Auf die Frage, ob es nach wie vor Chi-Farben gibt, gab es folgende Antwort:
Yes and no.
Per default, your chi is "colorless". A natural blend of all five elements, yin and yang, put together. Many people don't track five separate pools of chi but have just a single, bigger pool to work with. This is more in line with how chi seems to work in most source material. It also gets rid of the idea that you can neglect to train certain colors of chi because they're useless to you - increasing your chi should never feel useless. (Not to mention that it prevents situations where you're helpless because you've spent all your "useful" chi and are left without the ability to fuel your mojo, even though you still have several chi points left.)
But you can still refine your chi and gain access to one or more of the elemental chi types. If you want to specifically gain Wood Chi (it's not called Jade anymore) you can do so. But you should be aware that this comes with a price. Much like a chi condition, strengthening one of the elements to the point where it becomes a separate pool of chi is an imbalance. You will be changed. And yes, there's a Wood-aspected kung fu style that is particularly aided by Wood chi (and vice versa).
If people worry that this might reduce the tactical nature of the game's resource management, I can assure you that this isn't the case. You still have to worry about managing your chi in other ways, you have your rolled sets (Marvels and Waves) as well as other things we haven't talked about yet.
Dafür Bonuspunkte von mir.
Ebenfalls rausgeflogen ist die Einteilung in geläufige, ungeläufige und seltene KungFu-Stile.
Ein ziemlich langes Preview umfasst die Beschreibung von Verletzungen. Die hören sich für mich auch ganz interessant an.
Legends of the Wulin preview: injuries and other nasty things
It's a kung fu game and fights will hardly be an uncommon occurrence. We already knew very early on in development that we want fights to matter. They should have a definite impact and leave their traces upon you, beyond simply giving you a penalty to your breath.
There are two central concepts that are important here. Chi conditions and Ripples. (Yes, we continue with the water-themed mechanics. :p )
Chi conditions
If you're familiar with WotG you should already know much about these. But just the same, in a nutshell a chi condition is a persistent imbalance that encourages you to alter your behavior. If you've got an infection that robs you of your sight, that's a chi condition. But if somebody throws a handful of sand in your eyes that temporarily blinds you it's not a chi condition. Injuries are pretty much always chi conditions.
An important factor is that chi conditions won't impose their penalty if your actions and descriptions clearly show that you're affected by the condition. In other words, the penalty can be avoided. It's a death spiral that you can overcome with good roleplaying.
Another interesting factor is how this sits with the rest of the system. One scenario we had was that blood was trickling into the eyes of a fighter. As a minor action on his initiative he tore off a strip of cloth from his clothes and used it as a makeshift headband, keeping the blood from trickling into his eyes. That works. His behavior was altered by the condition so now he doesn't suffer from the penalty. But his enemies could now include a minor action on their own attacks to yank off the headband and so make the penalty return. Which they did, so the fight changed with a lot of snatching back and forth. Essentially his injury became like a secondary objective in the combat. That's far more memorable than simply saying "you are at the last health level".
Ripples
Most attacks that hit in a movie or comic don't actually seem to do much. A slap in the face here, a scratch on the arm there... and then all of a sudden he's stabbed in the heart. He might as well not have been scratched on the arm because in hindsight it didn't matter at all!
Well that's where Ripples come in.
A Ripple is not a tangible thing but a purely abstract mechanic. Any attack that hits leaves a Ripple (sometimes more than just one). They show that your opponent is hitting you and very soon you won't be OK anymore. But not just physical attacks leave Ripples, expert insults and supernatural assaults can also do that.
Every now and then a so-called Rippling roll will be called for. Then an amount of dice is rolled equal to the Ripple points you've gathered up and the result of the roll is used to create a chi condition. The Ripples aren't used up by this roll so things get more and more dangerous as the fight goes on. But you can never say for certain that a given roll will be harmless or devastating, it's all in the whim of the dice.
That's also why the name 'Ripple' is so appropriate. The more there are, the less tranquil the waters. And you can never quite tell where they will end up hitting the shores...
To illustrate that, say that a courtier throws terrible taunts at you, scoring several Ripples. Then he stabs you and also manages to force one of those Rippling rolls. You now make a check with all your Ripples. Yes, his past insults will make his sword more likely to wound you. Because those taunts were attacks which hit you. They got to you. You're losing your cool and your focus is off, delaying you by just that vital split second that spells the difference between a flesh wound and an artery. The reverse is also true. If the courtier stabs you for a bit and then goes back to taunting, the greater amount of gathered Ripples will make his verbal attacks more 'damaging'. It's much harder to ignore a taunt when the enemy is giving you a thrashing!
