Master of the Sword (Tyrus Q&A)

[Tyrus]

Damn what a ride, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! I'm not sure what insights you're looking for from me but I'll my best to offer them. I said it in OOC but I'll take this opportunity to thank everyone for an enjoyable experience and a distraction from current day to day life. This was a fun game with a lot of firsts for me and I feel like I learned a lot. I can't wait for next game with everyone.

**Disclaimer** anything included in this thread regarding the future of the setting and clans is my own personal thoughts and ideas and not necessarily cannon and is subject to change.

[Seppun Chisei]

Hey, thanks for running the fites! You did a terrific job!

[Anjing Xia]

Thank you for running the combats, Tyrus.

[Nanzi]

Hantei and Nanzi are best bros, make it canon.

Thanks again for running combat easily the more difficult stuff to do for any GM.

[Kyosei of the Isawa]

Yes! I had to ghost the one fight I was in, but you did it just right for my ghosting, and I did what I could. Thanks!

[Ninube]

Thanks for helping make this such a great game.

I am curious, what would have happened if we took the little girl into camp?

[Jin]

Loved watching the combats even if I only took part in one.

Which was your favorite?

Which would you have preferred gone differently? (Not necessarily 'most disappointing' since that's usually an OOC thing but in terms of enemies dying too quickly, not getting to spring a big surprise, etc)

[Tyrus]

I appreciate the praise one and all truly thank you.

Thanks for helping make this such a great game.

I am curious, what would have happened if we took the little girl into camp?

So it would have depended, it was a shape shifting monster but it was also young and scared and confused. There was a chance that it could have just become part of the camp and joined the party but because people drew weapons it became afraid and angry. There was still a chance that during the combat if the players tried talking to her that she would become friendly (though that would have involved a fairly high courtier roll). In the end there was a chance for her to become one of you, though that would have its own set of complications. It could have been a functioning member of society or it could one day give in to its monstrous urges and cause a lot of harm. No way to tell.

[Noriaki no Yamadono]

How did you have to plan combats, knowing the sheet amount if heavy weapon wielding forest killers?

[Tyrus]

Loved watching the combats even if I only took part in one.

Which was your favorite?

Which would you have preferred gone differently? (Not necessarily 'most disappointing' since that's usually an OOC thing but in terms of enemies dying too quickly, not getting to spring a big surprise, etc)

um i think the last combats were my favorite they went almost exactly according to plan, they were not balanced to be beaten by the first wave especially with no shugenja support. Not to say I hoped everyone would die I just figured more would run away and the second set of defenders I think had that nice this could go either way very quickly vibe that i hope made it as tense for the players as it was for me.

ummm I think the spider going down that fast surprised me, I scaled back the monster it was based off of a little too much I think, balancing essentially one vs. many combats is very difficult for a game like L5R.

[Tyrus]

How did you have to plan combats, knowing the sheet amount if heavy weapon wielding forest killers?

well mostly it was giving things more wounds/reduction to stand up to those big heavy weapon swings. and not holding back on giving enemies strong damage rolls.

[Nozomi]

Overall well done in the combats. this system can be nightmarish at times.

So, what would you say was the most unexpected lesson you've learned going forward in running combats in particular?

[Togashi Saruko]

Thank you for GMing again and for tolerating Saruko coming to Hantei only when there was an issue of some sort.

It seemed like you had a better time GMing this time around, and I'm happy that you got to enjoy yourself with running some tough combats.

Favorite non-combat moment for you?
What nefarious plans are you plotting for the future?

[Hantei Kinsen]

I want to thank Tyrus for playing Hantei and how incredibly secure of himself the Kami showed to be along the game, while still being extremely caring and determined to protect the things he values. Last game, unfortunately, time-zones and posts didn't coincide. This time we managed to get some really good threads.

Question: How will Hantei behave as a living god and what is his purpose now that he has saved his brother. What is the Clan's main direction?

[Tyrus]

Overall well done in the combats. this system can be nightmarish at times.

So, what would you say was the most unexpected lesson you've learned going forward in running combats in particular?

Hmm honestly i think I learned that with the way this system is set up you can only do so much to balance anything. Since nothing really has "max damage" you have to just kind of do your best and go with it. I've found that 5 is my comfortable limit for people but that wasn't really all that surprising.

Thank you for GMing again and for tolerating Saruko coming to Hantei only when there was an issue of some sort.

It seemed like you had a better time GMing this time around, and I'm happy that you got to enjoy yourself with running some tough combats.

Favorite non-combat moment for you?
What nefarious plans are you plotting for the future?

I did not mind at all . I think Hantei and Kinsen had some sweet moments and honestly I enjoyed the thread where Hantei confessed to Saruko, I enjoyed Riki the Bandit captain but he didn't get much traction after he was introduced. I don't know if it is so much that I did not enjoy last game but my life was in a much crazier place during Dawn 1 and I had a lot of other stressors. I am in a better place overall now.

as for nefarious plans any plots or plans are simply in the nascent stage and not worth sharing but I am spending much of the time thinking about the crab and the scorpion also the unicorn. Crab and Unicorn cause I feel they will be the most affected by the outcome of this game and scorpion because they are my favorite lol.

I want to thank Tyrus for playing Hantei and how incredibly secure of himself the Kami showed to be along the game, while still being extremely caring and determined to protect the things he values. Last game, unfortunately, time-zones and posts didn't coincide. This time we managed to get some really good threads.

Question: How will Hantei behave as a living god and what is his purpose now that he has saved his brother. What is the Clan's main direction?

Thanks I enjoyed playing Hantei and exploring him more now that he is a different person than cannon.

I think he is dealing with it the best he can by following his ideals and letting his duty and honor lead him. The clan is something I am putting a lot of thought into, they will likely be more rigid than other clans as they are being led by the vision of the cannon empire they will strike some balance between courtly and militaristic having their bushi trained by the most skilled of the kami and also one that spent a great amount of time with doji. as above though these plans are all in their infancy subject to change and modification.

[Jiyo Sora]

Hantei seemed a bit more relaxed this game, despite the high stakes. Was this deliberate, or just a reflection of your own life being a bit less hectic?

[Tyrus]

Hantei seemed a bit more relaxed this game, despite the high stakes. Was this deliberate, or just a reflection of your own life being a bit less hectic?

I think a bit of both he wasn't actually relaxed but rather had his feet under him and knew how to hide his anxiety and other emotions. He is the prototype for the On in my opinion, one who embraces the tenants of honor and duty and what a samurai should be. In this vein he rarely shows emotion even if it still acceptable to do so. I tried to show this control fraying toward the later days culminating with the blow up at Reiko the night before the operation.

[Jiyo Sora]

Given the whole mess with Reiko and Hantei, Reiko and Kinsen, and the fact that the brothers aren't exactly the best buds, where do you see Spider/Stag relations going? Especially given that Reiko hasn't exactly collected paragons of Bushido for the clan so far.

[Tyrus]

hmmm I think those two will always be somewhat antagonistic at their core but for now they have decided to make peace and call things even. Hantei hopes the sacrifices he made to save Hisomu will show Reiko he isn't a bad guy and smooth that over as well. As for the Reiko Kinsen stuff, if Hantei hears about what Kinsen did he will be furious and force Kinsen to apologize to Reiko.

I think while the Kami are alive the relations will be opposing but not confrontational, Hisomu falls on the practical side where as Hantei falls on the honorable side. Spider will probably foil Stag in a way not dissimilar to scorpion foiling crane and crab foiling lion.

[Kyosei of the Isawa]

Will the spider also become more of a casting clan, perhaps with multiple Shugenja families?