JP On Gaming

Saturday, March 28, 2026

[Response] Jacob's comments on Ozaka

Jacob posted this on DrivethruRPG: (paragraph breakdown is mine since DT removed all line breaks).

So, some constructive criticism... I saw your game at MidSouthCon (I was one of the two who couldn't make it to your morning game!) and decided to take a look at your game even if I couldn't be in it. Me 'n my BF have been reading through it, and we have a few thoughts.

My BF has phrased it the most bluntly: Ozaka needs to commit more to either being Classic Japan But With DnD Fantasy, or being Wild Dungeon-Crawl Fantasy In Magical Demiplane Japan. You have the basis for either of those, but there are a few things that keep either idea from soaring. If you want to feel like old-school Japan, you've taken out too much of the interesting parts of old Japan for them to pop. I understand not wanting to burden players with honor or bushido, but... really, suddenly having to care about another culture's social mores that you haven't internalized would make some great gameplay, which is why L5R focused on that.

Likewise, trying to feel like this period of Japan also blocks the "oh by the way Magic Missile and Cure Light Wounds are abundant" weirdness of it. I know you don't like characters that are inherently "scary" or would cause friction with the locals, but it feels extremely weird that warlocks get a pass when they're seemingly on the supply side of Ozaka's monster problem. If you really don't want to engage with old social mores or social constructs (the lack of the state religions really jumped out at my BF as something that made the game feel very not-like-Japan), I'd advise a revision of the game leaning into the fantasy-weirdness and making something less historically Japanese but more bizarre and exciting: "the demiplane of Hong Kong and all its precariously dangerous politics" would make for an exciting smaller-scale 5e setting whether the characters were locals or visitors.

If you want to really engage with Japan-but-it's-5e, I'd advise excising the more Euro-Fantasy classes (...mostly the non-bard magic-users) and relying on your homebrew casters to help convey the feeling of a world that isn't just not-Europe.

The overall presentation of the game is good and you've got some good art and functional layout. I am, admittedly, also not a fan of 5e, so seeing your game work with 5e-isms instead of break out from them frustrates me a little. You have the start of something really cool here, and I'd love to see it bloom outward into something that really draws eyes across a crowd.


Thanks, Jacob. A lot to unpack here.

TLDR: I took a middle-of-the-road approach, but whenever I had a choice, I picked that “let the GM decide for his/her game.” Also, I tried to be cognizant of future class/player options that may come in later books.


First off, thanks for your purchase and feedback.

Second, you will have an opportunity to try the adventure at Gencon (search for "Legacies First Ones Entertainment") when the games become available. It'll be called "Fiends of Dreams," but there will be 3 other adventures set in Ozaka: "A Stolen Daisho," "Friends we make," and "Battle of Shiro Azaki."

The points you note about 5e-isms and the design of the settings are among the elements I had to determine early on as I laid the foundation for Ozaka. Do I write my own game or use 5e (or Pathfinder or GURPS)? The decision to go with core 5e was a deliberate one (driven by sales and game attendance). Which brought some oddities and 5e-isms with it, I agree. But do they detract from the enjoyment of the game? I think moreso while reading the book than when playing.

HOWEVER, if you look at the design of the book itself and skip the sections on character options/ monsters, you will find that the setting itself was written in a non-system-specific way. (Also deliberate). As such, the setting itself has no stat or system built into it.

I don't want to create a full game - don't have the time, people, or interest in doing that. So that decision has worked well for me and for FOE. As I write more and more, I find my role is to provide YOU, the GM, with the tools to create a compelling campaign for your table. Which WILL be different from another table. And that’s fine

That’s great!

The Honor system... Ha... Yes... I wrestled with that more than anything else. Being a fan of the original Oriental Adventures and of L5R (where that is less burdensome), I remember its system for honor, which became almost a mini-game in itself, with everything the player did adding +1, -2, +3, etc. I like the game to focus on... It inevitably led to its abandonment, or seppuku. And going back to “regular D&D where I don’t have to deal with that crap.”

Let the PCs do [stuff], rather than count beans for every off-colored joke or thinking of a dishonorable plan. Samurai were honorable, but also practical men. Let the world/story deal with the consequences of their acting like bandits, burning towns, stealing from temples, and the world around them treating them like garbage for it. Therefore, I chose this "light" system.

Okay, okay.

"But JP, you don't have a system for honor," you say. I admit. I present the concept, but let the story dictate how it's used. I prefer the less rigid approach to the rules (where my old-school roots shine through), and let the players do their thing - but now they have to worry about their honorability. I chose to place the onus of adjudication in the GM’s hands and to dictate the consequences.

