Some time ago I wrote a post here about a possible Japan-themed hack. Things have changed quite a bit (and are still changing, to be honest!) but I figured you might be interested in how the character sheet is shaping up!
The game is going into a totally new direction: it retains Blades’ position/effect and harm systems, but introduces Ki, traits (which can blossom into mastered traits or wither away and be permanently lost) and is overall a much simpler game. The focus is on a group of travelers belonging to the Red Hats, who wander the rural areas of a horrific alternate Japan.
Think Dogs in the Vineyard meets NI-OH meets Call of Cthulhu meets Kwaidan.
Current title: Kurenai no Sakura (Crimson Cherry Blossoms)
Lovely design overall, but it feels like there’s a lot of unused space on the left side. I also can’t help but see a fidget spinner in the lower left there, and that object has perhaps an unnecessary amount of nonstandard text rotation.
James Etheridge ahahah goddamn fidget spinners! That’s actually a mitsudomoe, which represents the confluence of aspects and worlds in Japanese tradition. The text rotation is something I am struggling to fix, since having horizontal text within that flowing shape is completely eye-breaking. Advice? By the way, the sheet is size A5!
Quibbler alert: I believe the title should be “Kurenai no Sakura” (紅の桜), the word “kurenai” being a noun.
Maybe watermarked horizontal text would be less eye-breaking, since you can ignore it when you’re not looking at it? And/or having a pattern background or border around each cell to remind you what each one is after you inevitably write numbers over the watermark? I’m not a layout guy, I just noticed how many times I had to tilt my head to read things. :S
Arnaud Liziard not sure about that one. Kurenai is already a -i adjective in Japanese I think, such as “akai” for red. Nevertheless, I’m going to check with native speakers 🙂
This looks really interesting! Please keep this community (me) updated!
“Akai” is indeed a -i adjective, and the “i” hiragana (“い”) is added to the kanji (赤い), which is not the case for “kurenai” (even though it sounds like an -i adjective). But I admit my Japanese is getting rusty. 🙂
Arnaud Liziard that is why I always check everything back with native speakers 😅
Arnaud Liziard mmm, the visual novel “Kurenai no Tsuki” kinda proves that I need to add “no”. Damn! XD
Another famous example: en.wikipedia.org – Porco Rosso – Wikipedia
Yep. Had forgotten the kanji for Porco Rosso was kurenai, not aka!
yep, this looks awesome.
Ben Wright aw, thank you!
This looks altogether lovely and evocative. Can you just flip the text for the two traits below? Seems like that would be the simplest solution. Also, perhaps look at using different art for the “Wither” blossom that’s thematically reinforcing of that conceit? Even a gray color scheme might help.
Blake Hutchins I am already repositioning some stuff 🙂 I had considered blue for the Wither, but it kinda breaks the color scheme. Would you suggest a light or darker grey?
Mm feeling this aesthetic. Really neat.
I think a darker (75%ish) gray will work better with the brown and white that is there
RoosterEma Well, I might suggest either a lighter gray or even a sepia variant. Or perhaps if you could find a different image for that piece to connote “withered.” The main thing would be to contrast a bit with “blossom.”
Blake Hutchins all the trackers are cherry blossoms (this game’s clocks, basically). But the sepia is a nice idea!
RoosterEma, on second thought, Sepia or a darker gray. Ah, the clock aspect had escaped me. That’s elegant.
Blake Hutchins fleeting traits may be mastered (blossom) or lost (wither) depending on how you act. Attributes may be raised by filling their own tracker (1 tick every time you fail).
I am loving the look, though I must express the thought you may have some wasted space on the left. However, if everything is simpler, you may not have need for some of that space.
Brandon Perkins managed to make space for notes at the bottom by moving name and items to the left, and moving traits and harm upwards 😉
Update! 😀
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Q46ZCdwTAZSQKv8im0T_6aM38CwS6wmH9rPtH8BeY2xlVfdT0moCmrhuaBYmoaDLs3nlMdkNwZgjeuhBDq4HXkGc-DffIYKn0Rw=s0
Dogs in the Vineyard meets Call of Cthulhu in Kwaidan?!? You’ve sold me. Too bad I’m already busy playing an Inquisitor hack somebody made. 🙂
Kai Poh I have no idea who that may be 😛
Nice!
The watermarks for the attributes look great, but I’m wondering if they’d be less clear operationally. I can see people writing on either side of them instead of over them. I would. OTOH, there isn’t that much to keep track of, so maybe it wouldn’t be confusing in actual play.
Blake Hutchins I have tried printing the sheet, and I think keeping the initial letter on one side may work as well. Like, a “P:” for Prowess. Of course, Insight not being centered hurts my OCD a lot.
I get it. I’ve done graphic design, so I completely understand the pull of the aesthetic.
Very cool! Intrigued about the traits. Are they a replacement for actions?
Trent Whilden traits can grant you +1d if useful on action and reaction rolls. GM may give you -1d if trait is hindering you.
Example: when moving stealthily, Furtive is helpful while Impetuous is problematiche. They do not stack (you rarely roll more than 2 dice, and have to work hard to roll 4). Ki works like stress. Traits are gained or lost based on whether you act against them or focus on using them (the characters are constantly evolving)
Nice new look. Much cleaner. When do you thin you will have your variant rules and setting kit up?
Brandon Perkins that’s a very interesting (read: daunting) question. The rules kit is pretty minimal, but the product needs a lot of work, in three main areas:
– artwork. Heaven knows I want this to look beautiful.
– setting. Part of this is writing and worldbuilding, but a whole lot of effort is going towards language checking, functional maps, and a believable “alternate Japan” that has its own history.
– SRD compatibility. Kurenai no Sakura will be its own product, and as such I have to make sure it fits the SRD parameters.
Overall, a QuickStart or demo might be available soon-ish, but the full-fledged book still requires time (and I am also working on another RPG + seeking employment at the moment).