Ninja-Bear Posted April 30, 2020 Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 Hello Herodom! Im working on a one shot when I’ll be able to get together with my friends. I’ve been itching to use the Red Banner cause decades ago when I first bought Ninja Hero I ran a Wild Martial Arts game. So I’m asking to see if anyone has used the Red Banner and any plots you used? And to flesh out said plot. I just want to run a game that isn’t a tournament. I’m thinking the Red Banner is kidnapping Super martial artists so they can steal their Chi to empower one of their own. (FWIW, I have I believe all the martial art related sourcebooks from 4th through 6th and the 2 PDFs online. I just need to put it to use.) As always TIA, Ninja-Bear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted April 30, 2020 Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 You could always steal, sorry borrow, the plot of the film DOA: Dead or Alive where martial artists are invited to an island for a tournament. They are supposedly the best in the world in their disciplines. The moves are 'motion captured' and put into a pair of spectacles that the chief villain is using. Now you don't want the tournament so how about having the Red Banner go around poisoning martial artists. The team then have to go to an obscure medical facility either run by or infiltrated by the Red Banner in order to find a cure. Martial artists from many disciplines then come in order to find out both who is taking down their friends and for a cure to the malady. One of the other ropes is that martial artist challenging a dojo. How do you make this different ? How about this ? The challenger and the dodjo defender are suddenly stricken by memory loss. They forget how to fight. The Red Banner has either poisoned/drugged them or got a mentalist to mind control them with the simple command that they do not know how to fight anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sketchpad Posted April 30, 2020 Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 I don't think I ever used the Red Banner, but I have used a few martial arts villains in the past. How about one of the following? They recruit some martial artists to subjugate a creature of incredible power in hopes of harnessing it for themselves. One of the Red Banner trained fighters go rogue and they need the heroes to clean up their mess. A fabled weapon falls into the Red Banner's hand. Now an aging master must rely on the heroes to return it to him or the fate of the world falls into their hands. A chi-infused place has fallen under Red Banner's control. Can the heroes prevent a war from happening when another group advances on them? And what does the place give to the Red Banner? An ancient evil is brought back to life and the Red Banner is responsible. Are they powerful enough to contain this threat? What happens if they aren't? Hope these help. Amorkca 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted April 30, 2020 Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 One-shot, eh? I've used the Cult for longer runs, but I can think of a couple of possibilities. The ancient conflict between the Cult of the Red Banner and Dr. Yin Wu flares up in the campaign city, as Yin Wu's Four Sons of the Dragon clash with Cult agents on the city streets, endangering the public. PC heroes step in to interrupt the fight before more innocents are harmed, but this allows the cultists to escape. Copper Spear informs the heroes that the Cult has stolen an enchanted dragon statue from his father, and will use it to create an army of Lung Zhanshi ("dragon warriors") at a time and place that the stars and feng shui will be favorable -- this city, tonight. Copper Spear proposes an alliance with the heroes to stop them. But Iron Whirlwind thinks this will provide the perfect cover to eliminate his brother and assume leadership of the Sons. A mercenary martial-arts villain is hired by mysterious employers to help steal an ancient book from a touring Chinese museum display, but his employers abandon the villain to cover their own escape. Incensed, the villain seizes the book himself and runs; but when he finds himself pursued by agents of the Red Banner he flees to the PCs to ask for their protection, claiming that whatever the Cult wants the book for can't be good for the world. (The villain hid it so they'd have to protect him.) Unfortunately the Red Banner have tracked him to the heroes' base of operations. Depending on how you want the role-playing to go, the villain could be an arrogant bigmouth like Green Dragon; an honorable mercenary such as Kazeronin; or a treacherous monster hoping for a chance to claim the book's secrets for himself, e.g. Jade Phoenix. Ninja-Bear and Amorkca 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted April 30, 2020 Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 And it the PCs get themselves in over their heads, Seeker can bail them out. drunkonduty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 1, 2020 Report Share Posted May 1, 2020 9 hours ago, assault said: And it the PCs get themselves in over their heads, Seeker can bail them out. If he's conscious at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted May 1, 2020 Report Share Posted May 1, 2020 On 4/29/2020 at 9:22 PM, Ninja-Bear said: Hello Herodom! Im working on a one shot when I’ll be able to get together with my friends. I’ve been itching to use the Red Banner cause decades ago when I first bought Ninja Hero I ran a Wild Martial Arts game. So I’m asking to see if anyone has used the Red Banner and any plots you used? And to flesh out said plot. I just want to run a game that isn’t a tournament. I’m thinking the Red Banner is kidnapping Super martial artists so they can steal their Chi to empower one of their own. (FWIW, I have I believe all the martial art related sourcebooks from 4th through 6th and the 2 PDFs online. I just need to put it to use.) As always TIA, Ninja-Bear Well some I've used...kidnapping Boxers to make Cyborg super boxers. Kidnapping martial artists to steal body parts to make Frankenstein martial artists. Robbing a museum of some scrolls to do the above. Starting a super Wushu brawl in town, to leverage a comercial venture. Sumoming a giant demon to distract the local supers. Ninja-Bear 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 LL with the ancient