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Rule interpretations for this game.

Posted by Chiisai ToriFor group 0
Chiisai Tori
GM, 17 posts
Tue 16 Oct 2018
at 17:00
  • msg #1

Rule interpretations for this game

Some notes on the rules:

We have played this game before but used rules we’d altered.  This game is making an effort to play the game with the rules ‘as is’.  So if in doubt, consult the rules, and then below.

Change from the book:
- Rounding in Bushido, is explicit.  Any time you round down, the rules explicitly say that.  So if the rules don’t say round down, you round .5-.9 up.  EXCEPTION: Maximum Number of Actions is technically not rounded down per the rules.  In this game, SPD/10, round down is the rule.  This is a change from the rulebook but not a change from how we’ve always played.
- Since starting Armor makes no sense, I've made a simple rule: All Samurai (regardless of class) start with Samurai armor of 2d3.  All Ronin (regardless of class) get 1d3+1 Samurai armor.  All Bushi not Buke get 1d3+1 ashigaru armor.

Reminders of rules that we played that we aren’t in this game
- AC subtracts from opponent BCS, it does not reduce damage.
- KI is not automatic.  Most uses require a focusing roll which means you have to roll under your KI on a d20 to activate.  Also, this roll often generates an effect number.  Lastly, the rules say focusing like this requires a Detailed Turn, so doing it in the middle of combat is tougher.
- Status is being used in this game.  Pursuing it is not a bad idea.
- FIS (Freely Improvable Skills) are used in this game, so designate as you go.  Not all have to be designated at character creation. You just need to know if you try to increase your Score.
- If a skill is a bonus skill, you have a BCS equal to your level if you have no score in it.  So a 6th level Bushi who never learned hojojutsu still has a BCS of 6.
- You cannot wear samurai style armor if you are not a samurai.
- Encumbrance rules will apply.
- A professions bonus skills are defined under the profession description  If the skill itself conflicts with the list under the profession, the list takes precedence.  There are inconsistencies.
- As with previous games, culture is taken into account.  You COULD wear samurai armor if a merchant, and slap a samurai woman in the face because you know she can’t defend herself, but the world will likely kill you for it.  Breaking rules in this society is more than possible.  Getting caught is often brutal though.

I’ll add more as they come up.  If a deviation isn’t listed here, assume the rules book is accurate. I reserve the right to add to the list of deviations though I’ll try to be sensitive to things people have embedded in their characters.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:52, Mon 12 Nov 2018.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 20 posts
Thu 18 Oct 2018
at 18:45
  • msg #2

Comments on rules

New rule change:  According to the rules, since Ninja do not use ON, they must gain twice as much experience to level up.  While Ninja don't gain ON openly, they certainly gain it within their own clan and among their own kind.  And they do have a code with which they must operated.  So I'm treated Ninja just like other classes for leveling and awarding them ON based on how their actions work within their sub-culture.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 21 posts
Mon 22 Oct 2018
at 11:08
  • msg #3

Comments on rules

Just for reference, here are the actions available to people.  Everyone's first action is BASE.  Any actions after that are either Primary or Secondary.  At first level, almost everyone's are Secondary.  You can choose any action on your list, plus any below it.  So on your Base, you can choose a Secondary option if you want, but on a secondary, you can't do anything but a secondary.

BAP Actions
Walk - # of yards equal to BMA  Cannot be choose while Engaged.
Cast Spell - No movement allowed.  Need Will ST if Engaged.
Charge - Straight-line.  2xBMA and attack.  Attack resolved in AP 2.  Only if unengaged.  Must move min 3 to get BCS or damage benefit.
Close to Engage - 1/2BMA and attack on same phase.
Leap - Unengaged.
Run - Unengaged.  2xBMA
Use Dai-kyu - No movement allowed.
Turn and Flee - Leave engaged but not enter another.  Turn on AP, flee halfway between AP and 1AP.  BMA.
Alter Postion - Stand, kneel, lie.  Need Spd ST if engaged.
Combat Action - Move 1 yard (before or after) and attack.
Don Armor -
Exchange Weapons - only unengaged.  Move 1 hex, swap.
Give Orders - may also move 1 yard.
Mount/Dismount - No other move allowed.  Spd ST or Bajutsu if engaged.
Observe Situation - Only aware of what is immediately in front of them if not taking this action.  Move 1 yard.
Use Han-kyu Unengaged.  No movement.


