[LP CYOA] 傳

[Zero Credibility]

A does seem to make more sense - both Cao’er and Yao would prefer this choice as it is playing to their strengths - Cao'er doesn't have problems with corpses and Yao is still a better healer then her. And having contact among the beggars is very useful indeed - we can't forget that we are on a mission here. But on the other hand, I'm strongly drawn to a possibility of a sword technique (not to mention a sword in the first place), and I would like to save the person Yao is meant to kill - that might get us some major points from the school. Damn.

edit: Ok, as much as I hate to pass by possible info we are looking for, I vote B. Not only for possible benefits for us, but also because it cheats Yao of his kill. Maybe eventually he will grow bored with our... ethical inflexibility and cut us loose. I just hope Cao'er really is good enough for this.

 

[LWC1996]

Yes, no Drunken Fist as treave said, but if one wonders if their kungfu is good - surely Drunken Fist is the most well known.

Their most renowned techniques are the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms, regarded as the most powerful palm technique, and also the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, which is used only by the leader of the Beggars' Sect and good at humiliating your opponent by thrashing him like a damn dirty dog.

Drunken Fist is child's play.

Of course, they don't teach their ultimate skills to outsiders so it doesn't matter.

Ah I stand corrected on the Drunken Fist. I blame Jackie Chan and his ilk for this misconception!

 

[ERYFKRAD]

And challenges between schools are in the form of all out fights or formal duels? Or a series of duels? Which approach is favored more?
Does Tigerbro know?

 

[treave]

And challenges between schools are in the form of all out fights or formal duels? Or a series of duels? Which approach is favored more?
Does Tigerbro know?

Yes, though there'll be the chance to spectate at one or more challenges later in the LP to make the rules and procedure even clearer. All out fights do happen sometimes when tensions run high but are frowned upon. Right now a series of duels is the favoured format. Five duels between the chosen disciples, and then the masters themselves participate in the last duel. This is flexible however; there are cases where confident sects send out one disciple to take on five of the opponent's best simultaneously.

The master duel is the most important one, but should the disciples acquit themselves admirably by winning all their matches, the reputation of the school will not be that damaged by the loss. Should they get wiped out, however, it will be very humiliating and they can look forward to more challengers attempting to pile on the misery. Their disciples will lose confidence and leave, and finally the school will be shut down.

This is taken very seriously by the smaller schools. The major established sects do have such matches with each other and with the smaller schools, but their masters do not usually participate.

 

[Kashmir Slippers]

Fuck A. B!

I am tired of all this "Let's not take the option that is entirely tailored to the fighting skills that we need. Think of all the other, random stuff that could possible be a side effect of us doing the other choice." I think that treave is trying to do us a huge favor by giving us an option to improve our fighting skills and make up for a bit of unorthodoxy with B.

I honestly don't even see why people are seeing this as an issue. Hardly anyone voted to actually join the beggar sect when we were given the option, so this change of heart seems out of nowhere. A lot of people were talking just last update abut how we keep getting our asses handed to us and how we need to get more fighting skills. B is our best bet at that.

 

[m4davis]

Treave small question is the small sect to orthodox so as to make this call for help a trap to kill our master

 

[treave]

Treave small question is the small sect to orthodox so as to make this call for help a trap to kill our master

Well, you don't really know. There's a paucity of information. But if you were to consider the risks of a trap, yes, the Beggars' Sect mission would be safer because you would be under their protection. While with Songfeng, you don't really know much about them beyond their basic reputation. You'll find out once you get there.

 

[Stygian Lurker]

voting B

 

[m4davis]

Voting A

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Given the fact that Songfeng has a a repute of some honour, I don't think we need to worry too much about it being a trap. Applies even more if the trap is for Yao and not his apprentices.

 

[Esquilax]

Now isn't this far more useful than light and breezy swordplay from Songfeng which is not even a prominent school of martial arts. I know we have also lamented on Jing's lack of combat skills, but right here is an opportunity for him to make connection and make a good impression on the Beggar Sect. This opportunity is not going to come again because they practice a closed door policy on anyone outside their sect.

Everybody practices a closed door policy to anyone outside their sect, the beggars aren't alone on this. If everything works out, we'll get a technique from them, but they aren't going to give us their best shit right away, that would be very stupid of them. All things being equal, the Songfeng sword technique is probably better, but there are lots of intangibles that make A attractive.

I am tired of all this "Let's not take the option that is entirely tailored to the fighting skills that we need. Think of all the other, random stuff that could possible be a side effect of us doing the other choice." I think that treave is trying to do us a huge favor by giving us an option to improve our fighting skills and make up for a bit of unorthodoxy with B.

I honestly don't even see why people are seeing this as an issue. Hardly anyone voted to actually join the beggar sect when we were given the option, so this change of heart seems out of nowhere. A lot of people were talking just last update abut how we keep getting our asses handed to us and how we need to get more fighting skills. B is our best bet at that.

