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Mark now official
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(Date Posted:09/19/2004 23:59:12)

This is just for general consumption, and maybe to spark debate. When I try to build a Swordsman School, I try to do it like I would a character. Focus first on the concept and the context, then move on to the crunchy bits. It's worked well for me, so I'm putting forward my version of the 20 questions, things I try to ask about a new School and what role it will take beyond a package of knacks and neat bonuses. I'd like to hear any feedback any of you have, or if this is even useful (overkill?). Thanks.20 Questions for swordsman schools:Where is it from?How old is it?Who learns it?Why was it developed? - What other schools influenced it? - Why not use some other style?What was the founder like?What is the style of the practitioner (fast, stylish, blunt, overpowering, etc.)?What is the objective of the school (win a duel, fight a battle, assassinate someone)?------------What weapon(s) does the style use?Is the style one-handed or two-handed?What is the main form of attack?What is the main means of defense?Is the school more offensive or defensive in nature?What is the most important thing the school teaches?What does the school ignore or frown upon (a certain move, an attitude, another school)?---------------------What is the main focus of the school?What is the signature move?How would you recognize the school during a fight?---------------------Is the school Guild sanctioned?What relationships does the school have with other schools?How do non-swordsmen view the school?

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El Mono Es Malo
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(Date Posted:09/20/2004 01:10:19)

I like this a lot, Mark.  You're right; this is an excellent document to put together when designing a school; later on, I'll edit this into my own schools.


 
Barna
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(Date Posted:09/20/2004 02:39:35)

As I said, I'm going cold turkey regarding my school creation addiction, but where I still the junkie I once was, I'd definetly adopt these guidelines. Very neat set of questions really, and it's not overkill at all...if only all homegrown schools had this level of background development.



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"No era el hombre mas honesto ni el mas piadoso, pero era un hombre valiente"



Arturo Perez Reverte, primera linea de ´El Capitan Alatriste´
BadMrMojo
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(Date Posted:09/20/2004 19:32:06)

The one and only thing that I'd add to the (thoroughly extensive and well thought-out) list is that it doesn't necessarily need to be in order.



In order to start, you just need a single hook. Something that you saw in a movie. A neat idea for a game mechanic. A great back story. Anything.



Just make sure that you actually have a reason for even bothering to fill in the other 19 questions. Make it unique enough to be worthwhile or use an existing one.

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"So then the door opens and Nikolai steps in... only he's wearing Inquisitor robes and a Bacchus mask so you don't recognize him."

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Firel
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(Date Posted:05/17/2005 23:54:41)

When making own schools its very easy to make them a little too powerful. I think one important question is missing: What is your schools greatest weakness. The greatest strength usually comes by itself because all schools base on their strengths, but thinking about the drawbacks isn't always that simple.


Otherwise a great way to make your ideas whole. ^^

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st barbara
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(Date Posted:06/12/2007 15:29:29)

 Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'm new here so I thought that i'd just ask people "How many schools does the game need ?" Are we becoming bogged down with new combat schools in the search for "uniqueness" ?  Don't get me wrong, it can be fun to look at new ideas for combat schools but we seem to have SO many of them that it can be a headache just trying to look through them all ! Does EVERY notable swordsperson found his or her own school or, is it more likely, that they would become expert at an existing school ?  I suppose that , in a game where everyone is playing the same nationality, you might want a group of different swordsman schools from the same country  but in the sort of game that I am used to playing, with a diverse group of characters of different nationalities you tend to get very little overlap of swordsman's schools anyway.
Salamanca
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(Date Posted:06/12/2007 23:02:54)

Welcome aboard.



The direct answer is that you need exactly one swordsman school minimum in the system to use them. However, players being players, they will want some diversity. I would recommend at least 2 school per nation and a handful of international styles be included in any campaign.



However, that is not to say that every campaign should have the same set of schools. Depending on what the GM and players are looking for, it may make sense to include Gallegos instead of Aldana or add 5 Eisen schools and no Ussuran or Avalon schools if the GM is focusing the campaign in a certain location. The addition of more schools really just adds options to select from for the group as a whole. Therre are schools in the core rulebook that have never been used in my games and a few from this site that are player favorites (and at least one they hated to see... the oft hated school of sucking chest wounds if I recall).



I do not recommend ever trying to use them all. I do not recommend using anything created here without play testing it for balance in your setting first. I do not recommend using anything published after Crescent Empire without adjusting it.



Now, including a special school for a special Hero or NPC adds a ton of personality to that character. But adding a special school for every NPC ruins the idea.



More importantly, school design is a great exercise in truly comprehending the mechanics of the system. Several of the schools posted here show great ways to combine a couple of benefits to exploit the system, a few show neat ideas that were overlooked and create better combat resolution, a very few actually manage to blend into the system with a great balance while still turning the system on it's ear to give you a whole new perspective on how to conduct a combat.

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Damn! Asking for exposition is like kryptonite to NPCs!
st barbara
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(Date Posted:06/13/2007 05:43:02)

I tend to agree with your assesment "Salamanca". At two schools per nation, plus a generic group of schools representing say "Navy", "Infantry" and "Cavalry" styles which could be considered "universal" that still gives people a fair bit of choice. Maybe some professions (such as Assassins or Spies) would develop their own schools as well. I'm just a bit confused with the seeming unending proliferation of combat schools (particularly as I can't find several of the books in Australia !). Using a school that i'm not familiar with yet doesn't help (I have a new character "Cassandra", who uses the "YAEL" school which looks as if it could be fun). I need a copy of the details of the school in order to plan which knacks to buy/increase as she gains experience !  I suppose that ONE reason for the proliferation of schools might be the cost of learning a "foreign" school. If a person is playing a character from say Montaigne and wants to have a unique "style" of fighting that differentiates him from other Montaigne characters it seems to be CHEAPER to create a new school than to pay to learn a school from a foreign country !  Thank you for the well considered reply.
Salamanca
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