PAP Actions
Alter Postion - Stand, kneel, lie.  Need Spd ST if engaged.
Combat Action - Move 1 yard (before or after) and attack.
Don Armor -
Exchange Weapons - only unengaged.  Move 1 hex, swap.
Give Orders - may also move 1 yard.
Mount/Dismount - No other move allowed.  Spd ST or Bajutsu if engaged.
Observe Situation - Only aware of what is immediately in front of them if not taking this action.  Move 1 yard.
Use Han-kyu Unengaged.  No movement.

SAP actions
Attack
Draw Weapon - DFT ST if engaged.
Parry - Increase AC depending on BCS roll
Perform Action
Sheathe weapon - DFT ST if engaged unless willing to drop.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 24 posts
Wed 24 Oct 2018
at 13:37
  • msg #4

Comments on rules

As mentioned, there are three kinds of status.  Personal (your own reputation).  Group (your reputation within a particular group – you might have several of these).  And Social, which is only used when comparing people of different professions, castes, and groups.

Important:  Social status doesn’t mean the highest guy gets to order the others around.  The Caste system controls that.  Samurai are always in charge.  Even the lowliest one vs the most important non-samurai in the country.  But it DOES give a ‘feel’.

For example, for your group, at the start of the game, the Ninja has the highest Social status.  This is mostly due to his Ninja Clan.  If you know what clan he is in, people automatically afford him respect, or at least fear.  People know he has resources that can be a pain to have to deal with (whether he has decent standing in his clan or not).  Can he rise above his lowly ETA caste due to this?  No.  Can a farmer still piss on him?  Yes.  Is that wise?  No.  And the fact that his Social status is high is what tells you it’s not wise.

For role-playing purposes only, the caste system, not Social Status or Personal Status, rules who is higher rank.  In this game, the caste system is:
Samurai in service of Daimyo>Samurai>Ronin>Farmer>Artisan>Merchant>ETA.  And your rank in your caste determines where you are in that caste (low, middle, high).

For role-playing purposes only, the Social status system gives a hint of a person’s personal power and resources.  This doesn’t always align with caste and is meant to only say when you might think twice before disrespecting someone even if you outrank them by caste and are allowed to disrespect them.  For the current group at the start of the game:
Hiro-matsu the Ninja if you know his clan>Totsu the Budoka> Arashi Fukushu the Bushi >Yashashi the Gakusho>NPC samurai Toda no Mariku>Takeshi Oshiro the Shugenja/Ayare the Yakuza/Hiro-matsu the Ninja if you don’t know his clan.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 32 posts
Sun 28 Oct 2018
at 06:57
  • msg #5

Comments on rules

This game has ON and BUDO/SHUGENDO that is needed to go up a level.

Unlike the rules, BUDO/SHUGENDO in this game will be added up from all PC’s and divided by the number of PC’s.
ON, or Honor, is individually based.

E.g., Takeshi casts a spell which turns a samurai’s sake to poison because the samurai has been selling his peasants into slavery in Korea.  The samurai dies as a result, but his personal physician detects the poison and since Takeshi was the only person there, his use of it is uncovered.  In this case, the mission would be successful and all the group would get a share of the Budo/Shugendo (which we will call Experience for simplicity) despite the fact that only Takeshi took an action.  However, Takeshi loses ON from this because poison is dishonorable unless you’re a filthy ninja.  The group, however, does not.

Things like defeating foes, casting spells that help with the mission, making good plans; these types of things get the group experience points.

Winning contests, being courageous, winning duels, research, Pilgrimages, suffering wounds; these types of things get an individual ON.

Cowardice, lies, losing, rashness, disgrace in battle, treason; these types of things lose an individual ON.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 34 posts
Sun 28 Oct 2018
at 21:04
  • msg #6

Comments on rules

Anyone going to talk to someone, if it is a major player in the mission (Badu, Usa, etc), that will likely be role-played a bit and possibly end with a reaction roll if you are ultimately asking something of them.  If just general knowledge is sought from the masses (like a Gather Information roll in D&D), a reaction roll is likely with modifiers to the BCS based on your approach (do you bribe, intimidate, spread some money around, spread some favors around, haggle, etc).

There is an initial reaction chart in the second book, but for an idea of what gives bonuses and negatives to social interactions, Refer to page 24 section 1062.4 for the ROUGH guides I’m using for general information/diplomacy rules.  While this type of gather information isn’t really a status roll, status does play a part in all social encounters.  Also keep in mind that a roll limits your information to what was sought, while actual role-playing can potentially gather information you did not ask for but that might be useful (or a red herring).  The game would move too slowly if we role-played every interaction so this is the base default for quick and dirty social

So if any PC’s go information gathering, I’ll need three pieces of information: Your target (even if the target is ‘general population’), the information sought or favor to be asked, and any actions (with appropriate rolls) used to increase the chance of success (commerce, poetry, Will (if intimidating), Wit (if manipulating), how much cash spread about, etc).
Chiisai Tori
GM, 63 posts
Thu 1 Nov 2018
at 00:57
  • msg #7

Comments on rules

A word about Defense.

