The Obojima Podcast the Blog | Episode 18: Mastering Sword Schools and Legendary Feats

This blog post was made using dictation summary software, and posted for SEO purposes. If you really want to know what this episode is about, check out the full episode here: https://youtu.be/rJqAJ4xuhF8?feature=shared

Greetings and salutations! To quote the mighty Keanu from every movie he's ever been in (except possibly Bram Stoker's Dracula): "Whoa-whoa-WHOA-Bojima! Welcome to the Whoa-Bojima Podcast! We're doing it! Amazing! Radical! And we know how to swordfight! Whoa!" 

Excellent.

And now let's dive deep into the creative process of creating Obojima: Tales from the Tall Grass. But first things first, let’s meet our intrepid crew of writers:

Jeremiah Crofton - The Creative Director of 1985 Games and the creator of Obojima

Ari Levitch - Head Writer

Adam Lee - Head Writer

Sword Schools: Philosophy, Style, and Mastery

This episode slashes deep into the world of Obojima’s sword schools, exploring three schools in particular: Torov and Boulder, Tellu and Scale, and the Diver’s Lodge and Laman Salt schools. Each school has its own philosophy, style, and admission requirements, giving players unique ways to engage with combat, training, and the broader story.

Torov and Boulder

Known for their brutal, incapacitating style, Torov and Boulder emphasize teamwork and precision. Feats like head strike, torso strike, and leg strike allow students to hinder enemies with calculated penalties and effects—stackable leg strikes, for example, slow opponents without ever reducing movement below 10 feet. Admission is tough: students must prove themselves against formidable challenges, like subduing a beast without killing it, and are typically expected to be at least third level.

The team noted that the school’s feats encourage cooperative gameplay: reducing an enemy’s speed allows other party members to capitalize, highlighting the school’s roots in monster hunting and group tactics. Torov and Boulder themselves are strict, no-nonsense figures with deep ties to regional defense, leaving room for DMs to introduce adventure hooks like corruption or hidden agendas.

Tellu and Scale

Tellu and Scale’s school focuses on versatile weapons and fluid combat stances, blending one-handed and two-handed fighting for maximum effect. Tellu, likely a Nakadama with a joyful approach to combat, pairs with Scale, a human warrior who lost an arm to a sea monster named Scale—creating a story of loss, gain, and resilience.

Training challenges are rigorous: students may break through sand walls or master swimming and diving feats, all rooted in the coastal environment. Feats are designed for versatile weapons specifically, maintaining mechanical and narrative integrity, and acquisition is limited to higher-level characters pursuing specialized paths.

Diver’s Lodge and Laman Salt

These schools focus on collaboration and weapon mastery. Diver’s Lodge, a small school of ten students, emphasizes synchronized training with group-based moves. Laman Salt, perched high on Mount Arbora, challenges students to forge their own weapons after completing intensive training, integrating ceremonial rituals and choices from dozens of metal types. The process is both physically demanding and symbolically rich—students prove worth through quests or acts of service, connecting weapon mastery to justice, authority, and self-restraint.

The team explored whether forging should grant a feat, a magical sword, or both, leaving flexibility for DMs to determine rewards. These schools highlight Obojima’s philosophy that true mastery comes from practice, understanding, and engagement with the environment, echoing narratives like Thor’s hammer or Excalibur.

Player Choice and Narrative Integration

Across all schools, players can pick styles and feats aligned with their character concepts. Choices are meaningful: one school favors monster hunting, another helping people; one emphasizes teamwork, another individual prowess. Masters’ personalities—from strict, impatient Torov and Boulder to joyful Tellu—shape the social dynamics players will encounter.

Feats, combat mechanics, and training challenges are designed to reward planning, cooperation, and strategic thinking. Students’ actions impact the region, reinforcing the schools’ role as active first responders and defenders against corruption. Adventure hooks abound: corrupt masters, unique monsters tied to school feats, and environmental challenges all offer rich storytelling potential.

Closing Thoughts

1. Sword schools in Obojima are rooted in practical monster-hunting experience.

2. Feats are designed to reward teamwork and strategy, with permanent benefits as optional DM-guided rewards.

3. Schools have strong regional ties, influencing local defense and the history of rangers.

4. Masters are tough but noble, enforcing discipline while shaping students’ skills and values.

5. Player choice is central: different philosophies and playstyles create varied narrative experiences.

6. Keanu really did work hard on his English accent in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Look it up.

Check out the full episode here: https://youtu.be/rJqAJ4xuhF8?feature=shared