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Pondering a wuxia-ish setting

Started by yosemitemike, February 27, 2025, 06:23:08 AM

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Bedrockbrendan

#15
February 28, 2025, 10:27:08 AM
Quote from: yosemitemike on February 28, 2025, 12:15:06 AMSystems I am considering

Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate
Pros
 1) I already own it
 2) It has all of the martial arts techniques, monsters, sorcery, objects and power and other fantastic elements I could ever need.
Cons
 1) It's...a lot.
 2) It's lacking in support for the more modern elements.

Strange Tales of Songling
Pros
 1) It's simpler and more streamlined.
 2) It's focused on things like ghost hunting.
Cons
 1) It might be a bit too focused.
 2) I don't have it.  This is a minor con since it's inexpensive.
 3) It also lacks support for the more modern elements.

Righteous Blood, Ruthless Blades
 1) Simpler and more streamlined
 2) I already have it.
Cons
 1) Lacks support for the more fantastic elements.
 2) No support for modern day.

I looked into this Far West game.  Several reviews say the rules are muddled and confusing.  The name Gareth-Michael Skarka gives me pause. 

I have considered City Of Mists.  It's lacking in detail on the martial arts side of things.

Feng Shui is a game that I have not looked at in a very long time.  I am looking at the second edition and it looks promising. 

edit
I have discovered that DTRPG lumps wuxia games into a larger martial arts category and that most of it based on Feudal Japan.  Finding stuff has proven to be more difficult that expected. 
Quote from: yosemitemike on February 28, 2025, 12:15:06 AMSystems I am considering

Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate
Pros
 1) I already own it
 2) It has all of the martial arts techniques, monsters, sorcery, objects and power and other fantastic elements I could ever need.
Cons
 1) It's...a lot.
 2) It's lacking in support for the more modern elements.

Strange Tales of Songling
Pros
 1) It's simpler and more streamlined.
 2) It's focused on things like ghost hunting.
Cons
 1) It might be a bit too focused.
 2) I don't have it.  This is a minor con since it's inexpensive.
 3) It also lacks support for the more modern elements.

Righteous Blood, Ruthless Blades
 1) Simpler and more streamlined
 2) I already have it.
Cons
 1) Lacks support for the more fantastic elements.
 2) No support for modern day.

I looked into this Far West game.  Several reviews say the rules are muddled and confusing.  The name Gareth-Michael Skarka gives me pause. 

I have considered City Of Mists.  It's lacking in detail on the martial arts side of things.

Feng Shui is a game that I have not looked at in a very long time.  I am looking at the second edition and it looks promising. 

edit
I have discovered that DTRPG lumps wuxia games into a larger martial arts category and that most of it based on Feudal Japan.  Finding stuff has proven to be more difficult that expected. 

Feng Shui is a very good choice. I think hong Kong Action Theatre! might also work (There is the original but also a tri-stat version). Another possibility would be GURPS as they have supplements for lots of different time periods and places. You might also consider TORG. It is a little closer in genre to the concept you are talking about (it is still very different but it is a setting that tries to make sense of a multi-genre world). So it has different time periods, but I believe it also had Ki Point powers. It has been a while since I have played so I would double check on that. Also I don't know if this is your cup of tea, but Savage Worlds does modern just fine and they do have a wuxia supplement (I believe) called Legend of Ghost Mountain.

In terms of Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate and Strange Tales. The game wasn't designed with backwards compatibility in mind, so the weapons and stuff probably don't line up all that well, but we had a number of modern settings for the same core system (Terror Network, Crime Network and Horror Show). The system evolved a lot though, so I don't know how easy it would be to run any of that material in combination with Ogre Gate. On Strange Tales I am working on a modern Horror game Called Strange Tales New England but it is very specific (the paths in it are Exorcist, Tech Expert, Spirit Medium, Charlatan and Combat Expert). It does work with Strange Tales of Songling though mechanically. I would be happy to send you an early draft of the manuscript if that might be useful (it probably won't be out for another few months at least: may pace with the pipeline is glacial). Unfortunately we don't have anything else out for Righteous Blood Ruthless Blades (we were working on a supernatural expansion, and we still may do that, but it is on hold for now).

yosemitemike

#16
February 28, 2025, 06:52:48 PM
I don't know much about Savage Worlds.  The only thing I have for it is Deadlands and I haven't really read that.  I looked at the book you mentioned.  It seems to be mostly a gazetteer and campaign.  The setting is a little similar but only a little.  There's a ton of stuff for Savage Worlds and I know next to nothing about any of it.

How compatible is the Strange Tales stuff with RBRB?  If I could import it in without too much headache, that would solve a lot of my problems.  Between those two books and RBRB, that would cover most things.   
"I am certain, however, that nothing has done so much to destroy the juridical safeguards of individual freedom as the striving after this mirage of social justice."― Friedrich Hayek
Another former RPGnet member permanently banned for calling out the staff there on their abdication of their responsibilities as moderators and admins and their abject surrender to the whims of the shrillest and most self-righteous members of the community.

Hzilong

#18
February 28, 2025, 08:08:58 PM
I saw that when I searched again after reading the thread 😅.
Resident lurking Chinaman

Bedrockbrendan

#19
February 28, 2025, 08:30:08 PM
Quote from: yosemitemike on February 28, 2025, 06:52:48 PMI don't know much about Savage Worlds.  The only thing I have for it is Deadlands and I haven't really read that.  I looked at the book you mentioned.  It seems to be mostly a gazetteer and campaign.  The setting is a little similar but only a little.  There's a ton of stuff for Savage Worlds and I know next to nothing about any of it.

How compatible is the Strange Tales stuff with RBRB?  If I could import it in without too much headache, that would solve a lot of my problems.  Between those two books and RBRB, that would cover most things.   

They are somewhat compatible. Strange Tales and Righteous Blood, Ruthless Blades are based on the same pairing down of the Ogre Gate system (so just as example both RBRB and Strange Tales have Hardiness, Evade and Wits as the defenses, whereas Ogre Gate has Hardiness, Parry, Evade, Stealth, Resolve, and Wits). But characters in Strange Tales have fewer wounds, and characters in RBRB are meant to be more hardy.

yosemitemike

#20
Today at 06:07:53 AM
Quote from: Bedrockbrendan on February 28, 2025, 08:30:08 PMBut characters in Strange Tales have fewer wounds, and characters in RBRB are meant to be more hardy.

That's easily solved.  I can just buff them a bit.
"I am certain, however, that nothing has done so much to destroy the juridical safeguards of individual freedom as the striving after this mirage of social justice."― Friedrich Hayek
Another former RPGnet member permanently banned for calling out the staff there on their abdication of their responsibilities as moderators and admins and their abject surrender to the whims of the shrillest and most self-righteous members of the community.
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