Jianghu League: History of Violence

Because I am so overjoyed by the digital release of Jadepunk, I have used that excess joy to create a bunch of DC characters using Jadepunk's mechanics and setting. This is less a hack and more a re-imagining so the heroes and villains will fit within the world we created with Jadepunk.

Superman
Wonder Woman
Batman
Green Lantern
Aquaman
Hawkman
The Joker
Dru-Zod and Lex Luthor

Today I am doing the last in this line of thought and I will be moving onto another project that I have been kind of thinking about...actually there are three alternate lines of thought I could go with the next set of Jadepunk Posts, but more on that when I get to the end of this one.

Fugyara Min, Fastest Woman Alive
Min was one of the all time great relic hunters. She had robbed dozens of tombs on four continents. Until she was betrayed. One of her rivals spread the word of a great lost city, deep in the jungle south of Ahlmac territory. There were claims of Ruby Skulls and pyramids of gold. The rival, Tobias Schmidt, did not spread these rumors for Min's benefit, no. He spread them in the court of her largest patron, Inoue Shen. Shen ignored Min's warnings that this was a trap and sent her to gather these riches.

In the harshest jungle, far from civilization, walking into what she knew to be a trap, Min made a mistake. She dropped her compass. Of such small mistakes, mighty catastrophes grow. This was one such mistake. Unable to make an accurate bearing she was forced to use the sun and stars. In the deepest jungle, she got turned around, she became lost. Wandering for days without proper supplies, she was becoming dehydrated and delirious. In this state she came upon an ancient Teltac temple to Cicoh Chac, god of the Divine Wind and blood sacrifice.

Within the temple she drank of the holy waters and ate of the sacred mushroom. While in an ecstatic state, brought about by her exhaustion and the mushrooms, she had a great vision of the god Cicoh Chac. It came to her in the form of Spotted Panther and spoke of many things. Dark secrets were revealed to Min and she accepted a great burden. She would become Cicoh Chac's will made manifest. She donned the sacred garb of the Teltac Warrior Priests and set out to find a new empire for her dark master.

In Kausao City the people will listen to anyone who gives them hope. Min has done more than that, she has given them a twisted sense of power. She leads a small cult of the underclasses, they feed her information and when the need strikes they bring to her a blood sacrifice. Within her small district she has built a kingdom of blood. Right now it is beneath the notice of those in power. On the day they do take notice, pray that it is not to late. Min dreams of a city awash in blood and fear. She dreams of a burning empire from horizon to horizon.

Portrayal: Jaguar Queen of the Panther Cult
Background: History exists to grant me power
Inciting Incident: I am his will made flesh
Belief: May his shadow fall over all the world
Trouble: Things are moving too slowly
\
Professions: Explorer +3, Aristocrat and Scholar +2, Scoundrel and Fighter +1, Engineer +0

Assets
Device: Sacred Panther Cloak
The ancient Teltac high priests had cloaks made from the skins of the holy panthers, they would thread blue and white jade into the cloaks to aid in speed and stealth. This cloak is one of the last in existence, and makes Min the fastest biped on the planet.

Function Aspect: Holy Cloak of Speed
Features: Exceptional(can appear and disappear from a scene at will provided she can run), Focus 4(Fighter +2 and Explorer +2), Protective 2(reduce incoming shift value of an attack against you by two)
Flaws: Situational(only when wearing the cloak), Troubling(Voices in my head make me irrational)

Refresh: 3


Alright so that is my take on Cheetah for Jadepunk. Let me know what you think. Also my next Jadepunk project on this site will be one of three things, and I have not decided which I will do, so I need your help.
Should I do a Future Space Opera setting for the rules set, a version of TMNT for Jadepunk, or should I convert the characters and monsters from Girl Genius? I could go Either way with this, and to be frank, I will probably end up doing all three eventually. Let me know what you would like to see.

Jianghu League: And They Shall Kneel

I am celebrating Jadepunk's digital release by doing Jadepunk hacks of famous DC heroes and Villains. 

Superman

Wonder Woman
Batman
Green Lantern
Aquaman
Hawkman
Joker

Today I am going big. I am doing two of my favorite villains, Dru-Zod and Lex Luthor. It is going to be pretty epic up in here.

General Xiao, Master of the World
Twenty years ago a young popular general of the Tuyangan Army staged an ill fated coups attempt on the throne. His rebel army was wiped out and he fled the country in disgrace. While he had lost in his bid for power, General Xiao never gave up on his desire for power. His key to victory came to him when he arrived in the Kingdom of Kent. Hiring himself out as a mercenary he met the Lord Clark's chief engineer, Alexis Luthor. She was ambitious and amoral, much like Xiao. Over the course of a year he managed to gain her confidence and together they orchestrated the largest coups in recent history.

Since becoming High Lord of Kent, Xiao has dedicated his life to conquest. His people slave away in the white jade mines and manufactories, building him a massive war fleet of skyships. However, despite his successes, Xiao is still haunted by his failure. He lives in fear the the son of Clark, the true ruler of Kent, will one day return and depose him. this thought keeps him up nights. He cannot merely kill the man, as then he makes a martyr of him. he must capture and subjugate this supposed rival. He must. Xiao has sent several teams of bounty hunters after Johnathan Clark with this in mind. None have returned.

Portrayal: Wanna-be World Conqueror
Background: Master Of War
Inciting Incident: Kneel Before Xiao!
Belief: Only the Strong Shall Rule
Trouble: Temperamental Paranoid

Professions: Fighter +3, Scoundrel and Aristocrat +2, Explorer and Scholar +1, Engineer +0

Assets
Technique: Poison Fist Strike
Xiao holds that strength in conflict is the most efficient way of winning. He believes this on both the large and the small scale. In a fight he will strike with such force that he has been known to penetrate even the strongest armor. This is known as his Poison Fist Strike.

