Land of Samurai

[Lord High Munchkin]

Dear All,

The two schools covered - Tendai and Shingon - both teach the same goal (Enlightenment) but with different approaches. They use the same magic and the differences are theoretical and philosophical rather than mechanistic. They certainly aren't cults, but they do teach different spells, different skills and different ki abilities.

The different approach of those two schools is because one is Mahayana and the other 'Right-handed' Vajrayana (sometimes called Mantrayana). However, the point is that they shouldn't have different spells (OK, skills are another issue) - it's sort of like saying Catholics and Southern Baptists use different spells too.

Question regarding Tendai, have you stated Kami?

The reason I ask is that, as the Tendai regard Kami as more sacred than Buddhas, Kami being manifest representations of universal buddha-hood, you might run into a conflict of representation with Shingon and other Buddhist schools who regard Buddhas as being beyond and outside mere gods (including Kami). A complex opposed position that one actually can't actually explain in an RPG.

However, I'm glad that it hopefully might not be as bad as 'Land of Ninja'....

Regards

 

[The King]

I am not very knowledgeable in this Japanese field (though I like Kuroswara movies) and thus couldn't grade the historicity of land of ninja (but the scenario is great).

It's just that I still have the book and would rather appreciate a sort of "companion".

Aren't Ky powers treated as heroic abilities?

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

That's low res?! *drool*

This title is definitely getting me interested in trying out RPGs. Gotta ask: Do you have to have the original Runequest book to play Land of the Samurai, or is it a standalone product?

 

[TRose]

Quick question here. for those of us in Glorantha will we be able to use it for Vormain?

 

[Loz]

Several questions to answer here...

Ki powers are treated very much like Legendary Abilities...

Land of Samurai is completely standalone...

It has a scenario...

Kami are statted, and although Buddhism and Shinto are treated as different religions, I haven't played down the fact that they are highly compatible.

Could you model Vormain? Perhaps, but this is a 'historical' sourcebook, so I've made no attempt to integrate it with Glorantha.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

However, the point is that they shouldn't have different spells (OK, skills are another issue) - it's sort of like saying Catholics and Southern Baptists use different spells too.

Well they do.
Catholics have Transubstitution, Confession, Papal Infallibility, Infant Baptism...
Southern Baptisits have Televangalise, Adult Baptism, Refute Creationism...

I think RPG's are almost always condemned to treat religions like this, whether "real" or created purely for the game. Scholars of Buddhism may be able to (a) tell the difference between sects and (b) make use of these differences to distinguish between characters and drive interesting scenarios, but not everyone has that depth of knowledge, nor the time and/or inclination to develop it just to play a RPG inspired by such diverse sources as the movies of Kurasowa, "Shogun", "The Last Samurai" and Ninja Scroll - however ahistorical or out of period for the specific setting of the game they may be!
Obviously (I hope!) the game should attempt to be true to the religions, but, ultimately the needs of the game have to outweigh the academic accuracy (In the same way that games often mix weapons and armours from different historial periods and cultures). Those who neither know nor care can play the game unencumbered, while those who want to know more can seek enlightenment in better sources than a RPG

 

[MongooseCharlie]

I am going to say again...sources always vary....so it is rather useless anyone saying "I'm definitely right" unless they can time travel! The cover and the book have been well researched and utilise the sources available to us so I trust you will enjoy it.

As for Buddhism...fear not Lord High Munchkin as I do know a heck of a lot about it and as I am editing this book and Loz has well researched it, it will be spot on.

But unfortunately we can't please everyone all the time...clearly!

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

Dear All,

I hope it works out OK - although the promise of different spells for different Buddhist orders doesn't seem to bode well... after all, the schools all recognise the same siddhi powers.

I am going to say again...sources always vary.... so it is rather useless anyone saying "I'm definitely right" unless they can time travel!

Actually, that's not correct as regards Buddhist doctrine, as there is a universally recognised orthodoxy (and it was written down even then).

I'm not asking for 100% accuracy - I just don't want to see howlers.

Regards

 

[MongooseCharlie]

You miss read my comment...the sources part is a reference to earlier comments, not to Buddhism. History and religion are at once the same and totally different, although many would argue that Buddhism is not techinically a religion.

I am well aware of Buddhist teachings and have studied them in depth, that is a separate matter. As for the Historical side, all we can go on are sources. Even sources written at the time can be skewed and biased depending on who wrote them and their own beliefs, and so all we can do is make educated judgements with certain things...lanterns being one of them (once again i am not refering to Buddhism but to historical references).

 

[The King]

...It has a scenario...

Great. This is very important for those who doesn't know the period well to capture the essence with a scenario.

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

Standalone is great news. Even easier to convince some folks to get into it now, methinks.

 

[Loz]

However, the point is that they shouldn't have different spells (OK, skills are another issue) - it's sort of like saying Catholics and Southern Baptists use different spells too.

They have slightly different spells because the two schools take a different approach to achieving enlightenment and could therefore be assumed to have differing magical development. They do have a lot in common though. And both use only divine magic; not rune magic or sorcery.

 

[Stormwalker]

.... A complex opposed position that one actually can't actually explain in an RPG.

Then why have you just made me waste the last few minutes of my life reading this?