混 Konsei ReiyotanStatic web edition · v1.3.3
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English edition v1.3.3

#GM Assembly Guide — Making One Session

Contents

A practical guide for assembling one Konsei Reiyotan session in the order of goal, battlefield, enemies, and rewards.

#Purpose of This Document

This document does not explain rules so much as provide the order for actually preparing a session.

Konsei Reiyotan session prep usually ends in the following six steps.

  1. Set the session's central problem in one line.
  2. Set the goal.
  3. Choose the battlefield.
  4. Choose the enemies.
  5. Set the rewards and hooks.
  6. Keep the documents you will reference during the session open.

#1. Start With a One-Line Logline

A good logline follows the form below.

Who / must stop, take, or protect what / and why must it happen now

Examples:

  • By the domain lord's order, the party must investigate disappearances of merchants on the mountain road.
  • Before the sealing rite ends, the party must defend the Core Zone altar.
  • Before war begins, the party must negotiate with a Dragon Palace envoy angered by smuggling.
  • Before the border gate opens, the party must cut off the Rear Zone supply unit.

#2. Write Victory Conditions as "Achieve," Not "Annihilate"

Konsei Reiyotan runs better with combat that has a clear objective than with combat where the goal is killing every enemy.

Examples of good victory conditions:

  • defend the bridge for 3 rounds
  • destroy the Core Zone altar
  • extract 2 prisoners
  • capture the commander alive
  • complete negotiations with a yoko
  • maintain the seal on the Spirit Realm gate

#3. Assemble the Battlefield in Three Layers

For a battlefield, you can usually combine the following three documents in order.

#Step 1: Choose a Basic Structure

  • narrow path
  • castle gate/passage
  • wide plain
  • forest edge
  • water/sea
  • Spirit-Realm interface

#Step 2: Add One Pressure

  • blockade
  • high ground
  • burning zone
  • poison mist
  • collapsing foothold
  • Core Zone melee

#Step 3: Take One Example Map Directly or Modify It

If this is your first time as GM, do not draw a map from scratch. Always pick the closest option from 30 Example Battle Maps, then change only its name and dressing.

#4. Encounter Design Is "Role Placement," Not "Strong Enemies"

For practical encounter design, look at the following four documents together.

Konsei Reiyotan combat does not become more interesting just because you raise numbers. It usually runs best when you mix the following roles.

  • Front Zone pressure
  • Rear Zone disruption
  • Core Zone objective holder
  • time pressure element

#Easiest Assembly Formula

#1st-Dan Intro Fight

  • Elite 1
  • Minion squad 1
  • Mob 4~6
  • narrow path or Front Zone/Rear Zone structure

#3rd~5th-Dan Standard Fight

  • Elite 1
  • Minion squads 2
  • Flank Zone disruption enemy 1
  • gimmick 1

#5th~7th-Dan Core Zone Fight

  • Elite 2, or Elite 1 + Veteran squad 1
  • Core Zone objective 1
  • time limit 1
  • spiritual pressure 1

#Lord-Grade Fight/Climax

  • Lord-grade 1
  • Elite 1~2
  • zone gimmicks 2
  • set the victory condition as sealing/retreat/destruction/escape

#5. Checklist for Natural Encounter Design

If you can answer the questions below when building a fight, that is usually enough.

  • What must the players achieve in this combat?
  • What are the enemies trying to protect, delay, or take?
  • Which zone is the key?
  • What happens after 3 rounds?
  • Are there both enemies that hold the Front Zone and enemies that shake the Rear Zone?

#6. Give Rewards as Numbers and Hooks Together

Rewards work well when they mix at least two of the following three.

  • gold
  • reputation/faction relationships
  • clues for the next story

For Konsei Reiyotan rewards, look at the following documents together.

#Safe Basic Form

  • 1-session one-shot: gold 3~10 + reputation 1 + hook 1
  • 2~3-session scenario: gold 10~30 + reputation 2~3 + equipment/information 1
  • 3-session-or-longer high difficulty: gold 30~80 + reputation + follow-up scenario asset

Use the post-combat d100 table as secondary rewards. Truly major equipment, Divine Treasures, and faction rewards are more stable when given as scenario-completion rewards.

#7. Session Prep Ends With 7 Documents

In practice, you only need to keep the following 7 documents open.

#8. Final Questions to Check Whether Prep Is Done

Before opening the session, prep is done if you can answer the four sentences below.

  • Why are the players in this scene?
  • What do the enemies want, and why are they fighting now?
  • Where is the key zone of this combat?
  • What changes within 3 rounds?

→ Next reading: co-08-09. GM Campaign Guide — Long-Term Play and Expansion