L5R - End of the Topaz Championship

[buffaloraven]

Ok, so, finally getting a chance to post. We'll see if I can finish this.

Seannittner should have a good, comprehensive lj post on the subject. Check it out when it gets up.

New Mechanics Introed a new mechanic I've been thinking of for awhile: Honor targets. The game has a sliding scale of honor that moves from 0.0 to 5.0. I had the PCs

Comments

[lyahdan]

Not that I've watched this group's dynamics much yet, but part of the backseat felt due to the nature of the style of your game--which is very much 'step up and do something.' This could leave folks out more if they're quiet or low energy and don't want to jump in.

When there are things happening where various people could come along for the ride after a group conference, you're good at going around the group with "and what are you doing?"

Mind you, I prefer that style overall, since it means that if I am tired or hit something that pushes me into minor meltdown, I *can* sit back and let the antics of others entertain me while I get my head into a better place.

[seannittner]

Yep, in the past we've had more strictly round robin methods so that everyone gets a scene and if they don't feel up for it when it's their turn we skip them and come back later. In this session people with agendas really saw more action than those without. As Tracy said, I don't think this is a bad thing.

Also... Thanks A TON for saving my bacon with Shinji. The scorpion pretty much had me on the rocks with the whole "Kisada did the one thing that is NEVER ALLOWED (siding with the shadowlands)" line and Shinji really gave Rei and out when she started listing off all the stuff the Scorpion have done that is just as reprehensible. Rei won't forget your help there. She likes the crab in general but show she's particularly fond if Shinji.

[lyahdan]

LOL, well Rei rose in Shinji’s estimation both for protecting the kid and for ultimately refusing the Scorpion blackmail.

Given that the Crab and Scorpion seldom get along, and then the idiot decides to dis Kisada (the dude was named a Fortune by an Emperor, just because he walks the world again doesn’t mean he isn’t still one.). Corruption is a particularly sore point to the Kuni, who risk themselves far more directly than any other family. So she really had to respond and point out that the Scorpion (like every other clan) didn’t come through that period at all clean. Killing an emperor blasphemes against the Celestial Order like very little else can.

[seannittner]

Cool. I had been looking for a way to tie Rei to the new characters and I think this helped out a lot in doing that.

Yeah, I can totally see why the scorpion, in particular those trying to dog Kisada, would get under Shinji's skin. Definitely something to drink over as we don't talk about it very meaningfully :)

[lyahdan]

This reminds me. Shinji stepping in may have been triggered by their barbs at the Crab, but it was the player’s knowledge of L5R history that allowed for a comeback. That kind of floundering in social situations is what the character sheet skills are made for (and *everyone* forgets, myself included). I like having flavorful roleplay. But I’d also like Omar (in this example) to be able to jump in if he sees his character as the sort who would jump up and defend the Crab even if the player doesn’t have an awesome setting-drenched comeback. I’ve never been sure how to encourage this, other than sheer behavioral conditioning all around. Even in forum games, with all the time in the world to process things, it’s still hard for me to go “I’m frustrated and grr. = there should probably be a die roll here”

[seannittner]

I agree that these should fall back on the dice if two sides are at an impasse, but as it was, not jumping to the dice immediately make for a really memorably interaction.

Had Shinji not come forward I would have called for an Etiquette roll to hold my ground and not be goaded by the Scorpion. Which would have been fine too, but would not have been as cool as your comeback. I don't think player setting knowledge or charisma should trump conflicts in the fiction, but I do think it can make for a very entertaining session when it comes out.