I’m looking for advice for my ongoing L5R D20 campaign, and would appreciate any comments you folks would be willing to offer. I’m going to ask a couple questions; feel free to answer any or all that you’re inspired by. 
Background: non-Rokugan classes are rare in the setting. The PCs are 6th level, employed as Emerald Magistrates in Ryoko Owari. Classes: Psi 6 (tele), Sam 1 / Shu 5 (fire), Sam 4 / Sha 2, Rog 5 / Bayushi 1, Shu 6 (water).
Next session: The PCs plan to go to a monastery, meet & bargain with the local monks. During the session they will meet up with a current ally, and be attacked by the Oni which they freed and which has been plaguing them.
Q1) The PCs will run into a Kuni Witch Hunter who has previously aided them, who I intend to be a prestige class mentor for one of the PCs. (campaign spoiler) He is secretly a bloodspeaker, and is a long term enemy of the same PC (vengeance theme). What was he really up to when they run into him? What will he claim he was up to? Any ideas for subtle hints about his true nature?
Q2) We’ve been playing for a while, but are still not working together as effectively as I think they could. I think the monks may offer some “training” and pointers. What suggestions should I make? What tactics have proven particularly effective for you? Right now they are stuck on “flank them, and heal downed PCs as long as no AOO is provoked”. Magic tactics welcomed, but please be aware that I do not allow purchasing items larger than potions / talismans.
PC resources: (significant items) ghost touch sword, brain lock wand, astral construct wand, summon animal bag - rust, lingering fire wand – 2 rounds, +1 sword, snare arrows, augury 1/day, auto counterspell – hold person, misc potions. (spells) charm monster, hold, str drain, doom, magic weapon, bless, others I can’t recall…
Q3) The Oni that is stalking them is intelligent and more powerful than the PCs; how should it attack them? It is attacking to reduce threats to itself, but is cautious, so will not fight personally unless very sure (this is why it won’t be able to kill them, I hope). PCs are a serious long term threat b/c they are tied to how it acquired its name.
Oni resources: Creates spider-like spawn. Can animate dead. Has been kidnapping local villagers. High climb / jump mobility. Has faced them before (3 levels ago, 3 more PCs then). Aware of DR, smart enough to try for capture / destruction of magic weapons. Early version based on Troll + fiend template - fire resist + poison, named version adds spell abilities (not all defined, suggestions welcome, probably inc Web spell).
Anyway, thanks for any help! The game is this weekend, but I can always recycle ideas for later.
. . . . . . . -- Eric
PS -- Hope this is the right forum; I plead newbiness!
Edit: bold tag.
Background: non-Rokugan classes are rare in the setting. The PCs are 6th level, employed as Emerald Magistrates in Ryoko Owari. Classes: Psi 6 (tele), Sam 1 / Shu 5 (fire), Sam 4 / Sha 2, Rog 5 / Bayushi 1, Shu 6 (water).
Next session: The PCs plan to go to a monastery, meet & bargain with the local monks. During the session they will meet up with a current ally, and be attacked by the Oni which they freed and which has been plaguing them.
Q1) The PCs will run into a Kuni Witch Hunter who has previously aided them, who I intend to be a prestige class mentor for one of the PCs. (campaign spoiler) He is secretly a bloodspeaker, and is a long term enemy of the same PC (vengeance theme). What was he really up to when they run into him? What will he claim he was up to? Any ideas for subtle hints about his true nature?
Q2) We’ve been playing for a while, but are still not working together as effectively as I think they could. I think the monks may offer some “training” and pointers. What suggestions should I make? What tactics have proven particularly effective for you? Right now they are stuck on “flank them, and heal downed PCs as long as no AOO is provoked”. Magic tactics welcomed, but please be aware that I do not allow purchasing items larger than potions / talismans.
PC resources: (significant items) ghost touch sword, brain lock wand, astral construct wand, summon animal bag - rust, lingering fire wand – 2 rounds, +1 sword, snare arrows, augury 1/day, auto counterspell – hold person, misc potions. (spells) charm monster, hold, str drain, doom, magic weapon, bless, others I can’t recall…
Q3) The Oni that is stalking them is intelligent and more powerful than the PCs; how should it attack them? It is attacking to reduce threats to itself, but is cautious, so will not fight personally unless very sure (this is why it won’t be able to kill them, I hope). PCs are a serious long term threat b/c they are tied to how it acquired its name.
Oni resources: Creates spider-like spawn. Can animate dead. Has been kidnapping local villagers. High climb / jump mobility. Has faced them before (3 levels ago, 3 more PCs then). Aware of DR, smart enough to try for capture / destruction of magic weapons. Early version based on Troll + fiend template - fire resist + poison, named version adds spell abilities (not all defined, suggestions welcome, probably inc Web spell).
Anyway, thanks for any help! The game is this weekend, but I can always recycle ideas for later.
. . . . . . . -- Eric
PS -- Hope this is the right forum; I plead newbiness!
Edit: bold tag.
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