Per the rules, if you are using a bonus skill in combat, you get to add your level to your AC.

Sounds simple but here is my interpretation since details are scant:

First, this is for when you are ‘engaged and capable of attack’ in melee.  Meaning you cannot use Shurikenjutsu for defense even if you just whipped one across the room.

Second, while you do not have to attack in order to gain a defense, you DO have to be, what I would call, brandishing and defending.  So even if you have atemi-waza, you cannot use it to defend if you have a bow in your hand or are casting a spell – shooting and casting require different martial movements and concentrations.

Third, melee is considered ‘a series of martial moves’ where the BCS shows the overall effectiveness.  So if I deem you are taking actions which would not allow you to make ‘a series of martial moves’ with the bugei in question, I’ll not allow defense (such as having a tanto out while trying to climb a wall).

There will be new situations that will require rulings.  I’ll warn people now that, unless I think you’re essentially attacking and defending at that moment with that weapon, I’ll likely say no to gaining a defense.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 78 posts
Fri 2 Nov 2018
at 17:21
  • msg #8

Comments on rules

EFFECT NUMBERS:

Since the game uses effect numbers a great deal, and since rolling your modified BCS is a success, I’m going to rule that your effect number is BCS-d20+1.  So, if your BCS is 10, and you roll a 10, you still have an effect number for rules that require an effect number to be useful.  This also means if you rolled a 9, your effect would be 2.

KARUMIJUTSU and LEAPING:
You can perform a broad jump OR a high jump, using Leaping capability per rules.

Karumijutsu opens the option of doing a broad AND high jump at the same time, as well as attacking during the flight path.  The rules are confusing, and I believe there is one typo, so while I’m trying to use the rules ‘as is’, here’s what I think ‘as is’ means:

When performing a heroic leap, you roll your KARUMIJUTSU skill and generate what your broad jump AND high jump are off that roll per the Leaping formula’s.  You then double the high jump portion but the total can’t be more than your strength.  Notice that broad jumps are measured in yards and high jumps are in feet.  A heroic leap does the same.  I have a spreadsheet if you don’t want to figure it out just give me your roll.  That means, with poor Karumi but great Leaping capabilities, you’ll have MUCH longer and higher jumps using Leaping – you just can’t do both at the same time.  Once your Karumi gets high, you still are unlikely to be better at distances with a heroic leap but they’ll be close, and the heroic one gives you both ht and length.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 80 posts
Fri 2 Nov 2018
at 23:59
  • msg #10

Comments on rules

defense is for when you’re attacked in melee only. At range, in essence, yadome is your defense.

If you are in melee and use yadome to deflect incoming arrows, you get your defense against the melee guy since you are using a bonus bugei while engaged. But not against the incoming arrow.  Gotta make your yadome roll for help on that attack.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 135 posts
Tue 27 Nov 2018
at 14:57
  • msg #11

Comments on rules

When we wrap this adventure up, if anyone is left alive, you will be given a chance to revise your character based on how you’ve seen the rules work.  This revision can be ANYTHING except your initial rolls for social status.  You can change gender, profession, skills, attributes, etc.

In an effort for everyone to know what they’re getting into, we played a bit to see how the rules worked.  Right now, I’ll be posting some thoughts and changes and rulings on a couple things so that people know more before making these potential character changes.

If anyone wants elucidation on anything in particular, and I know I’ll regret this, please simply ask :D.

I’m not saying rules won’t tweak after this, but hopefully this gives you an idea of how I think and will rule in the future.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Spacing/melee combat distance:

Contact means same hex.
Short means adjacent hexes.
Medium means 1 hex between you.
Long means 2 hexes between you.
Extra long means 3 hexes between you.

NEW RULE warning:
Movement is difficult in this game.  In an SAP, you cannot move at all.  In a PAP, you can move 1 yard and attack and that’s the only movement allowed that leaves your current hex.  In a BAP, you are allowed to run, leap, close to engage, walk, Turn and flee, or charge.  ALL of these options (except turn and flee) are only available to characters Unengaged.  What that means is, if someone has engaged you with a long spear at extra long range, you CANNOT EVER attack them with a weapon not capable of that range.

This is unreasonable so I’m adding a rule. If you are closing to attack charging, or leaping as part of a charge in a BAP, you can take these actions IF ENGAGED ALREADY only if an attack is at the end of your movement, and in such case, you get a speed ST against their speed ST to perform the action.  Failure means your movement is halted at their weapons ‘optimal’ range.  Success means you can move however you like.

