Legend of the Five Rings Play by Post

By tubatimb2, in Your Stories

((Yoshi call's it "Lost in the Thicket." ...Sometimes you find yourself outmaneuvered or wrong-footed, and your formal training doesn't cover how to gracefully extricate yourself. In trying to get back to the familiar you try some "on the spot" experimentation ... usually with less than spectacular results.))

In Air Yoshi Yoshi moves in to finish off his wounded opponent...

((Yoshi rolls: 2 success, an explosion, a blank, and an explosion with strife. Keep the two successes and the explosion. Which comes up a blank. Thats a hit for 6 damage! After I just hit him from guard that should put him down... I'm TN 3 from Air))

... and lands another blow before the Ashigaru can recover.


With an 'oof' sound, the second blow doubles the ashigaru recruit over, and he drops his practice spear, falling to his knees and trying to catch his breath.

A two-handed hit from a bokken with no bonus successes does 5 damage.

Flint Quay Village Ashigaru Recruits have a physical resistance of 1, so take 4 fatigue defending.

Two such strikes will indeed drop one of the three recruits you're facing; putting him on a total of 8 fatigue and defeating him, leaving only two facing you.

Edited by Magnus Grendel

Hekasu hisses, "hey, that hurt!" He grabs his bokken tightly, smashes past the ashigaru's futile attempts to block, and lands a solid hit on one of them.

He looks to the other one, "You next, fool?"

Well, I can't Guard and Calming Breath (both Support actions), and I can't reduce Fatigue enough to take another hit. I guess I'll just try breaking a skull with Fire. I've got composure to spare.

Set stance to Fire. Martial Arts Melee (Fire): 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 (w), 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 (b), 1521230551_ExplosiveSuccessSmall.png.2cc 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 (b). Finally. Dropping opp/strife.

Explosion: 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 . Drat. Kept.

Resolve Strife: 3/8; +2 bonus successes.

Resolve Opp: +2 Strife on Unit 4.

Resolve Success: 2 v TN2, success. 5 damage for 2-handed, +2 for bonus successes = 7 damage on Unit 4.

The ashigaru struck by Hekasu is thrown backwards into the palisade with a thump , shaking his head for a few seconds to clear it.

The other, realising he is alone against two samurai, backs away, shaking his head, and drops his yari. He swallows nervously, feeling the palisade against his back, and pointedly gets down on his knees before being battered to the floor forcefully by Hekasu or Aruzhan, and, a moment later, his dazed compatriot somewhat shakily joins him.

Flint Quay Village Ashigaru Recruit (resistance 1) receives 6 fatigue defending.

Minion Group #4 receives 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 and is compromised. Minion Group unmasks - default response (flee) is impossible so Minion Group #4 surrenders and is defeated.

Edited by Magnus Grendel

Still pinned back to the wall, Fei continues to ward himself from Koharu's strikes with his yari's haft. The last two ashigaru from his unit still fighting lunge for Yoshi , but their spear hafts interfere with one another, and lacking the force they might otherwise have had, the towering ronin samurai is able to bat away the two yari with relatively minimal effort.

Fei - Earth Stance, Guard

Fei (Earth 3, Martial 1) performs TN1 Tactics Check.

Rolls 3 ring dice: 1521230551_ExplosiveSuccessSmall.png.2cc 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 , 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8

Rolls 1 skill die: Blank

Keep 1 dice: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8

Resolve Explosive Successes: None

Resolve Strife: None

Resolve Opportunities: None

Resolve Success/Failure: TN1 - Succeeds with no bonus successes. Fei is TN3 to hit

Minion Group #2 - Earth Stance, Strike Action targeting Yoshi  (counting practice Yari as improvised weapons due to range  )    