Ripples. You just don't know how they'll affect you. That guy I used as an example way above, the one who got stabbed in the heart? His ears were still ringing from that slap, his sword-arm felt like it was on fire. If he had been healthy he may have been able to deflect the attack that killed him. But those past injuries, that seemed so pointless, were his undoing even though they didn't impose any chi conditions of their own.
Two final remarks about this system.
First, there are many types of chi condition. But the attack that forces the Rippling roll limits the type you can create. Stabbing somebody with a sword will create an injury, not a curse. Using supernatural daoism can create a curse, not a prediction. Taunting somebody creates a passion, not an injury. (NB if you're really good you can somewhat bypass this, cursing or taunting people to death.)
Second, at the end of the fight everybody suffers one last Rippling check with a few special modified rules. Because fights change you and leave their marks. What's so unusual about this final roll is that it can potentially cause anything, unlike the limitation I just brought up.
It could be another injury. As you sit down, the adrenalin wears off and the shock sets in. Hmm... is that blood trickling down from underneath your armor? (Fun fact: this can actually kill you, if the final roll is good enough.)
But it could also be a passion. The last words of your victim tug a snare and you're overcome with remorse. What will you do? Give your hated enemy a proper burial, maybe vow to only fight for justice from now on? Or give up the sword altogether? Turn to Buddhism?
Or heck, a prediction. The old master sadly shakes his head and says your sword-style contains a fatal flaw that makes it useless against flowing opponents.
Thanks to this final roll, fights aren't simple expressions of violence. They can become pivotal plot points, expressive events that give us insight into the true character of a warrior, or foreshadowing elements!
Eine folgende Erklärung besagte dann, dass ein Rippling Roll mit einem besonders guten Angriff ausgelöst wird.
Und noch die Vorschau auf ein paar Organisationen:
The Hundred Ghost Faction
There is a forbidden valley in Shen Zhou, known as Lifeless Valley, the few live things that can grow there are twisted and sick, its entrance is marked by a run down gate, with the words "Hell Gate" at the top, commoners really believe that on the otherside lies the Otherworld, and that angry Ghost and Demons often come out to torment the living and punish them for their sins.
In reality lifeless valley is the headquarters of the Hundred Ghost Faction, an unorthodox Wulin Sect, formed by heroes and common people, who have lost everything, who have been victims of crimes, and atrocities that go on advanged, they have adandoned the ordinary world, and know exist in the borders between life and death, casting aside their old identities to become as avenging ghost and raging spirits, bringing justice to those who would escape it, and to avenge those who would go unavenged.
Thier unique Chi Conditions and Kung Fu, are based in becoming literally less human, and more ghost or demon like.
The man known as Gallant Eagle, came from unremarkable origins, so unremarkable that nothing about those days, not even his true name is know, what is known is that he always had a burning desire to become a great hero, a true legend of the Wulin.
Within a single lifetime he achieved something that very few have achieved trough generations, he took his organization from a simple security agency, to the foremos escort in all Shen Zhou and into one of the pillars of the Wulin, wherever people or goods need to be protected and transported the Eagle Talons, being a chaotic and dangerous world, means that their services are highly sought after and very well paid.
For many in the Wulin the Eagle Talons are little better than mercenaries, who would sell their strenght to the highest bider, yet the Gallant Eagle sees the talons as stalwart knights, guardians and protectors in a chaotic word, for the Eagle Talons their word is as valuable as the gold they charge, and every promise is an oath of honor, besides honor, they value loyalty as they know out there in the battlefield, comrades can only rely on each other.
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.
===============
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.
===============
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.
===============
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.
Es gibt ein lange versprochenes weiteres Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY5Nfoyy7ww
Dazu zur besseren Illustration einige Elemente aus SageGenesis' Kampagne, die - wie die präsentierten Kung-Fu-Stile - nicht im Buch auftauchen. Eine magische Waffe:
The Most Excellent Shining Edge
A heartless smith once was told there was another smith even more skilled than he, so he sought to create his ultimate masterpiece to prove his superiority over this rival. He sacrificed many young lives to construct it. Some people he killed so that he could grind the weapon’s edge with the curses spoken with their dying breath. Others he slew to test the effectiveness of his project. Much toil and much spilling of blood later, he had held up his finest weapon yet: a large gleaming axe shaped like a hawk in flight. His joy was short-lived: the weapon wrested free from his grasp and fell down, striking him in the neck and slaying him. This weapon tolerates only utmost excellence - and it knew that the rival smith was greater still.