A person with a long spear and good speed ST can still be very annoying though.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 150 posts
Sat 1 Dec 2018
at 13:29
  • msg #12

Comments on rules

Magic users initial attribute Rule change

I've played Bushido for awhile.  While magic can be powerful in the right circumstance (Badu's spells cast for example), I think the creators made a mistake when they gave 35 extra attribute points to Bushi, Budoka, and Ninja, 40 extra to Yakuza, but only 20 extra to Gakusho and Shugenja.

I try not to move from the rules unless I think it's a problem with game balance.  In this case, I do.  The game is deadly, and making it so the magic users, for their entire careers if they want magic BCS's in line with martial bugei BCS's, go last, go less often, die fastest, and don't have the strength for armor, makes them too vulnerable.

I'm adding a +5 to their Spd and Dft for initial creation.  That still gives them less points than all other classes, but if they choose one physical attribute, they can now be close to equal with others in that attribute.

And if you're remembering all of you taking on one spell caster and it being close, understand that Badu had a Yakuza's physical attributes, and the spirits mental ones.  He was buff.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 154 posts
Tue 4 Dec 2018
at 16:32
  • msg #13

Comments on rules

Hps are either a roll or half plus 1. Decide before you roll.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 160 posts
Fri 7 Dec 2018
at 18:59
  • msg #15

Comments on rules

Get your equipment  This is on pages 52-58.  You don’t need food/water, but everything else you’ll need to have purchased if you’re going to use it once you guys finalize character tweaks.

Basically, each square is a BMA point.
BAP Walk is your BMA.
BAP Change is your BMAx2 and attack but no attack until AP2.
BAP Close to engage is BMAx0,5, round up and attack
BAP Run is BMAx2
BAP Turn/Flee is BMA with free turn.

PAP Combat action may move 1
PAP Exchange weapons may move 1
PAP Give Orders may move 1
PAP Observe Situation may move 1

There are no movement options in an SAP.

The game has facings.  See picture below which shows facings, as well as reaches of weapons.

Moving in the area in your ‘front facing’ is just one for one on your BMA number.
If you move into the ‘side facing’ areas, you must ‘turn’.  A turn costs 1 BMA point, but does not move you forward.
Exception: If you must go around something that IS in your front facing, but must ‘turn’ to do it (not straight line from where you started to where you ended, each ‘turn’ costs a BMA point.
In both of those cases, you’re facing has now changed.

You may keep your facing, and move either sideways or backwards, but each hex costs 2 instead of 1.

In situations you can only move 1, any direction can be shifted and only pay the 1 point.  Your one move may be a facing change if you’d like.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:42, Fri 18 June 2021.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 164 posts
Mon 10 Dec 2018
at 01:30
  • msg #16

Comments on rules

Sorry for the number of rule interpretations and rulings since we started.  Just want things reasonably firm after that first adventure.

I HAVE done more reading about 'BASE BCS'.  The way modifiers are defined for an attack, you determine the BASE, you apply armor, your apply situational mods, and last you apply weapon quality.

Now, we defined BASE as your RAW BCS plus your bonus if a bonus skill.  That's almost correct.  I've learned that when you get a 50% applied to your attack, it is on the BASE.  It is not a situational mod.  This is a tweak to how we've been doing it and I'll continue to define how a BCS is generated as we continue to go through battles.

SO.

Step 1: (RAW BCS + Bonus if bonus skill) * % mods.
Step 2: Armor and defense of opponent.
Step 3: situational mods
Step 4: weapon quality.


This makes sense.  We were doing the 50% after armor and a person's armor doesn't get worse if the attacker is crappier.

So, in a SAP for example:
BCS 14+2 for bonus skill=16.  50% brings it to 8.  Then Armor and defense of enemy is 3, so BCS moves to 5.  Assume higher ground, so 6.  Assume Inferior weapon so final BCS would be 5.
Chiisai Tori
GM, 335 posts
Wed 12 Jun 2019
at 13:31
  • msg #17

Comments on rules

After watching a few combats, Criticals are too common for my tastes.

A bar fight should not always end with 3 men having broken limbs!

From now on, I'm adopting a version of the 3.5 D&D rules.

If you rolled a 1 to attack roll again. If it is a hit it is a critical roll on crit success table on page 65.
If you rolled a 20 to attack roll again. If it is a miss it is a crit fail - roll o crit failure chart for either armed or unarmed combat on pages 65 and 66.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:49, Mon 21 June 2021.
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