House of the Jade Lantern

After a long hiatus, we return to Dundracon in 2015, with a new game (one of the Dundracon 2015 Spotlight games). Wayne and I are pleased to offer the following:

Time: Saturday, 2/14/15, at 4 PM in Room 608 for 6 hours
Type: RPG
System: Samurai Tales (L5R inspired)
Edition: Homebrew
Players: 12
Provided: Characters created for game
Variations: elements of improv and LARP
Rules Knowledge: Beginners Welcome
Game Content: Mature Themes

Five years ago, your Clans were been brought to heel by the Shogun. Now, summoned to the Shogun’s winter court on the wild coast, opportunity.

Return to a mystical feudal Japan in a tale of loyalty, honor, and treachery. How will you ensure you Clanâs future?

About this Game

Broken Against the Waves is tabletop game, with some elements of tabletop and strategic gaming. This is a two GM event. Rules will be taught as needed. Costumes are not required. The game is based on a non-canonical version of the Legends of the Five Rings setting, Rokugan – the Emerald Empire. The rules, Samurai Tales, are a variant of the Fate rpg.

About the GMs

‘Broken on the Waves’ is the latest DDC offering from Wayne Ogle and Brian Isikoff, following previous, highly successfully events such as ‘Test of Might,’ ‘Lion at Autumnâs Gate’, and ‘Gift of Earth.’

We hope to have the following event featured at the upcoming 2010 Dundarcon. This year, we are running a slightly smaller (14 player), more focused event – similar in style to our early DDC Scorpion games.  Unique to this year’s offering is a supernatural / Phoenix heavy base. Update (12/25/09): It appears we are will be scheduled for Saturday night at 6 pm.

Rise from the Ashes

The Dark God has been thrown back, leaving the world in ashes. The Kami have departed. There remain many places where the taint must be cleansed and the land purified.

The Phoenix must rise from the ashes.

Set in the early days of the Emerald Empire, this game will involve two table groups of Phoenix Clan players competing to reclaim “tainted” land for their families. The game will contain both cooperative as well as competitive elements between the groups. Players will have opportunity to customize the pre-generated characters  to their preferences.

System: Samurai Tales (Fate)
Time: TBD (but hopefully Saturday night)
GM: Wayne Ogle and Brian Isikoff
PCs: All characters provided by GM and rules will be taught.
Power Level: Phoenix Clan
Variations: historical, non-canonical, Rokugan (L5R)

Program Book Description

Crops spoil and animals are stillborn. Screams and battle sounds echo from the woods. The land must be cleansed by the Phoenix, claimed by your family. The little girl watches.

About This Game

Rise from the Ashes is tabletop game, with some elements of tabletop and strategic gaming. This is a two GM event. Rules will be taught as needed. Costumes are not required.  The game is based on a non-canonical version of the Legends of the Five Rings setting, Rokugan – the Emerald Empire. The rules, Samurai Tales, are a variant of the Fate / Spirit of the Century games.

About the GMs

Rise from the Ashes is produced by Wayne Ogle and Brian Isikoff. Producers of previous successful convention events Test of Might, Lion at Autumn’s Gate, The Eaters of Sin, and Gift of Earth, Wayne and Brian have returned with a new tale of the Emerald Empire.

A Gift of Earth is sponsored by EndGame and 2d6 Feet in a Random Direction podcast.

DDC is next month, and once again, the Jade Lantern is co-hosting an event. The extended description follows:

Walls Crumble, Honor Endures

In the late summer of the 15th year of the 17th Hantei Emperor, Toma Sieko, daimyo of the Iron Cobra, pressed his clan’s advantage against Makira Toji, the aging daimyo of Raven Clan. With the siege of Kyuden Raven underway, Toji-sama comes to terms with the fate of his Clan.

What do loyal samurai do when surrounded without by a fierce enemy, and weighed down within by an incompetent lord? Read the rest of this entry »

Dundracon is just a few short months away, and the Jade Lantern will once again be co-hosting another L5R event. Below is the draft extended description of the event.

A Gift of Earth

The Emperor’s prize would greatly enhance the reputation of your small clan. But others seek the honor. Minor clans, great clans, even bureaucrats. To whom will the Emperor’s favor go?

Opportunity and Danger are two sides of the same coin. The Emperor, the Great Hantei, has unvielded the presence of a new silver mine. Located in the Biwa Valley, this silver mine requires stewardship, most likely drawn from one of the minor clans with lands along the Valley. It would greatly enhance the prestige of your clan to win this stewardship, but others seek the honor. Minor clans, great clans, even bureaucrats. Who will gain the Emperor’s favor? Read the rest of this entry »

A huge thank you to all twenty-three of the players who took part in this year’s Dundracon event, as well as my co-GM, of course. I had a wonderful time running the game, and already look forward to running next February’s game.

