Author: David Chart
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Shinto, Jinja, and Kami
Shinto is a central element in the setting of Kannagara, but it is not well-known outside Japan. I aim to have the game itself introduce the necessary ideas in play, but for this development blog, I fear that short info dumps are unavoidable. Shinto is the practice of performing matsuri for kami, primarily at jinja.…
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Mechanical Philosophy
Kannagara is a tabletop roleplaying game, and therefore it has mechanics. Since I’ve already talked about the guiding ideas behind the game itself, I’d like to talk briefly about my approach to the mechanics. Anyone who is familiar with my work on Ars Magica will know that I lean towards mechanical systems that are quite…
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What Is Kannagara?
Kannagara is a table-top, pen & paper roleplaying game in which players portray people associated with a Shinto sacred space, who create and perform its rituals. They build relationships with the mundane and supernatural inhabitants of the area so that the sacred space, people, and spirits flourish, mysteries are solved, and wonders are both uncovered…
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Welcome to Kannagara
Welcome to Kannagara. Kannagara will be a modern fantasy roleplaying game set in contemporary Japan, drawing heavily on Shinto folklore, legends, and practices. I say “will be” because it is not yet written; I will talk about the design on this blog, and hope that the readers of the blog will make comments about the…
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“Right Wing”
In mid-December, a new right wing government was elected in Japan. Some people have even described it as “far right”. So, now it’s in office, what has it done? The first concrete policy announcement was a Â¥20 trillion (about $200 billion) spending package to boost the economy, with an emphasis on public works, such as…
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Server Troubles
I’ve been having some problems with my server. First, I was massively over quota because of the archives of the development mailing lists I run for Ars Magica. As part of the solution to that problem (which was my fault, although it took tech support about five attempts to work out where the files taking…
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Happy New Year!
I think it’s 2013 for just about everyone who reads this blog now, so happy new year! We’ve had an easy day at home, and visiting the local shrine for the traditional New Year’s Day visit. Mayuki got a new year’s present from them, as well. I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and prosperous…
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Vaccination Stories
Today, Mayuki has to go for her first booster jab for her Japanese encephalitis vaccination. We hadn’t booked it, but there were slots today, so we made a quick appointment. First, however, we had to convince Mayuki that this was a good idea. She remembered last time, so she wasn’t initially enthusiastic, but after Yuriko…
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Merry Christmas
Once again, it is 8am on Christmas morning, the sky is blue, Mount Fuji is visible in the distance, and Mayuki is still asleep. She was really excited last night, and put her stocking on the top of the bed, but now she is sound asleep. The presents have been building up under the tree…