This is a fair point, but I'd like to point out that things aren't so simple. The Beggars know how to throw down, and while they won't give us their best shit, we'll probably be in good with them. Keep in mind that despite whatever we might learn at the sword academy, there are two other considerations to keep in mind: (1) our ultimate goal was to infiltrate the pugilistic sects to gather information, which the Beggars have in abundance - in the grand scheme of things, the swordsmen are nobodies. More importantly, (2) Yao's got us by the balls. The poison and the antidotes we need to take are provided by him and there is no way out of it at the moment. Sure, Cao'er can make qi-suppressing pills and antidotes, but I'm not sure if we can convince her to leave Master Yao at this time. She trusts us, but I'm not sure if we can convince her through conventional means - she's basically a high-functioning autistic. I could see how currying favour with the guy would be a step towards our freedom.

Also keep in mind that the Songfeng academy asked for Yao, not us, so I'm not sure how the disciples of the academy will react:

Master Yao is sought after because of two traits of his.

Firstly, he will never refuse a call for help. No matter how minor, how major, or how dangerous the situation is, he will heed the call. Back during the summer, he led you and Cao’er right into the middle of a turf war between two gangs over a peasant’s fever. You had to kick your way out of several excitingly dangerous events that temporarily quenched your thirst for reckless adventure.

So this man's reputation is that if you make a house call for Dr. Yao, he'll show up no matter what. So what do you suppose is going to happen if two strange kids show up to a serious emergency saying "HEY BROS, SO MASTER YAO SENT US!!!" Personally, I'd be extremely suspicious, to say the least: Master Yao never just sends somebody, he comes himself. This master of theirs fell ill, now you can see how we'd be in a very dangerous situation if they suspect there was foul play afoot, then suddenly we show up. Now, we have some Speech skill and CHA, so we might mitigate this, but it's certainly something to think about.

On the other hand, I like the idea of stepping into the academy to prevent Master Yao from extracting his toll, it would be the right thing to do. And of course, the sword technique sounds fucking ace. However, there's more to evaluating choices here than just "which technique is better?", so it's important to evaluate a lot of other factors too.

 

[treave]

Good point regarding identity issues for both choices. Your master will send a pigeon ahead to inform whoever he's not visiting about your arrival. It'll take only a day by foot anyway.

Yes, I know you have terrible luck and an eagle may eat the pigeon on the way. But it might not happen either.

 

[Kipeci]

hm

on the other hand, we didn't go with any sword guys and we don't have a sword right now. We probably missed the boat on maxing our sword capabilities by going unorthodox, but we've at least gotten a couple of unarmed techniques, so that might be salvageable... the beggars do have some nifty unarmed skills if I recall correctly. I might end up flopping.

 

[Esquilax]

on the other hand, we didn't go with any sword guys and we don't have a sword right now. We probably missed the boat on maxing our sword capabilities by going unorthodox, but we've at least gotten a couple of unarmed techniques, so that might be salvageable... the beggars do have some nifty unarmed skills if I recall correctly. I might end up flopping.

I don't think so. There are probably lots of unorthodox sword styles and the sword has the most techniques out of any weapon, so there's lots to choose from. Besides, I don't think we missed the boat at all: Jing is still a 15 year old kid, he's got plenty of time to learn how to become a swordmaster, especially given how talented he is. Some of the greatest fighters of all time were around the same age when they started, and our Jing is a fast learner when it comes to fighting, so I think there's plenty of time to become a fantastic swordsman.

For my part, I'll be abstaining for now - I see the merit in both choices, though from a power perspective, B is probably better should we become successful. We are far more likely to learn the Songfeng style of swordplay than we are some well-guarded Beggar ass-kicking technique. And if worst comes to worst with B and we end up with a bunch of pissed off academy members ready to kill us, we've learned a few things about interacting with people. It'll also be good for Jing's moral development as a rebellious, maverick, but upright and honest bro.

 

[Kipeci]

I don't deny that we could be a good swordsman, but I was hoping to be the best one. We now have a constantly widening deficit between us-- a doctor's manservant who doesn't even own a sword anymore-- and the boatloads of trainees going to schools dedicated solely to proving how awesome they are at stabbing or slashing people with swords and similar items. There's the chance that we randomly meet a travelling swordsman who might decide to teach us for whatever reason, but we don't even have a sword of our own and I don't think they're too keen on lending those. Meanwhile, we still have our fists and legs, and we can at least continue practicing with those so that this won't leave us too far behind.

 

[treave]

It wouldn't be too hard for you to procure a sword if you need one, so don't worry about that. The underworld blacksmiths are always open for business. You just need to save up money, and you do have a secret stash from leftover grocery spending.

You haven't done so already because you don't need one yet, having just learnt kicking and all.

 

[Baltika9]

Wait, going for the healing finger would also make Xing buy a sword?
About the beggars: is it too much to assume that they can help us smuggle in some messages to the Prince at the palace and help us with the Brothel job?
Edit:

Yeah, Drunken Fist is useful, but I never promised it.

