Und es gibt Kung-Fu.
Einen sog. neuen External Style.
External Kung Fu: Grey Dusk Style
Saber, Sword
Qualities
This style emphasizes economy of motion and heartless cruelty. To master it one must suppress all strong emotion, making one's heart as grey as the dusk. The movements of this style look at times deceptively slow, but they mask a practitioner waiting for the precise moment to make a short, devastating strike. The self-discipline required of this styles makes it unpopular with common mercenaries, instead it finds its favor with the most cold-hearted of professional killers, and has a concomitantly evil reputation.
Laughs At
The Grey Dusk laughs at furious and energetic opponents, because its cold nature calmly smothers and dissipates their power. Styles that focus on speed are likewise easy prey to the Dusk, for the deceptive slowness tricks them into quickly making a mistake – it doesn’t matter who strikes first, only who strikes last.
Fears
The Grey Dusk fears fluid, adaptive styles which can handle both the slow feints and swift strikes equally well. Attacks that strike from a distance are also problematic because the slowness is deceiving when viewed up close but more easily figured out when seen from a broader point of view.
Statistics
Speed: +0
Footwork: +5
Strike: +10
Damage: +10
Block: +5
Toughness: +5
Techniques:
Dazzling With Slowness and Illusion (4)
You artfully display a false sense of weakness, tricking and drawing in your enemies. But where they perceive flaws they will actually meet skill and power.
* You may make a Finesse check as a Minor Action on the initiative roll. This style’s Block and Toughness bonuses are +10 against all strike and combat effect results against you, unless the attacker includes a Wu Wei skill check as a Minor Action during the attack that equals or exceeds your Finesse result.
Fading Light (5)
You harden your resolve and take on a mindset like a blade. Cold and hard, sharp and uncaring.
* Any roll that creates a passion chi condition or an inspiration chi condition on you suffers a -5 penalty and you have a +5 bonus to recover from such conditions. This benefit extends even outside of combat, unless reason dictates you’re not subconsciously using your Grey Dusk kung fu.
Heartless Grey Immortal (5)
Your sublime blade, eager for bloodshed, infallibly pursues your enemies like a divine punishment.
* You may Flood one die from the River after making an attack roll. If you do, you may reroll one of your dice, with an additional die allowed if your style laughs at the opponent or if their style fears yours (for a total of up to three rerolled dice if both are true).
Night Sweeping Over the Great Plains (2)
When the sun fades the entire world is left in darkness. Like the world-spanning night your blade spares nobody, scattering men like autumn leafs.
* All your attacks count as Area attacks for the purpose of damaging groups of Minions.
Sun Devourer (4)
Your dispassionate blade cuts away light and life alike. When all hesitation is severed from your heart, this style reveals its true sharpness. So fearsome and merciless does your weapon move that it eclipses the light, a soaring arc of steel and shadow!
* This style’s Damage bonus increases to +15, unless you’ve got a passion chi condition, an inspiration chi condition, or a Disorient or Disrupt effect that can be seen as emotional turmoil.
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So let's analyze this one step at a time.
External styles don't cost chi but you can only use one at a time. They have all sorts of modifiers and effects, so if you know more than one you can switch from one style to another in between rounds. This allows you great adaptive power.
Qualities, Laughs and Fears form a system where one style can hold a definite advantage over another based on the descriptions. I could've made a table that says, "cross-reference Style X vs. Style Z to find out your situational modifiers" but that is boring, time-consuming and not well suited for a game where new kung fu (official and otherwise) will be added later on.
Instead you have these descriptions. In some cases it's obvious that you're at a (dis)advantage but sometimes not so much. In these cases you can use descriptions and minor actions to claim the relevant bonuses anyway. For example, say a style fears "overwhelming force" or something. Does your jian count? When in doubt, probably not. Ah! But what if you add a minor action on your attack to shatter a wall and charge down together with the rubble? Then it would count! It's like playing Rock, Paper, Scissors... except that scissors can totally kill the rock with a stunt.
