Hey Folks --
Well, Orion's input was interesting -- but after the fact, as in order to make sure it was taken care of, I went over to the Dornemans' new abode on Saturday and we took care of business!
Funny he should mention monks though -- the new character HAS spent some time training in the unarmed combat arts, but primarily his time spent at the monastery was for honing his physical and mental discipline. He has a small amount of monk training; note that some monkish abilities ARE usable while wearing armor, for instance unarmed strikes can be taken, also evasion for a monk works in light armor or less and not carrying a medium or heavy load -- but while wearing armor, which the character does appear to do, he does not get his WIS bonus to AC.
Most of the feats Steve selected were of the sort that simply modify specific rolls or game statistics, or enable specific actions without having to worry about more options than normal. And I suspect Steve can master the combat options fairly easily. :-)
Okay, within the game framework -- High Lord Mirumoto Sanjen has a request. His nephew, Mirumoto Kabuto, has asked for permission to accompany your group on its adventures!
As his nephew is a credit to the Mirumoto, currently training in the secret arts of the Niten Master, and as he has always shown the greatest respect for tradition and family, High Lord Sanjen asks that Kabuto to be allowed to accompany the Imperial Miya Hatori and his various and sundry companions as a representative of the Dragon Clan, or at least as a representative of the Mirumoto. He is certain that Kabuto will not disgrace the Mirumoto or yourselves, and that you will find him a fine addition to your ranks, should you choose to give him a place within your company...
Kabuto is Samurai, with some training as a Monk as is appropriate for a Dragon Clan samurai, and as noted has begun training in the ancestral school of the Mirumoto Niten Master, the School of Two Swords. He is approximately 5'9" and over 180 lbs, wears a mithril chain shirt with well made dastanas, proudly bears his ancestral daisho as well as a fine mighty daikyu, and rides a sturdy gray mare named Cloud.
Steve --
Feel free to elaborate on your description for the benefit of your fellow players! Now some stuff for you...
Cloud is a light warhorse with 25 hit points (a little above average for a light warhorse). Cloud's natural speed is 60', carrying a light load of up to 230 lbs; a medium load of 231-460 lbs would reduce her natural speed to 40', a heavy load of 461-690 lbs. would reduce her speed to that same 40' but would also mean she would Run (a full round action that just moves, without taking care to be normally defensive) at only 3x her speed rather than 4x her speed. (3.0 PHB page 113, table for barding indicates reduced speeds for loads carried...)
As a good-luck parting gift, your uncle presents you with a set of
masterwork studded leather barding for Cloud. (Actual value only 250
go, but hey, it looks nice -- the studs all have little Dragon Clan
symbols on them...) This is light armor, and due to its masterwork
quality does not give Cloud an armor check penalty to any of her skills
(not that she has any ranks in any DEX-based skills, but if she has to
make an untrained balance check or something there will be no penalty),
nor does it slow her down -- unless the total weight she is carrying
puts her up to a medium load, which is likely, but it is probably worth
getting the extra +3 AC for her, and you probably wanted to carry enough
gear plus your own weight so that you might have brought her to a medium
load anyway. The barding weighs 40 lbs, the war saddle weighs 30 lbs.,
the bit and bridle 1 lb., the (empty) saddlebags 8 lbs, for a total she
normally carries on her own of 79 lbs. plus anything you put in the
saddlebags... That plus your own weight even before your items will put
her in the 231-460 lb. range, but the 40 lbs for the barding probably
doesn't make the difference. So figure natural speed of 40' before any
magical effects might apply...
Cloud has the following other stats:
Initiative = +1 (but normally acts on your initiative as your direct her. as part of your turn)
AC = 17 (-1 size, +1 DEX, +4 natural, +3 masterwork studded leather barding)
(Flatfooted AC = 16, Touch AC = 10)
Attacks = 2 hooves at +4 to hit, d4+3 each, and 1 bite at -1 to hit, d3+1 (all criticals 20/x2)
(If only making a single attack, just uses one hoof at +4, d4+3)
Size = 5' wide by 10' long (you are considered sitting on the back 5' section)
Reach = 5' (she can attack into any adjacent square)
Special Quality = Scent (she can notice stuff by smell)
Saves = Fortitude +6, Reflex +4, Will +2
STR 16, DEX 13, CON 17, INT 2, WIS 13, CHA 6
Skills = Listen +7, Spot +7 (she may well be more aware of her surroundings than you are)
Alignment = Neutral
As for yourself, I forgot to mention, you have one set of clothes for free, appropriate to your station -- a courtier's outfit (less ostentatious than a nobles outfit -- appropriate for a samurai retainer type) -- which essentially has no encumbrance for you but does count as 6 lbs of encumbrance as far as Cloud is concerned. You also have a monk's outfit, a simple set of clothing from your days at the monastery, which you can wear while getting your fancy clothes washed or whatever -- it weighs 2 lbs, and can probably be easiily stowed in your saddlebags.
Also, one suggestion for your skill list -- you might want to assign one rank to the skill Craft (Calligraphy) -- you could take it out of something else that you have enough in. That would allow you to write stuff in an elegant hand, at slightly better than just an untrained check -- and we know you like to be able to call yourself trained at the stuff you do... :-)
And finally, one thing I forgot to go over was languages. You speak Drakaran as your native language of course, and you get one additional language at the start of play for your initial +1 INT bonus. You may select one of the following: bakemono, buso*, draconic*, korobokuru, giant (the language of ogres and oni), hengeyokai, kappa, nezumi, spirit tongue, tasloi*, tengu, vanara, yeti*, yuan-ti*. (Those I marked with a * are spoken by rare creatures who are unlikely to be encountered in or near your home province -- that includes draconic because dragons are simply extremely rare, but the Dragon Clan does have a tradition of keeping the tongue alive as a spoken language at the monasteries, though only a few choose to learn it.) You are literate in any languages you speak, even if they have different modes of writing.
I think that covers everything, but I might have forgotten something else, who knows? As for cash, we both know that you have been being supported by your lord and have no actual coins to call your own -- hopefully your new leader will be taking care of provisions etc.! :-)
-- Ernie III / DrakaraGM