Difference between revisions of "House of Exuberant Interference"

From Dragon
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 1: Line 1:
−
==Notes on House formation==
+
==Official members of the House==
  
−
For the House to have stats, we have to declare some resources, and get people to either join or associate themselves with the House. (For example, Takanata and Kuan-Xi are nobles in other countries; they clearly can't join the House, but publicly announcing as allies of the House are similarly useful.)
+
Head of House: Li Merit
  
−
As noted above, it's hard to increase a House's stats after it is formed, so the easiest opportunity for improving stats is right now, during the formation stage.
+
Other PC Members:  Anto, Shuyan, Cai Wen, Kasumi, Yanyu
  
−
Things put into stats don't add linearly.  For reference, the House of Judicious Increase has a 10 Resources stat (as of The Second Sign) based on having "effectively limitless wealth".  100 Tael might be 2 Resources alone, but it doesn't add 2 resources if the first 3 were the Merit Trading Company. Like character stat dice, stats get more expensive, but it's clearly a worse curve than character stats.
+
Notable NPCs:
 +
* [[Chashui]] is similarly-ranked with the PCs (i.e. has a vote if things come to a vote) and has the right to veto an action; if we don't agree afterward that the veto was reasonable, she has the right to leave the House along with full ownership of the [[Cup of Five Virtues]].
 +
* [[Inokora Izumi]] is the chief of House guards.  She is a former Dragon Army officer.  She has a squad of ex-Dragon Army soldiers who served with her.   
 +
** Kong Pei and his squad report to Izumi.
 +
* [[Shanxi]] commands a special ops squad.
 +
* Merit recruited a lot of old buddies (7 karma...) to form the initial rank and file of the House.
  
−
Some things that would convert to stats:
+
Patron Spirit: Speedy, a Snail Spirit of Speed and Time
  
−
* Resources:
+
==House Stats==
−
** The Merit Trading Company is about 3 points
+
−
** 100 tael of cold hard cash would be 1-2 points
+
−
* Influence
+
−
** The Cup Of Five Virtues might be a point or more
+
−
** A batch of favors from six different houses is about a point
+
−
** Other things that would move the needle:  Blackmail on the King, PCs with Reputation shticks, the Gate of Shen Council, possibly mobs of urchins.
+
−
* Military
+
−
** We're weak here, since we have no armies or mercenary companies
+
−
** Strike teams of powerful NPCs working for us might move the needle
+
−
** The general combat prowess of the PCs moves the needle, but we haven't asked "what stat would we get if the whole party joined".
+
−
* Chi
+
−
** General magic/sorcery/chi-like abilities of PCs
+
−
** Spending spirit points (Bear and Horse Points) would get us 1 for spending 8.  (or 2 for 27, but I'm sure we're not going to do that.)
+
−
** Troves of magic items, or perhaps particularly spiffy magic items, count.
+
−
** Talismans might count, but we're probably afraid to declare them.
+
−
** A Water Gate network might count for Chi, or perhaps Resources?
+
  
−
"Declaring" something for the mechanic means different things in different cases.  Cold Hard Cash probably mostly disappears into the mechanic.  Institutions like the Merit Trade Company or the Cup Of Five Virtues remain institutions that can still do things; they just have the benefits and disads of being associated with the House.  If we had an army that was declared as part of the House, it would still be an army that we could have do things (but doing things with it might temporarily suppress the House's stat).  Some things can be stealthily declared; it depends on the situation.  Having an epic entertainer secretly commit to the House probably doesn't do much for Influence, but having an epic spy agency secretly commit to the House probably would mostly work.  It all kind of depends, and because stats aren't linear, it's going to end up being a GM call.
+
(Stats TBA.  Initial investment should be at least 5 Res, 5 Inf, 3 Mil, 5 Chi)
  
−
==Declaring Assets of the House==
+
==House Actions Log==
  
−
It hasn't been finally decided whether to instantiate as a Great House (with all four stats) or a lesser House (with only 3 nonzero stats); I think we're likely to go Great.
+
==Assets of the House==
  
−
Members:
+
* The [[Cup of Five Virtues]]
−
* Merit
+
* The Merit Trade Company
−
* Cai Wen
+
* A Country Estate (House HQ), with these adjectives:  Fabulous, Defensible, Magical, Propitious, Prosperous.
−
* Yanyu
+
−
* [[Chashui]]
+
−
* Kasumi
+
−
* Shuyan
+
−
* Anto
+
  
−
Still considering:
+
==Notes on House formation==
−
 
+
−
* Zhi-Hao
+
−
* Wei Han
+
−
 
+
−
Things Expecting To Be Declared:
+
−
 
+
−
* We assume that all PCs who are not joining as Members will declare as Allies.  It's not always clear which stat your talents will count as; you might get to choose.  Some things we know:
+
−
** The simple default is Mil, based on your fighting skills, if you are at least moderately combat-focused
+
−
** Anto, as the Wu Xing, is pretty spiffy for Chi all by himself
+
−
* Merit Trade Company (Resources)
+
−
* The Cup of Five Virtues (Presumably Influence)
+
−
* Some amount of cold, hard cash (Resources)
+
−
* Based on a plan from Zhuai, "a couple dozen tael" applied to people with gambling debts can convert to Influence (Influence)
+
−
 
