Wuxia Political Drama (Recruiting!)

[ShadowFox89]

 Do you have the Wulin pdf? There's a lot of organizations in there already, but you'll have to clear with Inerrant which ones are in this setting.

[MisoThe Mouse]

Nope. That would help a bunch lol

[Inerrant Lust]

For the most part, Wulin's organizations are pretty inoffensive to this setting. That being said... Wuxia as a genre is defined by free, wandering heroes and heroines. This situation is defined by the highly regimented bureaucracy that's brought all the characters together. It is the very system that a lot of Wuxia heroes find themselves rebelling against.

[MisoThe Mouse]

Right. So it makes sense to have once been associated with a band of wandering assassins before becoming bonded to whomever my chracter will be bonded to at the time of the story.

[Florence]

So, what I've come up with while thinking about my character is that she's likely going to be the ambitious sort. Kind of Cao Cao like in that regard. I think she perhaps once viewed Yáojiāng as being a meager land to be in charge of, viewing its people as little more than simple yokels. However, over time she has grown to recognize the hardiness and strength of the people there, and more importantly, how she might be able to use that to her advantage. Being removed from all the infighting, she'd have been able to spend time building up her forces and readying herself for an opportunity to seize power.

Though more than Cao Cao, I think I'd draw more from the way Koei's games tend to depict Japan's Oda Nobunaga for inspiration for her character. She's ruthless and ambitious, but ultimately strives to create a unified empire free from warfare and strife. Sort of a 'willing to do monstrous things for the greater good' type of character, believing that she's the only person with the ambition and willpower to truly bring peace to the land.

As for name, I was thinking of going with Xiao Yanmei

Also, question: I know during the historical Three Kingdoms period, people often had a separate courtesy name used by their peers (Cao Cao being referred to as Mengde, for example), would our characters have similar names, or are we just going to keep it simple?

[Inerrant Lust]

I've played a lot of the Dynasty Warriors, but not too many of the Samurai Warriors ones. I kind of assumed they more or less made Cao Cao their Nobunaga-expy. :P

Yaojiang, I think, probably has one of the bigger and stronger armies in the Empire. It's remote and forgettable, but also in a pretty important position. To the west are the barbarians, the Tufan empire- a sort of proto-Tibetan people of the mountains which would necessitate a standing army. It's a pretty recent addition to the empire, but also very fertile. It's also relatively untouched by the recent wars- being allied with both of its neighbors Yunshan and Xiabei in the previous war. Granted, that only really gives you a lot of ammunition to use against (or with) Kuai Feng...

If you want to use a courtesy/style name, you can.

I have a few for the NPCs, for example Guǒ Suàn zì Tàishī which could mean 'Greatest Lion' and is unrelated to his given name but is a reference to his father, the esteemed prime minister- Guǒ Fēi zì Tàiténg which could mean 'Greatest Dragon' which connects to his given name which means to soar. The whole point is that Suan is kind of a pale imitation of his father and whoever was trying to give him his style name was stretching it. :P

Kuǎi Fēng zì Gōngcì is the other one. His style name is much simpler. Fēng and Cì both mean to confer or bestow, while Gōng is a relatively common word in courtesy names that means Lord.

More information than anyone probably wants, but, you know, world-building. :P

Some more information on style names and how they were chosen.

[Inerrant Lust]

Though.. if we have four players- I think I would rather have them on different sides. Plotting and cooperation in equal measures, you know. I think the game would be less interesting if everyone was on the same side. Think of it like a game of Survivor. ;)

If you are playing a bodyguard, then most likely you're doing the heavy lifting for your NPC boss, in terms of the narrative.

[Toa]

Hi,

I just saw this and wanted to ask if I could still join. I am keen to play an ambitiouse young man who intents to use the political situation to his advantage by serving one of the contenders and preferablh the one who wins. Obviously this might require changing loyalties depending on how the fight for power goes. I think it could be very interesting to have such a person creating an element of uncertainty in the struggel. Does that sound interesting?