Statistics are passive bonuses you get simply for using that particular kung fu style. Weapons supplement these bonuses but your style is more important than your tool.
Techniques are extra abilities you can purchase that give you more options or improve the style. The number in parentheses is the destiny cost. You must be using the external kung fu in question in order to use any of its techniques.
I chose to use this style because it sounded fun and I easily come up with several techniques that showcase various aspects of the system. Feel free to use it in an actual game but keep in mind that this is not playtested material.
Und einen Internal Style. Die funktionieren ähnlich, wie die beim Vorgänger.
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Internal: Three Kings
Originally called the Star-Crown-of-Morning Kung Fu, this style was practiced by the greatest of kings, Ying Zheng, the First Emperor himself. Originating in the Zhou Dynasty, this kung fu is old and proven in its power – one of the exalted sword styles of Shen Zhou! In this modern age, however, it is only rarely taught, as the few independent sifu who could teach it slowly die off. This kung fu’s techniques all shine with distinction – they are the unity of will and action, and are always impressive to watch in their speed and grace.
Basic Technique:
1: Left-Right Ren Stroke
Your assaults flow naturally from your intent, unhindered by mortal concerns.
* Your attack may ignore up to 10 total points worth of penalties.
Advanced Techniques:
2: Divine Dragon Speed
Your inner power transforms your movements, making them deft and confident.
* You have a +10 bonus to Speed.
2: Ordering the Constellations
All things have a natural shape and progression. Your mastery of the natural order is such that you can guide events towards a tranquil state with least resistance.
* You have a +10 bonus to any action to break a Wave.
2: Peerless Skill
This technique expresses the utmost talent of the practitioner, seizing all opportunities that occur and creating them where needed.
* You can perform a single minor action this roll that is based on a single die, instead of needing a set.
2: Wall of Unassailable Blades
Lightly and without effort, you turn back the assaults of your enemies.
* You have a +10 bonus to Block.
3: Golden Invulnerability
The First Emperor was blessed with good fortunes and robust health. This technique makes your aura glow with a majestic yellow light that wards against all harm.
* You have a +10 bonus to your Chi Aura.
3: Harmony-of-Principles
This technique hides your weapon in the shadow of your opponent’s – no matter what it may be! Unseen and inscrutable, your attacks become mysteries to your opponents.
* Your attack may not include any Marvels; your weapon must move so precisely that you must stick to the basics.
* You reverse the usual order of rolling and declaration: your opponent must first roll a defense and only afterwards do you have to make the attack. This also lets you delay choices such as whether to use certain techniques or the River.
3: Sun Guided by Stars
This unusual technique is more scholarly wisdom than a true martial knack but its power is nevertheless respected by even the crudest minds. You perceive what is most auspicious and move in that fashion, allowing the flow of destiny to guide you. Mortal shortcomings are meaningless when compared to the will of Heaven!
* You ignore up to 20 total points worth of penalties caused by Marvels, techniques or chi conditions.
4: Four-Armed Heaven-Blade Stance
A masterful technique that blends shadow and light to create illusory duplicates of your weapon. It makes it look like you are attack with four weapons simultaneously – thus making an unstoppable onslaught in all directions that no opponent can easily survive unscathed.
* This attack is an Area Attack. People struck by it suffer one additional Ripple.
4: Glowing Cloud of Heaven
When invoked, your weapon seemingly makes so many strikes that it melts into an endless cloud of metallic light before your opponent, baffling his eyes and wits, forcing him to recoil from the torrent of feints and strikes.
* You have a Secondary Strike. Both the secondary and the main attack have a +10 Strike bonus.
5: Thousand Blossoming Flowers
The crowning glory of Three Kings kung fu, this technique allows you to invoke the strength of your virtues to overwhelm your enemies!
* Choose one of the following five effects;
* Ba: You have a Damage bonus equal to five times your Force score.
* Kuan: If the attack hits the target loses an amount of normal chi equal to your Benevolence score.