Baseline weapon: massive
Fate: test the strength of others and destroy those found wanting
Glory:
5: +5 Strike
20: Brute Force: Channel 3 chi for a +5 Strike bonus and a +10 Damage bonus
25: +5 Speed
30: +5 Block
50: Severing Limbs: If The Most Excellent Shining Edge ever inflicts a Major wound condition you may choose to sever a limb. This functions similarly to disabling a limb normally through injury except that it can’t be cured without surgery and a Medicine check of at least Fantastic (60) difficulty.
Dazu einige Auführungen:
You'll have to forgive the crummy prose, this was just a proof of concept weapon I used to illustrate how the system works.
Now for some system notes.
Massive weapons are those with a heavy head upon a handle, such as hammers and axes. The base stats for a Massive weapon are these:
* +5 Damage
* If an attack with a Massive weapon is described in such a way that it is best Dodged instead of Blocked, the penalty to Block is -10 instead of -5.
* You may Flood one die from the River while you make the attack to ignore the target’s armor on any resulting Rippling roll.
Basically, massive weapons are pure destruction. They tear through any defenses trying to stop them.
So if you obtain The Most Excellent Shining Edge you have a Massive weapon. No more, no less. Have fun with it. But then you start picking fights with strangers and leave them crippled, destroying gangs just to see if you can, posing impossible riddles to so-called wise men (with them staking their necks upon their reputation), and generally making a complete asshole out of yourself. And then the weapon slowly but surely upgrades as it keeps gaining "glory" points and realizes its true potential. Fully upgraded your stats would be:
* +5 Speed
* +5 Strike
* +5 Block
* +5 Damage
* If an attack with The Most Excellent Shining Edge is described in such a way that it is best Dodged instead of Blocked, the penalty to Block is -10 instead of -5.
* You may Flood one die from the River while you make the attack to ignore the target’s armor on any resulting Rippling roll.
* Brute Force: Channel 3 chi for a +5 Strike bonus and a +10 Damage bonus
* Severing Limbs: If The Most Excellent Shining Edge ever inflicts a Major wound condition you may choose to sever a limb. This functions similarly to disabling a limb normally through injury except that it can’t be cured without surgery and a Medicine check of at least Fantastic (60) difficulty.
Of course, by this time you've made a lot of enemies...
Sowie einige transzendente Techniken:
The Righteous Storm
Way: Wolf-like instincts
This technique’s Mastery increases by 5 whenever you treat an important matter in a savage way that no civilized human would.
Mastery:
5: Might of the Pack: Whenever you perform a deed of Force, Honor, Ferocity, or Ruthlessness, you gain one point of cultivation towards your Wood chi.
10: Rage: Treat your total chi as if it were 3 points higher for the purposes of determining your chi threshold.
15: +5 Damage at all times
20: +5 Strike at all times
25: +5 Toughness at all times
35: Prey on the Weak: All your attacks count as Area attacks for damaging Minions.
40 +10 Damage at all times
45: +10 Strike at all times
50: +10 Toughness at all times
Heart of Evil
Way: Malevolence.
Whenever you perform a malicious Deed and your score in that virtue is 4 or higher, this technique’s Mastery increases by 5.
Mastery:
5: Red Moon’s Glare: Whenever you perform a malicious Deed and you score in the virtue is 3 or higher, you gain one point of cultivation towards your corrupt chi.
15: Heaven-Spurned Gentleman’s Way: You may spend one point of malicious joss beyond your normal joss limits.
30: Infinite Misfortunes: Whenever you perform a malicious Deed you may fill your entire River with 9s.
40: Hellish Might: Whenever you need to flood a die to activate an ability you may spend a point of malicious joss instead.
50: Corrupt Blessings: Whenever you are awarded malicious joss points for performing a Deed, you gain one additional point.
Dragon’s Eyes
Way: Clarity.
Each time when you are greatly challenged and you act markedly direct, honest, decisive and without doubts or hesitations, this technique’s Mastery increases by 5.
Mastery:
5: +10 Awareness when rolling for eyesight
20: Divine Insight: Channel 3 chi and choose one person you can clearly see fighting. That person reveals to you her current River and how much chi she has left, including elemental chi (but not demonic or enlightened chi). If you’re also fighting then you can only use this technique during your turn.
25: +5 Speed at all times
35: +5 bonus to all Disrupt and Disorient Marvels at all times
40: +5 Strike at all times
50: World of Ice: Channel 2 chi after an attack roll to re-roll one of the dice.