Toa

[TheFourthShade]

Character sheet it's all prototypical

Name:   Xú Chen Fu

Rank:  2nd

Archetype:  Courtier


Skills:
Awareness  +0
Confidence +20
Crafting       +0
Finesse         +0
Hardiness     +5  (Specialty: Drugs/Poisons)
Inspire          +20
Learning      +5
Medicine      +0
Might            +0
Perform        +0
Politics         +5
Ride              +0
Stealth           +0
Survival         +0
Tactics           +5
Wu Wei         +10 (Specialty: Social Perception)

Virtues

Benevolence (Kuan)         3
Ferocity (Bao)                   1
Force (Ba)                         2   
Individualism (Si)             4
Honor (Xin)                       1
Obsession (Chan)              3
Loyalty (Zhong)               4
Revenge (Chou)                3
Righteousness (Yi)           2
Ruthlessness (Hen)           2

Disadvantages


Kung Fu

External:

Eight Legends

Laughs at: Traditional Styles, Wielders of the Four 'Original' Weapons

Fears: Needles, chains, or uncommon weapons.  It also fears unorthodox or sinister methods, because it cannot imagine performing such acts, let alone getting ahead of them.
Speed:         +5
Footwork:  +5
Strike:       +15  (+5 Sword included)
Damage:      +5
Block:        +15 (+5 Sword included)
Toughness:  +5


Techniques:
Legendary Force: Style's block bonus increases to +10

Subtle Force

Laughs at: Nothing
Fears:  Nothing
Speed:          +5
Footwork:  +10
Strike:         +15 (+5 Sword Included)
Damage:      +0
Block:          +10 (+5 Sword Included)
Toughness:   +5

Internal

Boundless Prosperity Manual

1: “Retain Balanced Nature”
You promote the circulation of breath throughout your
system by clearing away pollutants and obstructions.
• You have a +5 bonus to a roll made to remove a Disoriented
or Disrupted Marvel, provided the Marvel is described as
being caused by pain, blocked pressure points, injuries, or
similar effects. You can also make such checks using only a
single die, instead of needing a set.

2: “Be Where You Must.”
-Round Long Duration
-+10 to footwork


3: Covering Weakness with Strength
Many people in need of the Manual are sick, crippled
or scarred. It can’t restore what is truly lost, but it can help
overcome the troubles these unfortunate conditions bring.
• Round-long duration. You may spend one Chi per round to
extend the technique’s duration another round; you must
spend the Chi at the beginning of each new round.
• Treat your Injury Conditions as if they were one step less
severe when determining the Action or Breath penalty they
inflict.
• This doesn’t cure or reduce the conditions, only their
effects.


4: Five Elements Supreme Combination
You can use internal alchemy to directly enhance the
workings of your body.
• Round-long duration.
• You have a +15 bonus to your Speed, Footwork, Strike,
Damage, Block, or Toughness.
• You may boost this technique, adding the bonus to another
statistic for every two Chi you spend.

5: God-Body Transcendence
The final technique of the Manual is not taught, but
understood. The accumulation of physical and spiritual health
has created an immortal divine body that will endure after
death on a higher level of existence. It is exhausting to do so,
but you can briefly bring forth this higher nature.
• Round-long duration. You may spend Chi each round to
extend the technique’s duration another round; you must
spend the Chi at the beginning of each new round. The first
extension costs 1 chi, the second costs 2 chi, the third costs
3 chi, and so on.
• Increase your Lake size by 1.

Formless Techniques

Booming Deity's Voice (1 Chi: Easily heard for miles, can use trickery to speak without revealing herself)

Equipment
Light Armor
Sword (+5 Strike, +5 Block)


Chi             10/10
Wood Chi   02/02  (Deviation: Chen Fu cannot be pessimistic.  Even faced with the most dire odds, there's something worth trying at least once.  She's survived so much that whatever faces her cannot compare!)

