This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Chinese Fantasy Races In Space

Started by Ghost Whistler, July 01, 2011, 04:01:29 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Ghost Whistler

I would like to canvas ideas for scifi races in a wuxia setting (such as what I'm trying to work on). I use the word fantasy to indicate that chinese folklore/mythology is the source, but the setting is, i suppose, science fantasy (what else could it be).

What I have thus far:

Kuo - humans. Humans in the Star Wars sense (ie, earth isn't mentioned as the wllspring of humanity though humans, like Luke, are part of that galaxy far away).
Genbu - taken from the concept of the turtle in fengshui mythology: a breed of larger, tougher, but considered and pragmatic beings.
Luduan - humanoids able to perceive 'truth'. Austere, and stern (though not evil).

I'd like to create something like Star Wars - a myriad of different races. But that's impossible in an rpg, since the reason that works in the movies is because it's visual. If an rpg tried to codify all the races we see in movies, games and books etc, the SW rulebook would be huge - and, perhaps more importantly, the writer would run out of ways to make them interesting as playable races in an rpg.
"Ghost Whistler" is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.

beeber

#1
i don't know chinese mythology, but i'm sure there must be analogues to the japanese tengu and kitsune.  

(after skimming the tengu article, i had no idea the name had chinese dog-spirit origins!  learn something new everyday :) )

Tahmoh

The Qin bestiery has some good stuff you may find of use maybe grab the .pdf off drivetrhu and see what you can use? also theres a few good mythology sites that have pretty in depth listings of chinese myth and legend(along side japanese and other asian myths).

The Traveller

How about some of those Demons from Big Trouble in Little China, almost my favourite movie ever?
"These children are playing with dark and dangerous powers!"
"What else are you meant to do with dark and dangerous powers?"
A concise overview of GNS theory.
Quote from: that muppet vince baker on RPGsIf you care about character arcs or any, any, any lit 101 stuff, I\'d choose a different game.

Silverlion

#4
I have Tengu (from the settings equivalent of Japan); Kappa  amphibious turtle men who were absorbed by the humans there.

Xi Shuai, Fierce Cricket men who are on the edge of the Eternal Empire.

I am trying to decide if I keep the Lesser Dragons, or the Foo Lions. I can see both brightly colored forms speaking with humans.

I'm also keeping "humans" but that's pretty widespread and varied as to what that means.
High Valor REVISED: A fantasy Dark Age RPG. Available NOW!
Hearts & Souls 2E Coming in 2019

DestroyYouAlot

Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but Spelljammer featured Kara-Tur cultures in "space" (sort of, haha).  Pretty sure they got at least one SJ sourcebook between them.  There's probably a good bit there that would work if you just switch the magic ships for science-y ones.

Alternately:  Space-going Tanuki.  The huge duffel bags are a zero-gravity adaptation.  (?)

http://mightythews.blogspot.com/

a gaming blog where I ramble like a madman and make fun of shit

FrankTrollman

Well, clearly you're going to want some good old fashioned Ox-Tigers, because those are awesome. And you'll want the Crab Soldiers that work for the Dragon King. And your basic Ogre people.

Do you want to use actual Chinese names? I mean, people know what an "Ogre" is, but if you say "Yaoguai" they stare at you as if you said "meow meow meow".

-Frank
I wrote a game called After Sundown. You can Bittorrent it for free, or Buy it for a dollar. Either way.

FrankTrollman

That is fascinating spam. The pseudo-random message is so similar to what someone would actually say that I almost got fooled.

-Frank
I wrote a game called After Sundown. You can Bittorrent it for free, or Buy it for a dollar. Either way.