Uh, yeah you did.

Is Drunken Fist an available style?

Yes. So are Drunken Axe, Sword, Staff and Spear. I'm not sure about how Drunken Bows or Drunken Flying Needles would work, but I'll be damned if the Drunken Master doesn't know how to pull it off, so yes, probably those too.

I don't see a reason they wouldn't teach us if we get in good.
Edit 2:

Southern Maniac: Zhang Jue (Unaffiliated)

This guy... We need to find him.

 

[XenomorphII]

B

 

[Nevill]

I am going for A. There isn't much left to say that was not covered by either Baltika9, LWC1996 or Esquilax.

Some points I still want to mention:

We can't really heal people, so we are going to be pretty much useless in Songfeng School, safe for being Cao'er's bodyguard. However, our quick wit and charming demeanour make us well-suited for detective work, or even a lawyer's one, if need be. Doing our own thing should prove more interesting than merely assisting the healer apprentice in her task. Though this being treave's LP, I'm sure he has a surprise for us, and not of a pleasant sort.

The way choices are worded, associating with a Songfeng School is about personal power, which we lack; associating with a Beggars Sect is about making connections, which would synergize really well with our recent advances in Charisma and Speech. Both are viable choices, but don't forget that our mission is to conduct an investigation of our own. Befriending Beggars Sect goes a long way towards seeing it through.

I am hesitant to go near hardcore orthodoxes without a solid reputation of a do-gooder to back me up. We are not doing our image any favors by hanging around Yao. Whether we improve our standing with them just by being besides Cao'er while she does her job remains to be seen.

Saving a life that Yao would otherwise take sounds good enough for me not to feel down if B wins. However, I have a feeling that we might be leaving an innocent person to die, as Yao won't do much besides what is asked of him. If the beggar is not guilty, it would mean that we failed to save a life that was taken deliberately in exchange for saving a life that one was ready to sacrifice. An interesting dilemma to consider.

I am tired of all this "Let's not take the option that is entirely tailored to the fighting skills that we need. Think of all the other, random stuff that could possible be a side effect of us doing the other choice." [...] Hardly anyone voted to actually join the beggar sect when we were given the option, so this change of heart seems out of nowhere. A lot of people were talking just last update abut how we keep getting our asses handed to us and how we need to get more fighting skills. B is our best bet at that.

Now, that's just unfair. Joining the beggars requires you to be one of them, which is unacceptable; befriending them or indebting them to you does not. It is as simple as that.

The Beggars Sect has some techniques of its own. Since we just got ourselves a nice kicking upgrade, we might as well go unarmed all the way. We won't be able to learn their ultimate techs because we won't be joining them, but such is the case with the Songfeng School, too. We won't stay there long enough to learn anything more than some basic moves.

Sure, Cao'er can make qi-suppressing pills and antidotes, but I'm not sure if we can convince her to leave Master Yao at this time.

Can we convince her to teach us how to make an antidote by ourselves instead?

I am not sure I want her to leave Yao. Where would she go? We can't take her with us, not when we are on a mission that puts our life in constant danger. For now, she is better off with the old man.

But the current status quo is no good either. If he ever get separated from both of them, willingly or unwillingly, Jing is toast. We need her to show us how to temporarily neutralize poison, and we won't get a better shot at this now that Yao is gone for a while.

 

[Azira]

Sure, Cao'er can make qi-suppressing pills and antidotes, but I'm not sure if we can convince her to leave Master Yao at this time.

Can we convince her to teach us how to make an antidote by ourselves instead?

Look at the character sheet. Jing already knows the recipe. He's just not as adept at preparing the pills as Yao or Cao'er.

 

[Azira]

Character Sheet
[SNIP]
Recipes
Qi-Suppressing Pill
Enervation Potion
Three Poisons Powder
Three Poisons Antidote
Blood-Stemming Poultice

 

[Nevill]

Uh... I was talking about the poison, not the pills. Is "Three Poisons Antidote" the one that can neutralize the effect Yao imposed on you? What does "Three Poisons Powder" do? I am afraid the character sheet does not reflect this.

 

[Azira]

My bad. Reading comprehension fail. I'll just go to bed, will probably be more coherent tomorrow.

 

[treave]

Wait, going for the healing finger would also make Xing buy a sword?
About the beggars: is it too much to assume that they can help us smuggle in some messages to the Prince at the palace and help us with the Brothel job?
Edit:Uh, yeah you did.I don't see a reason they wouldn't teach us if we get in good.
Edit 2:This guy... We need to find him.

If you become really good pals with them, helping to send messages is not a problem, but consider that you may want to keep your identity secret. You can trust the Beggars in general but there's still bound to be some bad apples with an organization this big.

I didn't promise Drunken Fist for this particular choice. Maybe you'll find it, maybe not. Not all beggars know the move.

Regarding the temporary antidote, you'll just have to see how you approach this mission.

Haven't gotten around to writing a description for the recipes.

 

[Baltika9]

What about the brothel job, can we expect help from them?