For those who did not have the chance to attend the event, the extended program description (from the GM notes) was:

“As winter turns to spring, the time for campaigning draws near. Armor is cleaned, weapons polished, and stores counted. The Crab Daimyo has declared a Shiken no Isei (”Test of Might”) to decide which of his Bushi-Ryu will have his favor and which of the bushi-students show the greatest promise for battles ahead.”

The end of the story has both less and more to do with the fall of Hiruma Castle than it does the Test of Might.

The Event

Thanks to the nice folks at DDC, we had a seminar room for our event, which was slated for 14 players. The seminar room is a nice sized private suite, and can handle the size of the groups we wind up running. It also has it’s own bathroom and quasi-kitchenette, two doors, and they have about five or six long tables and plenty of chairs. Luckily – we needed all of them. We ran through 23 player this year, taking on everyone who showed up, ad I recall. Read the rest of this entry »

Another enjoyable ‘Con. Our event this year was a change from the prior two years’ Scorpion-based games. This year, we proudly presented “Lion at Autumn’s Gates”:

“Lion at Autumn’s Gate. The castle may be breached, but honor shall remain intact. This is a proper end for a bushi of your status. You will meet the enemy at the gates, and make them pay dearly for every step. Your name will be remembered.”

A two GM event scheduled for a total of 12 players (6 and 6), our Satursday evening, 8pm start time (prime time, as they say) saw a large waiting list of hopefuls. I hate to turn away folks from a game … and so, grew my portion to 11! Luckily, I always prepare more PCs than needed. The total event ran for 6 hours, and I believe was enjoyed by all. The House of the Jade Lantern salutes our players – the bold Matsu bushi and the esteemed and honors Ikoma bards – and of course, our brilliant co-GM, Wayne!

As in the prior two years, the GMs were:

Brian Isikoff: Master of the Jade Lantern, author of the “12 Diplomats of Bayushi Risako” event at DunDracon ’99, and the co-author of the “Eaters of Sin” events at DunDracon ’01 and ’02.

Wayne Ogle: GM of a regular L5R campaign on the North Bay, as well as the author and GM for the epic “Anvil of Despair” events at DunDracon ’99 and ’00, and the co-author of the “Eaters of Sin” events at DunDracon DC ’01 and ’02 .

The Eaters of Sin

“Some call it Journey’s End City and some call it the City of Green Walls. In the end, it is Ryoko Owari Toshi: the City of Lies. Behind every smile, a lie. And behind every lie … honor? A Scorpion’s paradise is sometimes its pain as well.”

The above image is an artist’s rendition of the Bayushi enforcer group from the Eaters of Sin storyline. The kanji in the top half of the art correspond to the names of the characters – clockwise around the table from the left they are: Hungry Moon the Assassin, Wind the bushi, Five Thunders the impersonator, Empty Wind – courtier and ringleader, the other bushi Big Fortune, the duellist Hollow Eyes, Void the shugenja, and Smoke the saboteur. The artist played Empty Wind. Domo arigato to Ms. Zimmer for the outstanding artwork (which is not in the public domain)!!

The Eaters of Sin – a DunDracon 2001 event – was an “all Scorpion” story with characters provided. Two sessions of this event were be run (simultaneously) with two separate storytellers on Sunday (2/18), at 8:00pm.

Each PC group was a capable band of Scorpion enforcers – Bayushi and Soshi. They had been summoned and assigned the tasks of escorting the younger brothers of the recently arrived Daidoji Magistrate to Ryoko Owari.
A fun time was had by all! Thanks to all the players who attended!!

See the DunDracon website for full details about the convention.

The GMs were:

Brian Isikoff: Master of the Jade Lantern, author of the “12 Diplomats of Bayushi Risako” event at DunDracon ’99, and the co-author of the “Eaters of Sin” events at DunDracon ’01 and ’02.

Wayne Ogle: GM of a regular L5R campaign on the North Bay, as well as the author and GM for the epic “Anvil of Despair” events at DunDracon ’99 and ’00, and the co-author of the “Eaters of Sin” events at DunDracon DC ’01 and ’02 .

Talk about a fun Con! The House of the Jade Lantern salutes:

~ The players of the House’s own “Souls of Shinomen Mori” event. The monks here at the House were not mindful enough to write down the names, but group is easy enough to recognize. Domo arigato gozaimasu to the 12 Diplomats of Bayushi Risako! Banzai!!

~ Mark from Gold Rush Games and his group of samurai. The Fortunes were watching over that the Master somehow wound up at a well hidden and most enjoyable game of Sengoku. Domo arigato to all, and again to Sodan-san, for introductions and the tasty fotune cookies!

~ All the folks – professionals, publishers, and fans alike – who I had the honor to meet, discuss and game with!