House rules: the Language of Flowers

By Doji Meshou, in Rules Questions

Posted at

Now soliciting feedback on the following two house rules:

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Hanakotoba : characters with Aesthetics 1+ are familiar with hanakobota, the symbolic language of flowers in Rokugani court life. Mechanically, characters with Aesthetics 1+ understand the meaning of each flower listed on the Language of Flowers page [a list of flowers + meanings]. Characters do not need to roll for this information, or to create basic arrangements of flowers that do not complicate their basic meaning. Creating more complex arran gements and meanings requires an Aesthetics (Fire) check, TN 2; correctly interpreting them requires an Aesthetics (Void) check, TN 2. Creators may spend Opportunities (*) in the following ways:

Fire *: Increase the TN (by 1) of checks to decode this complex arrangement of flowers.

Fire *: Characters with Aesthetics 1+ do not need to roll to interpret this complex arrangement of flowers.

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The Language of Flowers : the following custom shuji may be purchased:

1. Name: The Language of Flowers
2. Description: The courtier is fluent in the language of flowers, allowing them to communicate wordlessly through ikebana, cut flower arrangements, or even a stray flower left in an unexpected place.
3. Prerequisites: School rank 1
4. Activation: You may create an arrangement of flowers using Aesthetics (Air) instead of Aesthetics (Fire), TN 2. For this check, you may spend Opportunities (*) in the following ways:

Air *: Convey a secret message that alters the meaning of the arrangement for (up to the creator's School Rank) characters observing it who possesses this technique. The clarity of this message does not decrease with range (see Range of Shuji, p. 133).

Air **: Convey a secret message that alters the meaning of the arrangement for (up to the creator's School Rank) characters observing it who does not possess this technique. The clarity of this message does not decrease with range (see Range of Shuji, p. 133).

Edited by Doji Meshou
Posted at

For that, I think I would use rules for using shujis through indirect communication, found in the sidebar at page 133.

So Language of Flowers would be using "Cadence" shuji implemented into flower composition using Aesthetics skill, for example.

...Serial killer using Cadence to taunt their "intended" investigator through "art" left at murder scene sounds like fun.

Edited by WHW
Posted at
1 minute ago, WHW said:

For that, I think I would use rules for using shujis through indirect communication, found in the sidebar at page 133.

So Language of Flowers would be using "Cadence" shuji implemented into flower composition using Aesthetics skill, for example.

...Serial killer using Cadence to taunt their "intended" investigator sounds like fun.

Language of Flowers is really just Cadence for flowers (it uses the same technical language). Only difference is that Cadence is restricted to Social Skills, and Aesthetics is an Artisan Skill. :)

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Small tweak to communicate depth of effect per @WHW's general suggestion.

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Yes, which is why I would make that particular use of Cadence fall under "At the GM’s discretion, a character can transmit a shūji technique over time and distance via epistolary or similar means"; seems to be perfectly in spirit with what this sidebar wants to achieve and with the spirit of the world

Posted at
2 minutes ago, WHW said:

Yes, which is why I would make that particular use of Cadence fall under "At the GM’s discretion, a character can transmit a shūji technique over time and distance via epistolary or similar means"; seems to be perfectly in spirit with what this sidebar wants to achieve and with the spirit of the world

I think my point is that I think of hanakotoba as different in kind than what's included under Cadence. Cadence is about hiding words within words; hanakatoba is about hiding meaning within objects.

Put another way: I wouldn't want to extend Cadence to cover a particularly meaningful piece of sushi; that would, to me, seem to overextend it.