Now... for "realism" vs "magic missile." I have spent years trying to create material historical gaming, and experience taught me that most people want to PLAY and don't want a HISTORY LESSON. As proof: The GURPS historical supplements are great. I have several of them that I read regularly. Whoever played them? No one. (Not sorry to the one guy who played it). Why? Because people have a passing knowledge of these subjects, and when they come to play RPG, they want the Japan-flavored D&D. Not the full-on Japan where the GM must spend 1h of the game slot explaining how it works, but that doesn't factor into the GAME.

I do.

Players don’t. They want to do “cool things.” (and they should be given the opportunity to do that.)

You are 100% correct that warlocks should be hunted. However, there are several types of warlocks that don’t deal with fiends or Cthulhu. There are some with angelic or divine ties. Would those be treated the same? How would the average person know of the pact vs a sorcerer? Or a strange type of bard? What happens if a daimyo is a warlock? Or one who becomes one? Or his wife? Would it be the same in Kobochi, Makida, or Midori? What about the Wakou?

Again. That leads to “the GM will decide for his campaign,” the story, and story potential dictating what should happen.

About the state religion. It is in there, perhaps not explicitly stated as such. The 5 gods of the pantheon (plus the Thousand Gods) are the only deities presented and discussed in the book.

I do not mind scary characters, don’t look at anything with the First Ones... (Power is Fickle, Tarsyn, Akhamet). What I mind are characters/players who have whole side-games designed around them. For example, the rogue who sneaks everywhere and never works with the party. Or the player who plays an orc just to get the NPCs to react to him. EVERY NPC.

Now, I’d LOVE to talk to you more about this. You can find my email on FoeLegacies.com (I can’t post it here). We can zoom/discord/phone. I’d like to hear about your idea for the Hong Kong setting…

I think I addressed everything. But let’s talk. I wanna pick your brain.

JP

Thursday, March 26, 2026

After Action Report: Midsouthcon 41 in Memphis TN

Midsouthcon 41 is in the books. ActionMan and I headed out Friday afternoon to get settled and be ready ahead of time. Since, the con took place in a new, different, hotel. We settled, and headed to the con.

Friday evening, I participated in two panels: one about horror RPGs and one on character background, and I sat in on a few others.

The Horror panel went really well as we discussed how to succeed at doing horror in RPGs, and noted several types of horror that does not work on the tabletop. Freddy Krueger comes to mind.

My "Background" panel didn't happen since no one came. Sad. However, I talked with my fellow panelists about my Four Questions background.

Before the panels, I realized that I lost my notebook. The one where I put in all my notes (for the panels) but also in which I practiced my maps drawings and adventure making. I was in something of a panic, but following my panels, I ran to Con Operations and some kind soul had returned it. Wooo!

At the end of the evening, I spent time on Pro-Row and got to speak with Buddy Katie from Star Pod Trek and the USS Athena. Always a pleasure to talk to them and about potential projects. We keep meeting at cons and it is always a pleasure.

Meanwhile, ActionMan played a game of Vaesen. He seemed to have a great time of it. He didn't tell me much, other than he made "a few bad rolls" and things went bad for him.

We slept.

Well HE slept. His freight-train snoring kept me up most of the night!

Saturday morning, we got a quick McD breakfast and headed to the RPG room. I ran the Gencon Ozaka adventure, then the Gencon Tarsyn adventure, this time to finalize them (I had play-tested them previously). This play-test confirmed how my changes were real good. I found a few oddities that requires clarifying, but the flow issue I had were now resolved!

ActionMan played some 5e and Call of Cthulhu (IIRC) during the day.

After that, both ActionMan and I played more Vaesen. I played one and he played another. The game is fun, definitely something I would be willing to play one-shots or at cons. I'm not sure if I'd be interested in playing this in a campaign or even less likely: run it myself.

We hit the room, he snored, I kept waking.

Sunday, we hit the road, stopped at a Waffle House in Dickson TN before making it home.

We both had a great time at MSC and plan on going back next year.

Monday, March 2, 2026

[Kinda Book Review] Dragonlance: The Inheritance

I picked up a several cheap book in the bargain bin of my local library.

It tells the tale of the meeting of Tanis Half-elven's parents. It's not an adventure novel. It's a romance.