Flint Quay Village Ashigaru Recruit performs TN3 Martial Arts (unarmed) check

Rolls 3 ring dice: 1521230551_ExplosiveSuccessSmall.png.2cc 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 , 1521230551_ExplosiveSuccessSmall.png.2cc 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 , 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 - Rerolls 1521230551_ExplosiveSuccessSmall.png.2cc 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 and 1521230551_ExplosiveSuccessSmall.png.2cc 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 due to Entangled disadvantage, changing roll to 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 , 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343

Rolls 1 skill dice plus 1 skill dice for skilled assistance: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8

Keeps 3 die: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8

Resolve Explosive Successes: None

Resolve Strife: None

Resolve Opportunities: None

Resolve Success/Failure: TN3 - 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 - Success with no bonus successes, causing 4 damage. Yoshi (resistance 3) suffers 1 fatigue defending.

Minion Group #3 - Defeated

Minion Group #4 - Defeated

Edited by Magnus Grendel

Aruzhan stops her attack just before hitting one of the surrendering ashigaru. "You are beaten. stay down." she says. planting her feet once again she takes a swipe at one of the ashigaru still fighting Yoshi. Even though her attack is easily parried by the ashigaru, this may have left an opening for one of the other ronin to exploit.

((Aruzhan switches to earth stance and makes a strike roll earth (3) + M.A. Melee (0). I rolled a blank, an opportunity, and an opportunity/strife. I guess I'll use the two opportunities to assist a strike against the ashigaru.))

Koharu darts lithely to one side, finally getting past Fei's guard. The nikutai manages to twist out of the way of the bokken at the last moment and avoids most of the force of the blow, but he is breathing heavily from the effort.

Koharu no Bunya sano Asahina - sets Water Stance, strike action targeting Fei, Calming Breath (reduced to 9 strife)

Koharu no Bunya sano Asahina (Water 3, Martial 3) performs TN3 Martial Arts (Melee) Check, reduced to TN2 by previously spent Void 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 .

Rolls 3 ring dice: Blank, 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0

Rolls 3 skill dice: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8

Keep 3 dice: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8

Resolve Explosive Successes: None

Resolve Strife: None

Resolve Opportunities:

Resolve Success/Failure: TN2 - 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 - Succeeds with 1 bonus success, inflicting 6 damage. Fei (resistance 3) suffers 3 fatigue defending.

Grudgingly Yoshi grunts and nods. "Well struck," as he slides back into Guard...

(Air Ring into Guard. Roll: An explosion, two option, and a success with strife. I keep the explosion & 2 options. The explosion then gives me ... a success with strife. That last part would normally be great but the extra success in Guard doesn't do anything for me... I use one option to negate the strife. I use the second to activate Crescent Moon. Yoshi's in Air Guarding at TN 4. )

you know you don't

have to keep the extra rolled dice for an explosive success, right?

((sure. I don't have to keep it. But I've got an option extra option to negate the strife...))

true, but if you don't need the 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 (which you don't because you need 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 to matter) and don't keep the 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 as a result, you can kick the 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 forward in the hopes of using it on your Crescent Moon Style counterattack, with " 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 : Add a kept (ring die) set to an 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 result to your next Martial skill check ."

Edited by Magnus Grendel

Hekasu steps back, "return your gear, go on." He permits the surrendered ashigaru to leave, then looks about to gauge where he is in relation to the other two groups.

Set stance to Air. Step backwards 1 range band so I'm not blocking the ashigaru's retreat. Calming breath takes me to 5/6 fatigue.

The two recruits in front of Hekasu bow hurriedly and half-scramble, half-crawl between you and Koharu to safety, moving to join the other recruits littering the meadow and path.

Fei stumbles a bit from Koharu's blow, and his guard drops, whilst the pair of recruits remaining on their feet are thrown off-balance by Aruzhan's strike as they try to attack Yoshi, and achieve little except leaving a gap between their yari hafts for the samurai to counter-attack.

Aruzhan and Yoshi are at range 1 in front of you to the left, Koharu at range 1 in front of you to the right. The palisade is at range 2 in front of all of you.