+
−
Things that still seem possible, though the trigger has not been pulled:
+
  
−
* A water gate network (details TBA; stat Chi or Resources) [ZCW -- I think we will actually do this]
+
Assets which were declared at House formation time:
−
* Recruiting the Gate of Shen council [ZCW -- This is really up to Li Merit, as that is his empire]
+
−
* Converting 8 Bear/Horse points to a point of Chi [ZCW -- Seemed more certain before we sent Mystic Mondo away with nothing but 4 Horse and 6 Bear points to stand off a horde of ninja in [[The Three Investigators]], but we'll see.]
+
−
* Zhuai thinks that two points of Spirit Power, given to a patron spirit of the House (to be recruited) could be a point of Chi.  But we would have to find an appropriate spirit/demon and interest them, and we would also have to obtain two points of spirit power.
+
−
* A trove of magic items.  They would have to be declared House Loot.  I imagine they would still be accessible to the party in the Arcade, but mostly would be inaccessible outside the Arcade.
+
  
−
Things that will probably be too late for House formation, but may increase stats later:
+
* Several PCs (+2 Chi, +1 Inf, +1 Mil at House creation time.  Note that the head of the house does not contribute to stats, so had it been Cai Wen, I think the +1 Inf would have turned into +1 Res.)
 +
* 100 Tael (the credit chit from the Imperial Job, which was presumed very hard to spend otherwise.  Spending it in this way is one of the best ways we found to "launder" it; the King of the Arcade probably noticed something, but it should be hard for anyone else) (+2 Res)
 +
* The Merit Trading Company (+3 Res)
 +
* The [[Cup of Five Virtues]] (+2 Inf, +1 Chi)
 +
* Based on [[Zhuai]]'s advice, we spent about 20 tael paying off debts of various people in the Arcade, gaining an Influence point for it (+1 Inf)
 +
* A Patron Spirit, named Speedy.  Speedy is a Snail Spirit (of Speed and Time), whose story was learned by Shen-ji in [[Left Behind]].  We pumped him up with 2 points of spirit power, and in return, he will be the Patron Spirit of the House for some time (possibly Merit's lifetime; TBA).  (+2 Chi)
 +
* 30 Tael spent on recruiting more guards (+1 Mil)
 +
* The blessing of the [[House of Benevolent Oversight]] (+1 Inf)
 +
* Inokoru Izumi and her squad (+1 Mil)
  
−
* Talking to an Arcade mercenary named Inokura Izumi, who Wei Han knew in the Army a long time ago.  She is quite spiffy.  (Military)
+
Some possible future plays for stat increases:
 +
* Water Gate Network
 +
* Converting 8 Bear/Horse points to a point of Chi
  
 
[[Category:Great Houses]]
 
[[Category:Great Houses]]

Revision as of 23:48, 4 January 2015

Contents

Official members of the House

Head of House: Li Merit

Other PC Members: Anto, Shuyan, Cai Wen, Kasumi, Yanyu

Notable NPCs:

  • Chashui is similarly-ranked with the PCs (i.e. has a vote if things come to a vote) and has the right to veto an action; if we don't agree afterward that the veto was reasonable, she has the right to leave the House along with full ownership of the Cup of Five Virtues.
  • Inokora Izumi is the chief of House guards. She is a former Dragon Army officer. She has a squad of ex-Dragon Army soldiers who served with her.
    • Kong Pei and his squad report to Izumi.
  • Shanxi commands a special ops squad.
  • Merit recruited a lot of old buddies (7 karma...) to form the initial rank and file of the House.

Patron Spirit: Speedy, a Snail Spirit of Speed and Time

House Stats

(Stats TBA. Initial investment should be at least 5 Res, 5 Inf, 3 Mil, 5 Chi)

House Actions Log

Assets of the House

  • The Cup of Five Virtues
  • The Merit Trade Company
  • A Country Estate (House HQ), with these adjectives: Fabulous, Defensible, Magical, Propitious, Prosperous.

Notes on House formation

Assets which were declared at House formation time:

  • Several PCs (+2 Chi, +1 Inf, +1 Mil at House creation time. Note that the head of the house does not contribute to stats, so had it been Cai Wen, I think the +1 Inf would have turned into +1 Res.)
  • 100 Tael (the credit chit from the Imperial Job, which was presumed very hard to spend otherwise. Spending it in this way is one of the best ways we found to "launder" it; the King of the Arcade probably noticed something, but it should be hard for anyone else) (+2 Res)
  • The Merit Trading Company (+3 Res)
  • The Cup of Five Virtues (+2 Inf, +1 Chi)
  • Based on Zhuai's advice, we spent about 20 tael paying off debts of various people in the Arcade, gaining an Influence point for it (+1 Inf)
  • A Patron Spirit, named Speedy. Speedy is a Snail Spirit (of Speed and Time), whose story was learned by Shen-ji in Left Behind. We pumped him up with 2 points of spirit power, and in return, he will be the Patron Spirit of the House for some time (possibly Merit's lifetime; TBA). (+2 Chi)
  • 30 Tael spent on recruiting more guards (+1 Mil)
  • The blessing of the House of Benevolent Oversight (+1 Inf)
  • Inokoru Izumi and her squad (+1 Mil)

Some possible future plays for stat increases:

  • Water Gate Network
  • Converting 8 Bear/Horse points to a point of Chi
Retrieved from "http://boojum.scripts.mit.edu/Dragon/index.php?title=House_of_Exuberant_Interference&oldid=10061"