[LP CYOA] 傳

[treave]

That, and being in the know of the foundations that the Chinese civilization is built on seems a tad more important than learning how to cheat at dice.

The wise man knows that the throw of a die can decide the fate of an empire. Dynasties have risen, founded by ambitious men that gambled their dice smartly and with cunning. Empires have fallen, in the hands of emperors that underestimated their opponents' daring and ability in misdirection.

Indeed, it can be said that real Chinese history - the true nature of their civilization - was laid down by the cheaters, the manipulators of dice.

Dice is a good teacher of men.

~ Zhang Jue's Treatise on How to Kill a Man from Ten Paces with A Single Die.

 

[Baltika9]

Well, when you put it that way... Can we get Fangzhang to stake the entire Shaolin library in a game of dice, since we're 'bros' no w?
And where can we find the guy that's putting the entire realm on a good roll?

But still, that feels more like something a learned strategist following the Precepts would attempt, not a rogue-ish gambler of base cunning.

 

[Azira]

So, when can we expect the update?

 

[Kipeci]

He said it would be up in a week this past Tuesday, so probably it's another day or two ahead of us.

 

[Baltika9]

I wonder, can we write the letter to Zhang in poetry, with our newly acquired Artistic Skill points? Preferably in haiku form.
Since it's Japanese exiles we're sending.

 

[treave]

ERYFKRAD - x3BA > x3AA
Anabanana - B3BB
Azira - B3BB
Ifeex - B3AC
Jester - B3AC
a bear named spigot - B3BA
Ganymede - A3AA
asxetos - B3AC
Lambchop19 - B3BB
Rex Feral - B3BC
Esquilax - B3AB
Zero Credibility - B3AC
Elfberserker - A3AB
Kipeci - B3AB
Kashmir Slippers - A3AC
XenomorphII - B3BC
Nevill - B3AB
The Brazilian Slaughter - A3AB
Bloodshifter - B3AA
Tigranes - A3BC
Baltika9 - B3AC
Stygian Lurker - B3BB
Absinthe - A3AC
ScubaV - A3BA
Grimgravy - A3AC
TOME - B3BB
Omicron - A3AB
kazgar - B3AC
Smashing Axe - B2BB > B2BC

***

Current tally:

Minamoto:
A3 - 9
B2 - 1
B3 - 18

Technique:
A - 17
B - 12

Skill:
A - 5
B - 12
C - 12

***

I'll get started on the update after 12 hours. There seems to be a tie for the skill choice.

 

[Nevill]

There seems to be a tie for the skill choice.

Does that mean Artistic Skill +1 Scholarly Knowledge +1?

 

[Absinthe]

There seems to be a tie for the skill choice.

Does that mean Artistic Skill +1 Scholarly Knowledge +1?

Yeah lets just go with this.

 

[Baltika9]

That just seems an unhappy compromise, we have about twelve hours to decide.

 

[Absinthe]

I don't see what's unhappy about it. I like this middle ground more than either one.

 

[Baltika9]

Half-and-half compromises will leave us in a mediocre spot. Since we won't be doing a whole lot of physical exertions any time before the Cult's challenge, going for a solid AS to get more techniques, or a solid SK for a solid base of War&Governance will serve us better. We'll have to make up for lost practice time with either more kunnin' planz or more raw techniques.

 

[Azira]

Welp. I'm not flopping. I stand by my AS vote.

 

[Omicron]

I'll flop to C for the skill choice.

 

[Nevill]

We'll never get to play a warrior-poet.


Eh, at least Sholarbro will have a decent collocutor to discuss his anarchist theories with. Maybe they'll even take root in our renegade heart.

 

[TOME]

SK and perception when there is AS and stealth on the table? Let's take stealth and steal Shaolin manual to qi enhanced senses. It's grass cutting all over again.

 

[Esquilax]

SK and perception when there is AS and stealth on the table? Let's take stealth and steal Shaolin manual to qi enhanced senses.

I think it bears mentioning that the Central Plains variation of this technique might not work for us because of our chaotic qi. treave had mentioned before that certain types of neigong like the Jinzhongzhao that Guo Fu used would be unavailable to us, but this also goes for techniques.

The Reikan technique works because it requires us to empty our minds, so it isn't related to our neigong. As for stealing Shaolin manuals, we're going to need a lot more than Stealth 7 to get past some of those Librarians; I'm sure the dudes they have guarding their knowledge could hear a pin-drop from a mile away. The Kagemi technique is awesome and would make us undetectable to everybody but the best and most sharp-eyed individuals out there - but their Librarians definitely fit into that category. I am also sure that they have traps all over the fucking place too in case anybody gets the bright idea of breaking in.