Secret Arts:
Passions and Inspirations pg. 245
Extraordinary Courtier Techniques pg. 252
Curses and Influences pg. 259
Extraordinary Daoist Techniques pg. 266
Story of the Self (pg. 248)
the Secret Art of Intrigue (pg. 249)
Controlling Passions (pg. 251)
Controlling Inspirations (Pg 251)


Starting Destiny:            100
Destiny Expenditures:      48


Expenditures:
Controlling Inspirations (4 Destiny)
Inspire from +10 to +20 (4 Destiny)
Confidence from +10 to +20 (4 Destiny)
Legendary Force           (5 Destiny)
Boundless Prosperity Manual Techs (9 Destiny)
Booming Deity's Voice  (1 Destiny)
Tactics  +5                      (2 Destiny)
Subtle Force                   (8 Destiny)
Beggar Fraternity           (5 Destiny)
-Status 3                         (3 Destiny)
Confucianism                (3 Destiny)

[ShadowFox89]

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Name: Wei Li
Rank: 2
Archetype: The Doctor
Concept: Stealthy doctor and bodyguard
Lake: 7; River 2; Joss 2; Chi Aura 2; Chi: 10 (cultivation: 9)
Skills:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Awareness +5 | Confidence  | Crafting +5 | Finesse +5
Hardiness +5 | Inspire     | Learning    | Medicine +10
Might +5     | Perform     | Politics    | Ride
Stealth +10  | Survival    | Tactics +5  | Wu Wei

Virtues:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Benevolence (Kuan) 4 | Force (Ba)         3 | Honor (Xin) 4
Loyalty (Zhong)    3 | Righteousness (Yi) 2
Ferocity (Bao)     3 | Individualism (Si) 1 | Obsession (Chan) 1
Revenge (Chou)     2 | Ruthlessness (Hen) 2

Weapon: Sword (+5 Strike, +5 Block)
External Style: Shadow Chasing (Speed: +10, Footwork: +15, Strike: +5
Damage: +5, Block: +0, Toughness: +5)
- Techniques: Exceeding shadows (+15 Footwork)
- Holding the Shadows (If initiative is higher than attacker's, style toughness bonus increase to +10)
- Reflecting on Freedom (+15 Speed)
- Three Visions Reunion (if initiative is higher than target of attack, strike bonus from style increase to +10)
- World-Arranging Sweep (+5 bonus to break a Wave)
Internal Style: Nine Sun Birds
- Basic Technique: Cry of the Golden Crow (+5 Speed)
- Dipping Crow (rank 2, +10 dodge)
- Hou Yi's Arrows (rank 2, +10 strike)
- Light Diffused by Clouds (rank 2)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

People whose Initiative exceeds yours by 20 points or less can’t break your waves, as if the waves had already finished. They don’t actually finish until your turn comes up, but their completion becomes inevitable.

- Three-Legged Shuffle (rank 2)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

You can make your initiative roll after everyone else, allowing you to make your choices based upon their results and planned Waves. If two or more people use this technique, then they make their rolls simultaneously after the others.

- Flight of the Golden Crow (rank 3)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

You may cross multiple zones with in a single Cover Ground result. After traveling to a new zone, treat all adjacent zones as one difficulty step higher to reach; if your result is still high enough to reach a new zone, you may move there. Repeat this process, cumulatively increasing difficulties, can't go further or don't want to.

- Lashing Fury (rank 3)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

You have a Secondary Strike

- Scattering the Golden Feathers (rank 3)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

This attack is an Area Attack.

- Crow Eclipses the Sun (rank 4)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

You have a +20 bonus to Dodge.
You may boost this technique. Each point of Chi spent grants you a +5 Dodge bonus against a different element of the same attack, up to a maximum of +15. Each separate element is also boosted separately. (For example, you could use the main bonus to evade an attack’s Strike, and then boost Chi to improve your defense against a Disrupt marvel.)

- Supreme Burst of Speed (rank 4)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

• You have a +20 bonus to Speed.
• This entire round, you have a +5 Finesse bonus and a +5 Footwork bonus.

- Reincarnating Nine Brothers (rank 5)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

• You have a +25 bonus to Strike.
• You can use the Burn effect as a minor action on your attack with a +10 bonus.