There are two recruits facing Aruzhan and Yoshi at range 1, at range 0 of the wall, with the Entangled disadvantage - which won't trigger automatically but could be exploited if someone wants to spend a void point, and Fei, at range 1 of Koharu.

Fei - Earth Stance, Guard

Fei (Earth 3, Martial 1) performs TN1 Tactics Check.

Rolls 3 ring dice: Blank , 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 , Blank

Rolls 1 skill die: Blank

Keep 1 dice: Blank

Resolve Explosive Successes: None

Resolve Strife: None

Resolve Opportunities: None

Resolve Success/Failure: TN1 - Fails

Minion Group #2 - Earth Stance, Strike Action targeting Yoshi  (counting practice Yari as improvised weapons due to range  )    

Flint Quay Village Ashigaru Recruit performs TN4 Martial Arts (unarmed) check

Rolls 3 ring dice: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 , 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343

Rolls 1 skill dice plus 1 skill dice for skilled assistance: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 , Blank

Keeps 1 die: Blank

Resolve Explosive Successes: None

Resolve Strife: None

Resolve Opportunities: None

Resolve Success/Failure: TN4 - Fails

(Yoshi is entitled to a free Strike action targeting Minion Group #2 thanks to Crescent Moon Style, and will receive unskilled assistance from Aruzhan, rolling 1 extra ring die and keeping up to 1 extra die)

Minion Group #3 - Defeated

Minion Group #4 - Defeated

Yoshi's bokken flicks out again and ...

((rolls 2 successes, an explosion, an explosion with strife, and an option with strife. I keep the two successes & the explosion ... which comes up blank. 3 successes total. Still moving from his right to left he hits an Ashigaru for 6 stamina. 5 for two handed bokken & 1 for the extra success))

... lands a soldi blow.

You've rolled 5 dice - which is correct; Air 3, Martial Arts (Melee) 1, unskilled assistance - but you've only kept 3 dice.

With Air 3 plus unskilled assistance you can keep 4 unless you're catastrophically close to your composure . EDIT - scrub that; even if you are, Aruzhan can take one 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 result on your behalf, if she choses.

That extra success will take you up to 7 damage, potentially 8 - an outright knockout blow - depending on what the second 1521230551_ExplosiveSuccessSmall.png.2cc generates

Edited by Magnus Grendel

((I wasn't aware Aruzhan was assisting me ... I have two ranks in MA Melee on my own. The explosion die was on a skill die so I can't keep that regardless. I'll probably get the Ashigaru on my attack...I'll leave the assistance for Hekasu.))

42 minutes ago, Void Crane said:

I wasn't aware Aruzhan was assisting me

That means you'll also get an extra ring die to roll, then.

On ‎6‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 9:11 AM, Black_Rabbit_Inle said:

I guess I'll use the two opportunities to assist a strike against the ashigaru

Aruzhan spent 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 to "assist the next character to attempt a similar action" - you are 'next' so cannot choose not to use it (or at least, if you don't it's lost).

43 minutes ago, Void Crane said:

The explosion die was on a skill die so I can't keep that regardless.

No, you can still keep it even though it's a skill die:

"during Step 5: Choose Kept Dice, a character making a check with assistance may keep up to 1 additional die per assisting character." - you're not required to keep the same type of die the character providing assistance added to your dice pool. Even though Aruzhan is providing unskilled assistance, keeping an extra skill die is perfectly fine (it's one reason that an unskilled character assisting a skilled one is often better than them attempting the same check separately).

Edited by Magnus Grendel

((I'm good with what I rolled. I'll finish the ashigaru on the next hit. I hope))

((My bad. I didn't notice Yoshi was taking an out of turn action.))

With planted feet and a simple, but steady, series of attacks, Aruzhan finally lands a strike against the remaining ashigaru.

((Still in earth stance, I make a strike roll with 1 success and 1 success with strife. Keeping both dice I should hit for base damage and I'm now at 8/10 strife.))