I would have voted for Kagemi if Reikan weren't winning handily. It's actually my preferred choice as well. However, I prefer it more because it will get us out of dangerous situations while we are vulnerable right now. If we have a distraction handy, we can get away from enemies quite easily. We aren't going to always be able to see a threat coming before we're ready, even with PER 8 with a calm mental state, so it's probably better to have a backup plan handy once shit inevitably hits the fan. That being said, the Reikan technique is an excellent long-term investment.

As for the skills, we really need to go with Artistic Skill on this one. While some manuals depend on Scholarly Knowledge, I reckon that since so many of them are written in poetry, we would get more mileage out of Artistic Skill once we visit Luoying Manor again. We aren't going to have access to cool techniques or ways to improve/refine our skills with only Artistic Skill 2.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

We'd actually steal stuff better with SLEIGHT OF HAND, damn you all.

 

[Azira]

Aaaaaand, the butthurt flows freely.

 

[Absinthe]

I think you guys are forgetting that Reikan gives Jing the ability to learn by observation and with any luck learning a second way to use neigong will help Jing develop his own qi techniques down the road. Besides, Kagemi may be a ninja specialty, but so are observation techniques. Plus, if we teach this to Cao'er...

 

[Anabanana]

I'm skeptical of the potential for Reikan to help Jing develop new neigong techniques. Don't forget that his internal energy is unique; what we learn, we'll learn through getting into life-and-death scrapes like the one we just did, not by observing how other people use their neigong that is completely different from our own. And it's not like we can observe the flow of qi with our naked eyes anyway, unlike Cao'er. Who, by the way, already has godlike perception so a boost on this level would pretty much be useless to her.

It's true that it might help him observe and learn new techniques that aren't neigong-related though, which would definitely be crucial on our path to the way of becoming an unorthodox martial arts master. It's just that I think getting the opportunity to break the skill cap on stealth is too rare to pass up, and while I agree about the importance of perception, I'd rather we get a permanent boost to those stats instead of a skill that has to be activated. An active skill makes sense for stealth, less so for perception.

That said, I'm fine with Reikan winning; both are pretty good choices.

Still think we should go with Artistic Skill over Scholarly Knowledge though, because goddamnit don't you want Jing to be able to learn all those super awesome manuals written in poetry?!

 

[Baltika9]

What about those that rely on Scholarly Knowledge? And that's not even considering the general knowledge and tactical acumen.

I think you guys are forgetting that Reikan gives Jing the ability to learn by observation and with any

with any luck learning a second way to use neigong will help Jing develop his own qi techniques down the road.

Luck, he says.

 

[Nevill]

What about those that rely on Scholarly Knowledge?

Do techniques that rely solely on SK even exist? Maybe if they are written in a different language or something.

Most of the Chinese techniques our character have heard about are dependant mostly on AS.

 

[Baltika9]

I'm not saying SK is AS' s equal in techniques, but there are other factors that make it more attractive to me. But we already DISCUSSED! them to death.

 

[Absinthe]

I'm skeptical of the potential for Reikan to help Jing develop new neigong techniques. Don't forget that his internal energy is unique; what we learn, we'll learn through getting into life-and-death scrapes like the one we just did, not by observing how other people use their neigong that is completely different from our own. And it's not like we can observe the flow of qi with our naked eyes anyway, unlike Cao'er.

Actually, what I meant was "if Jing knows 2 different ways to use his neigong, he might have enough understanding of his own qi to start inventing his own qi techniques."

 

[Anabanana]

Well, if you look at the fight we just went through, I believe we gained a neigong point because he figured out a new way of using his qi in response to the way the masters were attacking him. Perception wasn't involved, and I'm not sure how having above average sight, hearing etc (excluding Cao'er's qi-sensing eyes) would help him understand his qi better in any significant way. He already invented a qi technique back there out of necessity, you know, by suppressing his qi and then letting it rebound to blow away the masters, even though we didn't get a fancy technique name. It was the pressure of the combat situation that led to that discovery, not his observational skills.

Which is why I will advocate for throwing Jing into as many life-or-death situations as we can from now on. He will become the martial arts master to rule all martial arts masters, or die trying, godfuckingdamnit.