* Xin: Your opponent’s defense roll doesn’t benefit from an amount of benevolent joss up to your Honor score.
* Yi: Your attack ignores an amount of malicious joss up to your Righteousness score.
* Zhong: Your attack may target a number of opponents equal to your Loyalty score.
* Additionally, you may boost this technique. For every 2 additional points of chi you spend you may choose one extra effect, up to a maximum amount of total effects equal to your Rank.
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Whoa! Where did all these extra techniques come from?!
Well you see, in WotG styles always had a very strict linear progression. Sometimes this meant that learning one style gave you certain options that were also present in another style, making that second one far less attractive to learn. We wanted to avoid this issue, especially now that the default chi is 'colorless'.
So we present the internal styles like this, with multiple options on several levels. Different teachers will teach different variations of styles, because they naturally develop over time or because somebody just happened to invent a very similar kung fu style. (The very first and last techniques are still set in stone though, being the core and the apex of the style's philosophy.)
So while this looks like just one simple style, in your actual game it can represent up to 24 mechanically distinct kung fu styles!
Examples:
"Jing Family Revised Three Kings"
Divine Dragon Speed
Harmony of Principles
Glowing Cloud of Heaven
"Southern Star of Morning"
Ordering the Constellations
Sun Guided by Stars
Glowing Cloud of Heaven
"Heavenly Swords Clan Style"
Peerless Skill
Harmony of Principles
Four-Armed Heaven-Blade Stance
Etc.
I chose to use this style because it's actually a rather good idea to showcase an old favorite that didn't get ported over in a new form. Also, I know that Argent is quite fond of Three Kings. Und noch ein Lore Sheet über eine Sekte, die beide Stile verbindet.
Loresheet: Royal Tomb Clan
Once there was a dynasty who ruled their kingdom harshly and in an unfair manner. Naturally Heaven frowned upon their unrighteous ways and they fell from power. The last king in the lineage fled into exile and meditated upon repentance. There he attained enlightenment and gathered up the last hidden members of his family and loyal servants. He taught them of humility and justice, heroes and kung fu. Shortly before he died he built himself a tomb whose walls were carved with his most important lessons. Foremost of these is the Humble Dawn, a family philosophy that teaches to seek hope before ambition, justice before pride.
The Royal Tomb Clan still exists, wandering heroes who seek to atone for the sins of their ancestors. But the authorities are fearful that these men and woman will one day be free of their burden and seek to reclaim their lost throne. Especially corrupt magistrates, knowing the threat these bringers of justice are to them personally, spread such rumors in court.
Righteous outlaws, hunted heroes… what fate awaits them?!
Loresheet Secret (0 destiny)
The Royal Tomb Clan are the masters of Three Kings kung fu and can teach all techniques rather than just one of each level.
Humble Dawn
Loresheet Secret (5 destiny)
You may obtain this secret technique only if you have learned the Three Kings style.
If you're in the Grey Dusk stance and use Left-Right Ren Stroke, your attack also has a +5 Strike bonus.
If you're in the Grey Dusk stance and use Four-Armed Heaven Blade Stance, the Area attack is automatically selective.
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Forgive my crappy excuse for a quick loresheet please.
Anyway, remember I said that one internal can represent up to 24 kung fu styles? Well that's not quite true... Certain factions can teach you all techniques of an internal. On top of that they have certain special benefits that increase the power of some techniques when used in conjunction with an external style.
This is the replacement of the Common/Uncommon system of WotG. You can mix and match techniques into various combinations to make "common" kung fu styles. And you can also seek out the true masters of the style and seek to learn their secrets that reveal the true power inherent in the techniques, making them "uncommon" styles. (LotW doesn't actually use that terminology, but it's the lingo you will understand.)
And that is that. Next time I'll make another video, this time explaining virtues, deeds and loresheets.
Weitere Infos:
- Es gibt keine Kampffertigkeiten mehr. Gelernt von D&D, möchte man meinen.