It is full of filler Did you know the stonelands were dry? Because there's no water. There are rocks. No rivers. Because it's dry. There are caves. Caves without water. It's barren. The goblins live there. The hobgoblin has three villages. The goblin villages. Without water.

Now, to be honest, the one battle I read through was well written an interesting, but this is a book that spend so much time trying to explain the world around it because its premise is weak and limited. This should've been a short story.

I stopped reading it because I lost interest in the characters. I don't care for the poor kidnapped princess. Or the bandits. It's just... Pfffff Boring. Well-crafted but ultimately not something that's worth my time.

2/5.

The caves are dry. Because there's no water. With rocks. No stream. Not a single farm. In the Stoneland where it's dry. With the three goblin villages.

Sunday, March 1, 2026

[Kinda Book Review] Dragonlance Tales v3 Love and War

This is a collection of ten tales set in Dragonlance is a mixed bag. I believe the best tale is the first one. The headline tale, "Raistlin's Daughter" left me indifferent.

One thing this collection brought up is that the characters from the original Chronicles: Tas, Flint, Sturm, and Raistlin, have had so many tales told about them that we know they have plot armor. No matter how much a story puts any of them in danger will I ever really worry for their lives.

As a collection, it's a mixed bag. Not great.

Rating? 2/5. Read the first tale, and skip the rest.

Saturday, February 28, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 28] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

Is there anything we should know before we head home?

Running this campaign has been quite entertaining - though the main reason is my players. Their participation, interests, and especially, their creativity, make this campaign definitely unique.

Friday, February 27, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 27] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

Do you have any amusing anecdotes from the campaign?

Of course:
- Vulcanus smashing a stone stelae revealing a bound balor within.
- When Grimnak turned from a gnoll to a demonic version of himself.
- Terrificus grabbing Queen Livia's chest.
- When Dame Sabine arrived and half the party began to drool.

Thursday, February 26, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 26] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

Are there any dramatic events from the campaign you can share?

The biggest recent event was the assault on the Tower of St Edras by Grinmak The Bloody's gnoll army. The warlord allied himself with the Black Widow and used several allies, including goblins, troglodytes and enslaved people chained together.

The massive battle ended with the gnolls getting beaten back with severe damage to the Tower.


Wednesday, February 25, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 25] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

Where can I do some shopping?

Commerce in Darveshnagar is mostly done through the Bazaar of the Twelve Arches run by Faridun and his family. The bazaar is open during the day, but is closed at night.

Faridun maintains contacts with several people in Tarsyn, Darveshnagar, and the hinterlands, to allow for the movement of goods, serving as an intermediary.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 24] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

What are the major imports to the area?

Darveshnagar has a tenuous access to food and weapons. This are in high demand.

Since population is low, soldiers and mercenaries are in high demands.

Monday, February 23, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 23] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

What are the major exports of the region?

Darveshnagar has fields of flax and exports both its flour and textiles.

Sunday, February 22, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 22] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

Tell us about notable flora and fauna!

Near Darveshnagar, two forests exists: The Pistaccio Woods and the Juniper Woods.

Otherwise, most of the area is home to hearty bushes and the occasional olive trees. Otherwise, dry grasses are found everywhere, serving as fodder for the goats.

The area is home to many goats, horses, and camels.

Saturday, February 21, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 21] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

What are the major organizations of the campaign? How do they deal with visitors?

There are four main organizations active in the Campaign.

The Crown Table is present in the campaign, led by the First One Sir Garrick of the Order of the Whip. Since the Knights of St Edras made an official alliance, Dame Sabine de Montrevault serves as liaison to the group.

Another organization are the Komnenoi, a mercantile alliance led by Alexion Phokas, who was the last Truskan Viceroy of Tarsyn.

The third group is led by the Order of St Argent, an order of knighthood promoting the Vespianic Church.

The final group is composed of several criminals and bandits. The PCs have faced a few times, but not as a faction.

Friday, February 20, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 20] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

Are there any mysteries as yet unsolved?

Ysoria la Voilee

The PCs have no idea of the goals or nature of Ysoria La Voilée.

There are hags in the area the PCs have yet to follow up on.

What are Claudia's true aim and goal?

Grimnark the Bloody's true nature?

Thursday, February 19, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 19] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

Any 'Must See' sites?

The city of Tarsyn is a sight to behold.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

[Campaign Challenge 2026, Day 18] RPG Campaign Tour Challenge

Forgot to ask: How do we get around?

Walking is the best way. However, riding is possible on the roads and closer to Darveshnagar.

Frequent caravans with wagons come from Mehrengar to the east regularity.