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[Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
One hundred and forty-seven years ago, Okami Shou left Rokugan with his entire clan. After his brother and clan head tried to kill the emperor, they were given a choice. Shou's family would face execution and a the next in line would assume the position of clan leader. Barring that, his entire clan must cede their territory to the Crane, whose actions saved the emperors life, and leave Rokugan.
With little to no choice, the Minor Clan left. Since then they have successfully joined the outside world. Working as swordsmiths and mercenaries, the Dog clan has led a very lucrative business in the past century. However, a newly risen king demanded they reveal the secrets behind the exquisite blades and strange martial abilities. History repeats itself, and the Dog clan has decided to leave and return to Rokugan.
Much has changed for both the clan and empire. Their numbers have dwindled greatly during the separation. Some members decided to remain behind before they left and others decided to remain in the western world. The Dog clan, once nearing the numbers and prestige necessary for a major clan, now barely qualifies for a clan. Also, though they have many warriors and blacksmiths, the Dog clan has no farmers, carpenters, artisans, and only a few merchants.
While they left much behind, Okami Tarou has brought something back. Several extremely capable gangi mercenaries who worked for him. With them by his side, he wants to regain territories, build his clan with wandering ronin, and re-establish them as a major player in Rokugan.
This is where the players come in. They are western mercenaries, who for one reason or another, decide to follow Tarou back to Rokugan. Or maybe they actually are members of the Dog Clan. Either way, I'd like to play a mid-level campaign (6-10) using Pathfinders Eastern material. That means plenty of monks, ninjas, and samurai.
If anyone would like to DM this campaign, I would be eternally grateful. Going to leave everything else (number of players, starting, gold, ability generation, etc, etc,) to the potential DM.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
I'd definitely be interested in this! Can't decide to be Western or Rokugani, though.
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Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frosty
1) Why would the new Emperor (assuming there is a new one if enough time has passed) allow the Dog clan back into the empire?
2) There are Eastern materials for PF? Where?
Umm...NO...no Gunslinger. Gunpowder (aka Gaijin Pepper) is EXTREMELY ILLEGAL in Rokugan. Anyone in possession of it will be executed immediately.
There are some suggestions on the PFSRD for Eastern themed equipment, weapons, armour etc.... Similar there is the Samurai and Ninja class options and the one hundred and one monk archetypes.
Where is Gaijin Pepper mentioned? I like the setting but I only had a few of the D20/L5R combined PDFs from alderac when they were doing it so I'm not a setting expert by any stretch. I though some of the Mantis Clan had gunpowder stuff as did some "ninja" clans with their nage teppos?
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Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frosty
1) Why would the new Emperor (assuming there is a new one if enough time has passed) allow the Dog clan back into the empire?
2) There are Eastern materials for PF? Where?
Umm...NO...no Gunslinger. Gunpowder (aka Gaijin Pepper) is EXTREMELY ILLEGAL in Rokugan. Anyone in possession of it will be executed immediately.
Yes, you're absolutely right. He'll just have to be a cowboy with no guns. And then he'll team up with Gakt and Woody Harrelson to kill Ron Perlman. As for why he'd let them come back, I don't know. Really, I tried to leave things vague and only keep the story elements that I really wanted. Personally, I've got about twenty pages of backstory, character bios, mini-adventures, systems for rating clan appeal and power, and a few Dog clan feats.
In RL, my group will be done with their campaign in a few months and I'm going to run this one for them. Wanted to play it first and see how it'll turn out.
P.S. I was referencing the movie Bunraku. It was really good and you should watch it if you haven't already.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Interested as a Viking type mercenary. Or maybe a Ruski one....hmmm. Heavily armored fighter of face crushing? Or medium armored fighter of tactics...face crushing in platemail. Yeah.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Can't decide if I wanna be a Dog Clan samurai or a Yodotai cavalier. Or a Yodotai that was accepted into the Dog Clan and learned the ways of the samurai.
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THE TEN-MINUTE BACKGROUND Based off of the Minimus RPG engine, copyright 2008 Ad Astra Games, used with permission. Minimus is donation-ware, if you like it, please contribute as per the instructions in the file.