Loresheets:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

- Eagle Talons (status: eagle talon member 3)
- Taoism
- Secret Art of Medicine (Bodywork)
- A Doctor's Work
- Secrets of Treatment

Destiny: 20
Spent: 20
Exceeding shadows: 5
Eagle Talons Loresheet: 5
Status, Eagle Talon member: 3
Taoism: 3
Hou Yi's arrows: 2
Dipping Crow: 2
Light Diffused by Clouds: 2
Three-Legged Shuffle: 2
Flight of the Golden Crow: 3
Lashing Fury: 3
Scattering the Golden Feathers: 3
Crow Eclipses the Sun: 4
Supreme Burst of Speed: 4
Reincarnating Nine Brothers: 5
Holding the Shadow (4)
Reflecting on Freedom (5)
Three Visions Reunion (4)
World-Arranging Sweep (2)

[MisoThe Mouse]

I do not comprehend any on this  ???. This looks nothing like pathfinder lol

[TheFourthShade]

It's not a Pathfinder game.  It's a system called Legend of the Wulin.

[MisoThe Mouse]

It's not a Pathfinder game.  It's a system called Legend of the Wulin.

Yeah I knew that, I just thought I would kinda get it lol. Is there a PDF for me to read? I doubt anybody wants to walk me through character creation, it seems like there is allot of parts to this

[TheFourthShade]

It's simpler than you'd think, but I don't know where I'd be able to find the book for you.

[Inerrant Lust]

Hi,

I just saw this and wanted to ask if I could still join. I am keen to play an ambitiouse young man who intents to use the political situation to his advantage by serving one of the contenders and preferablh the one who wins. Obviously this might require changing loyalties depending on how the fight for power goes. I think it could be very interesting to have such a person creating an element of uncertainty in the struggel. Does that sound interesting?

Toa

Well now that you've said all that in front of the other players, would you prefer being the bodyguard for an NPC? :P

Yeah, Wulin is very narrative-focused. For that reason, by default every character has some connections to eachother... either they are friends, acquaintances or are part of the same family/organization. It's something better done in a chatroom or in person than in a play-by-post format, so I'm apprehensive about enforcing that rule. That being said, I think it'd greatly improve everyone's experience if we could manage it.

The Empire is simultaneously bureaucratic and dynastic. The Kuai family in particular has ruled Xiabei for generations, but it's not unusual for a provincial lord to be assigned that post or transferred there. Your characters could come from anywhere and end in the position they're in.

But don't worry, I'm still getting the hang of Wulin myself, and it'll be my first time GMing with it. That being said, I'm a damn good GM and obsessive about these things so you're in good hands. ;)

[ShadowFox89]

Yeah I knew that, I just thought I would kinda get it lol. Is there a PDF for me to read? I doubt anybody wants to walk me through character creation, it seems like there is allot of parts to this

Drivethru has the pdf. And I can walk you through character creation, do you have AIM or Steam?

[MisoThe Mouse]

Drivethru has the pdf. And I can walk you through character creation, do you have AIM or Steam?

Yeah, my aim is the same as my name here

[Inerrant Lust]

Shade, Shadow, and I have an AIM chatroom where we talk games but mostly share pictures of butts.

I can't seem to add you, though. Mine's mshelleysmonster.

[ShadowFox89]

 Florence, do you need any help with a character?

[Premier]

I'm interested in this, political intrigue and over the top Wuxian Drama is very much my bag.

Not sure what positions you'd want filled if you have space though, if you could say what's left out of Bodyguard and Contenders I'll make something up! I'll either go for someone with a rather black past who's trying to atone for past sins by making the offer or someone utterly conniving who's completely convinced they alone have the capability to take the task of regency on.

[Florence]

Florence, do you need any help with a character?

I'm not sure. I have a good idea of the character. Just gotta work on translating them into the system.

[ShadowFox89]

 Well, what do you have so far?

[Florence]

Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to be all silent. A lot of stuff came up.

So... the answer is pretty much just what I've stated in earlier posts about her personality and the like. Not much about system stuff or anything.