I think it's well established that spell creation is one of the few places in Fantasy Craft where you have to stick to your gut in regards to balance.

If there were an easy way to build spells, I wouldn't have already spent a month and a half on Spellbound, with at least another couple weeks to go.

Hi Pat,

Was wondering when can we see Spellbound?

I figured you would go with a Unicorn Lancer, Scorpion Burglar or Assassin, a Phoenix Mage, a Lion Soldier or Scout, and maybe a Dragon Keeper. The Crane Courtier is certainly what I would expect there (aka the little blue damn fine person of the same sex as me as he was often called during the L5R tournaments.)

Yes, that would have been my first choice, but I wanted to shake things a little. I don't remember the exact name right now, but the Crab Keeper is from this ex-Crane merchant house and is indeed specialized in trading, the Phoenix Lancer is a Shiba yojimbo, the Scorpion Priest is actually a shugenja* from this "spymages" house, the Dragon Assassin is a Kitsuki investigator, and the Lion Captain a classic Akodo warlord.

Well, not that original a team, but it's certainly hard to figure out why I made these associations without knowing which houses I was picturing in my head. Does it make more sense now?

* I don't use sorcery but the miracles campaign quality, with only two Alignments: the kami (Air, Earth, Fire, Fortune a.k.a. Void, and Water) or Fu Leng (Curses, Darkness, Death, Destruction, and Evil)

PS: I really should start working on a conversion guide for this. No, I shouldn't!

I think you were referring to the Crab/Crane family Yasuki. I'd like to see that conversion guide since I just saw a copy of L5R's latest edition

No, sorry. Current Version is 0.0.1.9 and I stopped further developing quite a while ago for severeal reasons. It is however fully functional but it is still untested. I dont know what to do with it, if I would be allowed to upload it somewhere I would do it, but this is still unclear, at least to me.

I would love to see even an untested version.  I love having excel sheets for my players (makes it easier for me to keep track as well).  Normally I build them up myself, but with something as complex as Fantasycraft, I'd love to see how you handled it.

likewise

got it.. its how the rules were built. but i'm still interested in the question Conditions like Paralyzed maintaining Flatfooted or not.. I mean if he's paralyzed, getting hit does not remove his condition. he still can't move and change his stance.

Do you have to be the flanker though?   What if the target is flanked by 2 PCs, and you are off at range?

This led me to a bit of confusion, the flanking rules are actually a little back and forth, they imply a character gains the flanked condition when two opponents stand on either side, but then says that "While flanking a character, an opponent gains +2 to attack checks against him." A totally literal reading of that would say they gain the condition but only the two creating the condition gain a bonus to hit (still making them officially flanked for sneak attack). I don't think that's the actual intention, but I guess we'll see.

Also, I must have never noticed before, but does even a Stunned or Paralyzed character lose flat-footed after they've been hit once, even if the original condition persists? (Again, the rules imply yes, I just don't know for sure if that's the intention, it seems so obvious yet it has never crossed my mind, maybe that's why.)

Actually, I'm also pretty interested to find out what's the take on this.. if a character has a prevailing condition that makes him flatfooted all the time, then each hit should not remove the flatfooted condition.

Also.. Multishot implies all arrows hit at once, not hit one after another. Won't this mean that all arrows generate a sneak attack? Its 3 arrows at the same time here.. not one after another. Its logical that shooting 3 arrows at once at the same target, at the same time, will have the same modifiers, if they all hit, if 10 or more is rolled. 

I suppose since it's a Saurian you could kinda justify it as being faster on 4 feet than on 2?
I'd probably allow it purely on the grounds that it stops the logic break in my mind of being faster climbing that walking in the first place.

Technically to climb a wall you need hands and feet right? so I'd go and accept this if you walked on all 4's. If you happen to be attacked while "climbing the ground" even with the quickdraw feat, i'd still consider you prone until you stand up.

yeah.. replacement for free is good. he opted to buy it as a magic item instead,  level 2 reknown with adventurer specialty, thats 40 rep cost, then purchased a Zweihander +3 bonus, divine damage  for 29-10 rep which cost him a total of 59 rep at level 6, never disarmed and never lost.

Now a question comes to mind, technically you only get the ritual weapon for free for a normal weapon, since if you upgraded it with hurl or keen for example, if you lost it, you only get the normal weapon as it is, and you have to upgrade it again.

Since this is a magic sword, and it cost rep to make it, i take it he gets the magic sword back and not just a regular sword right? 

Thank you! Yep I was waiting for a reply.

Not exactly what the priest in my group wanted as he was hoping to have a magic wep not costing the rep cost though as we're starting at level 6.

Even with the 30 rep per rank, to get the + 3 Greater Charm Bonus at level 6, 24 rep cost, if at level 6, he'd have to be at least level 2, and it has to be two-handed.

Still Extraordinary as fluff leads one to hope for something else..

How extraordinary is extraordinary?

I mean at level 1 you already get the ritual weapon. Is this the same weapon and its granted abilities or its a different weapon altogether.. could be up to the gm but i was hoping more of a guideline that would at least provide an example what is considered extraordinary.. i doubt it stops at cannot be disarmed.. 

Priest has mask of god capability which states:

Sacred Weapon: You’re a divine champion, your ritual weapon possessing extraordinary gifts. You may not be
disarmed when wielding your ritual weapon. Also, when the weapon is lost or destroyed it’s replaced at the start of the next scene.

Not sure what extent "extraordinary" would mean. Is this a regular magic item that grows as the priest levels or is it closer to an artifact? Will it cost reputation to have this ritual weapon?

Any advice is helpful for our group's priest. 

I'd like to see a character generator too though excel does seem to work well. Makes it easier for us newbies

Thanks Crafty Pat for such a super fast response

Poor Alex, Pat stealing your spotlight.

Comes with the territory 

My bad!! I am really sorry Alex!! Thank you so much for responding so quickly. I didn't realize it until i went back into the post!!

Sorry if my thinking is broken. hehe  Thanks Crafty Pat for such a super fast response

 

Another 2 questions we in our group want to ask is that:

a. ) Benefit: All knives on your person are considered armed at
all times. ? How many knives does this one allow? You could have a bundle of throwing knives in possession and they will be all armed. What if you upgrade the throwing knives with Guard +1? This will improve defense to +10 if they are all armed at the same time.. 

Also, you gain a stance.

b) Wicked Dance (Stance): Your 1-handed melee attacks inflict 2 additional dice of sneak attack damage. You may not take move actions (though you may still take 5-ft. Bonus Steps as normal).

This states 1 handed melee attacks and not knife attacks.. this might be simpler but this would mean, 1 handed axes, shields, swords, etc.. basically all 1 handed gear will gain 2 dice of sneak attack damage? Is this correct?