The ashigaru is already reeling from Yoshi's strike when Aruzhan catches him with a swing in the other direction, knocking his yari cleanly out of his hands, leaving only a single recruit still standing, facing a trio of ronin.

Koharu switches to a high guard with her bokken and catches Fei again as he tries to recover with a second blow.

@Black_Rabbit_Inle - Absolutely not a problem.

Koharu no Bunya sano Asahina - sets Water Stance, strike action targeting Fei, Calming Breath (reduced to 8 strife)

Koharu no Bunya sano Asahina (Water 3, Martial 3) performs TN2 Martial Arts (Melee) Check .

Rolls 3 ring dice: Blank, 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0

Rolls 3 skill dice: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , Blank

Keep 3 dice: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0

Resolve Explosive Successes: None

Resolve Strife: Koharu gains 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0

Resolve Opportunities:

Resolve Success/Failure: TN2 - 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 - Succeeds with 1 bonus success, inflicting 6 damage. Fei (resistance 3) suffers 3 fatigue defending.

Yoshi takes a small step to the side and swings ...

((in Air and rolls 2 successes, a blank, an option & an explosion with strife. He keeps the two successes and the option striking the last recruit and kicking his option forward in case there is a next round)).

...and thwacks the last recruit for 5. TN 3. “Almost there, eh Aruzhan !”

Well this won't go well. Hekasu steps back up beside Koharu, readying himself to see the fight through to the end. "Fei, you're outmatched. Yield!" He engages quickly, managing to push through a decent strike.

Water stance. Calming breath: 4/6 fatigue. Strike:

792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1211841275_OpportunitySmall.png.acf41343 , 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0 , [Blank], [Blank]. Could be worse...

Resolve Strife: 4/8

Resolve Opp: Ignore 1 point of resistance.

Resolve Success: 2 v TN2. No bonus, 5 damage against his reduced resist 2, 3 fatigue.

If Fei targets me, I'm spending my Void to trigger his disadvantage.

Already over-committed trying to fend off the Crane Ji-Samurai, Fei is unable to turn in time to block the ronin's attack, which catches him cleanly in the side between the segments of his armour. Acknowledging a killing strike, he nods his head and drops his Yari.

The last recruit has stopped attacking and is desperately trying to fend off Yoshi and Aruzhan.

Fei was already on 6/6 fatigue so is defeated.

Flint Quay Village Ashigaru Recruit sets Air Stance, Guard Action

Flint Quay Village Ashigaru Recruit (Air 1, Martial 1) performs TN1 tactics check

Rolls 1 ring dice: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0

Rolls 1 skill dice: Blank

Keep 1 dice: 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0

Resolve Explosive Successes: None

Resolve Strife: Gain 1518491343_StrifeSmall.png.6434e11e967f0

Resolve Opportunities: Minions with no applicable ability

Resolve Success/Failure: TN1 - 792424631_SuccessSmall.png.f580b7641c8c8 - Succeeds with no bonus successes

TN4 to hit (Air +1, Guard +1)

Aruzhan steps back and takes a deep breath.

((Switching to water, aruzhan maneuvers and takes a calming breath.))

Koharu nods back to her deputy - respectfully, given the gulf in their status, and steps back.

She twitches her wrist, shaking her bokken through a quarter-circle - presumably to flick blood clear from a blade; an ingrained move from whatever Ito school trained her - and half extends her arm as if about to 'sheath' the practice sword back in a saya.

Half smiling at herself at the realisation, she hefts the bokken smartly under one arm, glances at the remaining recruit and the two samurai facing him, and turns to scrutinise the wreckage of the village's ashigaru detachment.

@Hida Jitenno ; just an observation, whilst it's easy to lose track of an enemy's fatigue status and the fact that he was already on 6/6 fatigue was not obvious, when demanding that an enemy yield traditionally one gives them the chance to yield rather than immediately thumping them again....

Edited by Magnus Grendel