Grey Warden avatar courtesy of Dorian Soth. Many thanks!
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrK
There are some suggestions on the PFSRD for Eastern themed equipment, weapons, armour etc.... Similar there is the Samurai and Ninja class options and the one hundred and one monk archetypes.
Where is Gaijin Pepper mentioned? I like the setting but I only had a few of the D20/L5R combined PDFs from alderac when they were doing it so I'm not a setting expert by any stretch. I though some of the Mantis Clan had gunpowder stuff as did some "ninja" clans with their nage teppos?
I play the Legends of the 5 Rings RPG (the official rule system for roleplaying in Rokugan, fromt he makers of the card game), and I've read a *lot* of lore. Trust me on this.
Rokugan is NOT your typical medieval setting. Customs and Courtesy are extremely important, as is station. It's like roleplaying in ancient japan except they're even MORE xenophobic against outsiders and non-humans.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frosty
I play the Legends of the 5 Rings RPG (the official rule system for roleplaying in Rokugan, fromt he makers of the card game), and I've read a *lot* of lore. Trust me on this.
Rokugan is NOT your typical medieval setting. Customs and Courtesy are extremely important, as is station. It's like roleplaying in ancient japan except they're even MORE xenophobic against outsiders and non-humans.
I'm very aware of the setting don't worry. It's very similar to the Clavell novels with animal clans and magic
It was good fun back in the day after they released OA and Alderac got into the combinded d10/d20 ones. Just never noticed Gajiin pepper - probably as I had the setting stuff and the ninja/ shadowlands and samurai books.
- Speaking of that could we port in any clan feats?
Do you any dog clan ones
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Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Way back in the day, gaijin (foreigners) invaded Rokugan int he Battle of White Stag, and using cannons from their ships, laid seige to the imperial city. The cannons killed the Empress of the time in the attack before the samurai drove the gaijin back. That is the reason why gaijin pepper (aka gunpowder) has been outlawed and is considered treasonous.
This is also a convenient way for the authors of the setting to freeze Rokuan in time in terms of technological development. No gunpowder means getting the industrial revoluation started will be preeeeety difficult. Rokuan's economical and political and social structure is basically unchanged since its dawn, a little over a thousand years ago.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Understood, but how would that work with the rest of the concept? The idea is that the Dog Clan has lived as a mercenary group ever since their exile and are bringing gaijin allies with them in their quest to restore their old lands and power. Judging by what you're saying, wouldn't the returning Dog Clan basically be turned back at the border, with the people there saying "You can't come back until you ditch the vile foreigners tagging along with you," or worse "KILL THEM ALL! The fact that you're willing to work with gaijin shows your corruption for all to see?"
__________________
THE TEN-MINUTE BACKGROUND Based off of the Minimus RPG engine, copyright 2008 Ad Astra Games, used with permission. Minimus is donation-ware, if you like it, please contribute as per the instructions in the file.
Grey Warden avatar courtesy of Dorian Soth. Many thanks!
Last edited by Archpaladin Zousha : 09-09-2012 at 06:51 PM.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Archpaladin Zousha
Understood, but how would that work with the rest of the concept? The idea is that the Dog Clan has lived as a mercenary group ever since their exile and are bringing gaijin allies with them in their quest to restore their old lands and power. Judging by what you're saying, wouldn't the returning Dog Clan basically be turned back at the border, with the people there saying "You can't come back until you ditch the vile foreigners tagging along with you," or worse "KILL THEM ALL! The fact that you're willing to work with gaijin shows your corruption for all to see?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Archpaladin Zousha
Understood, but how would that work with the rest of the concept? The idea is that the Dog Clan has lived as a mercenary group ever since their exile and are bringing gaijin allies with them in their quest to restore their old lands and power. Judging by what you're saying, wouldn't the returning Dog Clan basically be turned back at the border, with the people there saying "You can't come back until you ditch the vile foreigners tagging along with you," or worse "KILL THEM ALL! The fact that you're willing to work with gaijin shows your corruption for all to see?"
