Martial Arts sub-genre settings?

Dauntless · July 23, 2003

What kind of martial arts campaigns do most people here do?

Historical Realistic - For example the Warring States period in Japan, the 3 Kingdoms period in China, the Manchu rebellion, etc

Historical Fantasy(Wuxia) - In a historical vein, but with more fantastic abilities. This also includes non-earth fantasy settings or mythical settings like Storm Riders or Hero

Modern Fantasy - This would be something like Jet Li's The One, or Black Mask. Fantastic Martial Arts prowess but in modern or recent settings

Fantasy Realistic - A non-earth setting, but still with realistic martial moves

Modern Realistic - Ala Jackie Chan or Steven Seagal cops & robbers/espionage

Cinematic - I'd call this your Van Damme or Chuck Norris style of fight scenes, not too realistic but high on flash

Other - For example martial arts in the future, where the focus is not so much on the sci-fi, but the martial aspects. Or martial arts horror like Big Trouble in Little China

I'd personally like to do two settings. One campaign is set in the Boxer Rebellion/Manchu overthrow period with a highly realistic yet still cinematic feel to it (no wirework kinda stuff, just what real human bodies can do on the level of Shaolin Monks...ie practically superhuman). I like this time period because it introduces guns...but rather simple ones that are still single shot and slow to reload. The other is in a sci-fi setting in the near future. The problem is that I'm trying to come up with a reason why anyone would do a lot of martial arts in the future.

I liked Dune's answer by having personal force shield which gave more resistance the more energy the attack had...but my world isn't as technologically advanced as that (it's about 2100-2150AD). Also in this world, the main fighting characters are both genetically engineered and have nano enhancements making them major bad @$$es in HTH combat.

I thought about introducing a kind of alien that hitchhikes onboard starships that have made jumps. These aliens are on a different dimensional level than our own, and are somehow astral in nature. I then theorized that the only way to combat them would be through martial combat. The rationale being that it wasn't actually the weapons or fisticuffs doing damage, but rather the warrior's spirit and essence (his Ki or Chi if you will). Ranged attacks, having no "spirit" embedded in them are harmless to these aliens, including energy attacks.

While this explains combat against the aliens, it doesn't explain martial combat against other humans. A part of me also thinks it's a bit too fantastical for my tastes, since I wanted the majority of the sci-fi setting to be as realistic as possible while still telling an interesting story.

Markdoc · July 23, 2003

I've run low level Wuxia games - both set in Ming era China and Sengoku era Japan and played in a modern era martial arts game (with a sort of BTiLC feel).

I like these sort of games since a) everybody seems to like martial artists and it places the emphasis on what the CHARARCTERS can do, rather than on what gear they have acquired.

With regard to your SciFi game: a simple premise - you have a highly advanced and probably hi-population density civilisation. You think they are going to let people wander around with firearms? On spaceships? That sounds about as smart as letting people carry firearms onto planes or cruise ships.

If only the military carry much in the way of lethal weaponry, then martial arts or cyber enhancements with "useful" functions such as increased STR, etc might become the preferred way of settling things at street level, with the occasional illegal fiream thrown into the mix.

That means lasers or big blades built into your forearms are probably out, but leaves plenty of other possibilities.

cheers, Mark

misterdeath · July 23, 2003

Try making the Guns too lethal. Star Trek TOS "they glow, then they evaporate" level of power.

There is no stun setting. There is no heat setting. Just a "Whoops, where'd the body go", 20d6 RKA. Heck make it AoE too, just for grins and easy hit possibilities.

Everyone with a gun has Mutually Assured Destruction possibilities, so nobody uses their guns. You can buy lightning reflexes and try to go first, but eventually, someone will spend more, be faster, and poof, you're gone.

Just like in the cold war, nobody wants to be the one that ends up gone. So, everyone settles things with their fists instead.

D

misterdeath · July 23, 2003

I've ran a nice Flashing Blades/Three Musketeers type campaign.

A lot of my super hero games resemble Wuxia type things, since I like martial artists and feature them pretty prominently.

D

tkdguy · July 24, 2003

I'm running a realistic fantasy campaign starting this weekend. It too is a lot like the Three Musketeers, but with kung fu in addition to rapier fighting. No magic though; this is a "scientific" world. Actually, most of my questions posted on the various boards were asked so that I could get help running this campaign.