well. I do think if it increases your glory floor, it should be capped at some point.



Sake Houses: we need a way to track these.



Yep.



Shrines: Right now this has no mechanical effect. Do we want to change that?





Maybe. I'm pretty good at making story decisions rewarding. If I think of a reasonable mechanical effect, I will share it.



The write up of Governor right now is very consistent with Way of the Daimyo in Emerald Empire. Do we want to make it more specific to Otosan Uchi? For example, I don't think it makes sense to encourage players to be the governors of cities across the Empire if the game is set in Otosan Uchi.



See above.