All vampires are made of cheese. As a DM (which I am not for this campaign, merely using it to prove a point), this could be automatically true. Remember, this isn't a Legend of 5 rings game. This is a pathfinder game with Rokugan is a setting. With all the neat asia based stuff Paizo has released lately (oni, ninja, samurai, eastern weapons) the idea of doing a sort of feudal japan pathfinder game seemed like a lot of fun. Rokugan is a popular setting I am familiar with, but that's all it is to me. A setting. Obeying all the established time lines, characters, and everything else would just get in the way of having fun.
Besides, look at the current Japan U.S relations. In rokugan, they fired some cannons. In real life, they dropped an atom bomb. Despite the fact less time has passed in RL, our current relations aren't bad. They certainly don't hate kill us on sight. Is it so far fetched that the people of Rokugan wouldn't accept a few foreigners? It's not like Okami is bringing an army of them, just enough for an adventuring group.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
That's fine and all, but if you find that staying true to the setting gets in the way of fun, then you're really not playing in Rokugan anymore. You're taking a similar landmass with some similarities in culture, but it's really not Rokugan anymore (which is totally fine for a campaign, but saying that it IS Rokugan may confused some people). If you want a fantasy-style Japan, great! Go for it!
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frosty
That's fine and all, but if you find that staying true to the setting gets in the way of fun, then you're really not playing in Rokugan anymore. You're taking a similar landmass with some similarities in culture, but it's really not Rokugan anymore (which is totally fine for a campaign, but saying that it IS Rokugan may confused some people). If you want a fantasy-style Japan, great! Go for it!
Well, I think tabletop games are fluid for a reason. The story assumes a few things have changed, but other than that everything's the same. But, you've got a point. Perhaps, instead of simply saying that gaijin are no longer attacked on sight, there should be significant event that makes that change happen in story. The obvious answer would be some great heroic act that grants clemency with the populace. Another could be by way of necessity. If the Empire needs the Dog clan desperately for something (old law, ancient ritual, insuring an important treaty is properly carried out), then they couldn't complain if a few foreigners came with.
Last edited by Flinn_Furious : 09-10-2012 at 02:01 AM.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Some heroic acts I think would work better. Because if legalese gets gaijin in, then people will still dislike them lots. If heroic acts have shifted perceptions a bit, then things will eventually get better for the gaijin.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flinn_Furious
Well, I think tabletop games are fluid for a reason. The story assumes a few things have changed, but other than that everything's the same. But, you've got a point. Perhaps, instead of simply saying that gaijin are no longer attacked on sight, there should be significant event that makes that change happen in story. The obvious answer would be some great heroic act that grants clemency with the populace. Another could be by way of necessity. If the Empire needs the Dog clan desperately for something (old law, ancient ritual, insuring an important treaty is properly carried out), then they couldn't complain if a few foreigners came with.
There is also the possibility of a loss of imperial authority, the growth of fractionalism, a young or weak emperor under a shogun's rule and/or civil war.
How would you treat hengeyokai characters in this game?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flinn_Furious
In RL, my group will be done with their campaign in a few months and I'm going to run this one for them. Wanted to play it first and see how it'll turn out.
Heh, I don't think you've played many PbP games before. Sorry, it's just that unless you've got a really great group, running a forum game takes way longer than running a RL game. People usually only post about once a day, if that. It often takes several days to resolve just one combat round, and a month to get through an evening's play session. Just wanted to let you know what you're getting into.
Last edited by Adamant Sunrise : 09-11-2012 at 10:07 AM.
Re: [Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
Posting interest as a player. I'm working on my DMing skills, but I'd rather not DM for anyone but my friends, right now. Sorry.
Anyway, I have a few ideas at the moment. I've never tried playing a samurai, and I have also have an idea for a half-elf fighter who is the son of the mistress of one of the clan's leaders. He would wish to help the clan, while remaining aware that he'll likely never rise to prestige.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flickerdart
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[Pathfinder, Rokugan] Return of the Dog [Looking for players and DM]
