Wuxia and D&D

[Ranger REG]

I'm really quite fond of wuxia, though when it comes to D&D I like to generalise it beyond its Chinese origins.

And thus born The Musketeer and Hercules: The Legendary Journey. It's Wuxia gone West.

(I prefer Jidai Geki, a Japanese [ninja/samurai] version of Wuxia.)

 

[Nuclear Platypus]

And thus born The Musketeer and Hercules: The Legendary Journey. It's Wuxia gone West.

(I prefer Jidai Geki, a Japanese [ninja/samurai] version of Wuxia.)

Yeah, the Xena episodes stole scenes from Hong Kong flicks, namely The Bride With White Hair (Xena running the gauntlet to leave her henchmen) and I think Once Upon a Time in China II (the ladder fight she had with Callisto, also copied in The Muskateer) among others.

Recent-y stuff like Shaolin Soccer or Kung Fu Hustle might be borderline wuxia as well. Kung Fu Hustle is especially full with almost a dozen characters with secret techniques. I'm rather fond of the musicians.

C'mon d20 Dragonfist!

 

[delericho]

I'm positive there was an article in Dragon magazine (a 3rd edition article I think) about using Wuxia elements in a campaign. Does anyone else remember this?

Yes. I don't recall what issue it was, but I believe it was an early 3e issue, probably just after either Oriental Adventures or Crouching Tiger was released (or both).

Edit: the issue number is given below.

 

[rossik]

i adapted clerics to Taoist Priest and Shaolin Monks, ninja/thief to LinKwei, fighters to Swordsman and FistFighter.

just missed the mage

 

[mhacdebhandia]

The issue of Dragon with the wuxia article was #289.

 

[Kesh]

Haven't used, but I've been wanting to make a wuxia Psychic Warrior. Some of the feats in XPH are perfect for wuxia:

Body Fuel (for that last-ditch attack that leaves you near death)
Burrowing Power (enemy has a magical shield? break it!)
Cloak Dance (moving so fast your opponent loses track of you? check)
Mental Leap (did someone say, "impossible jumps?")
Up the Walls (wall running, or tree running or... well, any surface you run sideways on)

And that's just a few examples.

 

[rossik]

in wuxia, u can have lots of special skills..


-iron shirt/body
-lightfoot (the "flying" effect)
-pressure points
-chi healing (works for illnes, too)
-lots and lots of special strikes with swords ("black dragon strike the heaven!" : this kind of stuff)
-palm strikes (like in buddhas palm)
-weapon improvisation (when u reap your shirt apart and make a staff of it!)
-walk the walls


and depending on the movie, u have lots of bizzare stuff, like canonball punch...