text, that reminds me of Kevin Yee of Sapphire Phoenix. I’ve wanted to do a mystery involving its authenticity. Perhaps Kevin Yee does have True Yengtao manuscripts but doesn’t know how to interpret them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 I wrote up the Red Banner Agents using the generic martial arts thug from Watcher of the Dragon. According to the PDF, the Dragon Warriors you can use the Ophite sheet from the Mystic Warrior book-which I don’t have. I’m thinking of using the Super Boxers from Ninja Hero for the them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 2, 2020 Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 Not knowing Kevin Yee, I'll take your word for it. And Steve Long wrote that he didn't include a character sheet for the Red Banner's Zhandouji in the Cult's PDF because one could adapt any martial-art thug for that purpose. (I myself used Emperor Crane's Rebellious Flock from WOTD for that purpose.) As for a character sheet for ophites, please check your Private Messages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 44 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said: Not knowing Kevin Yee, I'll take your word for it. And Steve Long wrote that he didn't include a character sheet for the Red Banner's Zhandouji in the Cult's PDF because one could adapt any martial-art thug for that purpose. (I myself used Emperor Crane's Rebellious Flock from WOTD for that purpose.) As for a character sheet for ophites, please check your Private Messages. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 LL Kevin Yee is the founder of Sapphire Phoenix the listed under the original Ultimate Martial Artist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 Going through my (many and mainly unfinished) characters I came across an original for Red Banner names Ba Ping. He’s a wizard and an art critic. So I’m thinking that since one of the cults goals is just random destruction, Ba Ping is capturing certain individuals to creat an living art work of destruction. I think that this might work as it’s fitting for Red Banner and it’s different too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 2, 2020 Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 The Cult wants to promote an increase in evil in the world in general, to strengthen the Dragon King. So sure, their actions need have no more specific goal. However, ritual murders are often components of black-magic rituals, so there could be a greater purpose to them. E.g. the "artworks" could form symbols from the I Ching. OTOH it might be fun for you if your PCs are trying to find clues to the killings' mystic significance, when it's simply "artistic expression." But then you'd better build in some way for them to recognize that. Ninja-Bear 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 Btw LL, i initially looked at Reptile-Men from Bestiary (5th ed) and it looks like i wouldn't have been too far from the Ophite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 2, 2020 Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 It's a motif with a lot of commonalities, whoever writes them up. But that material originally came from Dean Shomshak's Ultimate Super Mage for 4E, and that includes a much more powerful, "super" class version of these creatures, a Dragon Warrior. Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 46 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said: It's a motif with a lot of commonalities, whoever writes them up. But that material originally came from Dean Shomshak's Ultimate Super Mage for 4E, and that includes a much more powerful, "super" class version of these creatures, a Dragon Warrior. Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing it. I’m interested but before you go through all that work, how do they stack up against the Super Boxers in the Fists of the Warlords in the Original Ninja Hero? Cause I’m thinking of swiping them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 Speaking of cults, the other night I watched the Masked Avengers (Shaw Brothers). It gave some ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 2, 2020 Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Ninja-Bear said: I’m interested but before you go through all that work, how do they stack up against the Super Boxers in the Fists of the Warlords in the Original Ninja Hero? Cause I’m thinking of swiping them. Stronger. Much stronger. And a lot more versatile. 387-point characters, under 4E Champions standards. Ninja-Bear 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 Then maybe I wouldn’t use them! 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted May 2, 2020 Report Share Posted May 2, 2020 Have one or two in the wings, just in case. 😈 Perhaps whatever the Cult is after could be needed to create or summon these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2020 13 hours ago, Lord Liaden said: Have one or two in the wings, just in case. 😈 Perhaps whatever the Cult is after could be needed to create or summon these. I will have to do that! You know I always liked Iron Dragon, perhaps he gets kidnapped to be transformed into one of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted May 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2020 I also saw that the PDF mentions a necromancer named Lady Rose. So perhaps she’s using the captured martial artists to resurrect an old flame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted January 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2021 It wasn’t for a Champions level game but for a Heroic Martial Arts Fantasy, I used the Rokuro-Kubi, the monster with the extendable neck, as a Red Banner priest. It was a nice change of pace. pinecone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. R Posted January 13, 2021 Report Share Posted January 13, 2021 Taking a page from City of Heroes, the cult seeks a method of summoning ancestor spirits en mass to use as heavy hitters in their fights. And even if defeated these spirits keep coming back. Being able to summon a host of them would be catastrophic. OR.... rather than a regular spirit a GREATER spirit (like 400-500 pts). Can you disrupt the ritual? If they are successful, can you defeat the GREATER spirit and stop their plan? Ninja-Bear 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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