Guiding Aspect: Only the Strong Shall Rule
Features: Harmful 4(Four extra harm on a successful strike)
Flaws: Troubling(My Enemies Know My Moves)

Technique: Master of the Field of Battle
Despite is flaws, Xiao is a brilliant general. On the field, few can defeat him in direct conflict. He has studied all the great wars and military tactics ever recorded. He has, himself, been the leader in many campaigns. To go against Xiao in battle is a dangerous gambit.

Guiding Aspect: Master of War
Features: Focus 2(+2 fighting)
Flaws: Situational(only when leading men in battle)

Device: Royal Armor of Kent
The Armor of Kent has belonged to the Clark line for as long as any can remember. It was worn by the Kings of Kent in defense of the homeland only. It was said that the armor would protect Kent so longh as even one of the Clark line remains. When Xiao conquered Kent he began wearing the armor as a sign of his authority. However, to the people of Kent, the Bold S shaped seal on the chest is a reminder that one Clark still lives. It tells them that their is still hope.

Function Aspect: Green and White Jade Plate Armor
Features: Protective 2(reduce incoming harm of successful attack by two), Resilient 2(two extra stress boxes)
Flaws: Demanding(you must make a fighter roll vs a difficulty of +2 in order to put the armor on or take it off)

Doctor Alexis Luthor
The world is full of fools. Fools with power and fools without it. This is the sad truth that Luthor has had to endure her entire life. She may be the greatest mind humanity has ever produced. She should rule it, control it. Who else is better qualified? Yet at every step some fool comes along and blocks her success. First it was money, so she became chief engineer for the king. Then it was authority, and she was forced to deal with the simpleton Xiao. Now she is nearing her goal. Complete domination is within her grasp, if only Xiao would cease with his petty paranoias and conspiracies. There will come a day when he is no longer useful to her. Perhaps that day is nearer than she initially projected. Soon all the world will be brilliantly efficient and simple. No longer will the simpletons and fools who lucked into power run things like their own personal play ground. Soon.

Portrayal: World's Greatest Mind
Background: Knowledge Is The Only Weapon I Need
Inciting incident: Anything Is Permitted
Belief: Only I Deserve To Rule
Trouble: I Am Surrounded By Fools

Professions: Engineer +3, Scholar and Scoundrel +2, Aristocrat and Explorer +1, Fighter +0

Assets
Technique: Behold My Genius!
Truly their is no finer mind for invention of planning than the mind of Alexis Luthor. She has litle patience for using old plans of devices. Everything she comes up with is an inovation. None can accuse Luthor of copying or tinkering. She is a genius.

Guiding Aspect: World's Greatest Mind
Features: Focus 2(+2 engineer)
Flaws: Situational(Only when making something new, never for repair. She would rather start over from scratch that try and fix whatever is wrong with the thing)

Technique: Plans Within Plans
She has already won. You don't realize it, because your simple mind can only plan four or maybe five moves ahead. You only think you are winning because she is so far ahead of you that she is lapping you. When she needs to Luthor can utilize her magnificent mind to deal with any situation she can plan for.

Guiding Aspect: Knowledge Is The Only Weapon I Need
Features: Flexible(you may use Scholar in place of fighter)
Flaws: Situational(Only when you have an aspect on the scene representing your preplanning of events or understanding of things)

Alright there are my versions of Lex Luthor and Dru-Zod. let me know what you think.  Next up I think I may start working on Cheetah, should be good fun.

Jianghu League: The Laughing Man

As some of you know, I have been doing some conversions of DC heroes to celebrate Jadepunk's Digital Release. I have done Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Hawkman. Now that I have laid out some of the big players in my version, I have decided to do some of the Big Bads. I am starting with the one that need teh least introduction. The Joker.

The Laughing Man
A little over a year ago bodies began to show up on the riverfront. They seemed unrelated in all ways, men, women, children, Naramel, Aerish, Kaiyumi, Tuyangan, nothing connected them. Nothing except the method of murder. Every one of the victims had bleached white skin and a terrible smile on their faces.

During the first week seventeen bodies were found. Every week since, has had at least three murders. The pressed dubbed this killer, "The Laughing Man." In the back alleys and along the riverbanks, the stilt walkers and mudskimmers speak of a devil walking the midnight streets. Strange shadows and maddened laughter are often heard, though none have ever seen him face to face. In the last few months, The Laughing Man has begun to taunt the Watch, sending them pieces of the victims and leaving random seeming notes.

If you walk the nighttime streets of the Riverfront, learn to walk in groups. And pray to whatever gods will have you. Pray that you never meat the laughing man.

Portrayal: The Smiling Killer
Background: A Mystery Even To Himself
Inciting Incident: All It Takes Is One. Bad. Day.
Belief: Madness Is The Only Truth
Trouble: Murder On The Mind

Professions: Scoundrel +3, Engineer and Fighting +2, Explorer and Scholar +1, Aristocrat +0

Assets
Device: The Smiling Death
His victims are known by their rictus grin. He invented a black jade powder that, when inhaled, causes hallucinations and death. Upon dying victims' faces stretch into a horrible grin and their skin is drained of color.

Function Aspect: Black Jade Death Dust
Features: Harmful 4(does four extra harm on a successful attack)
Flaws: Situational(must be close to The Laughing Man and must breath it in)

Refresh: 5(he is really lucky)

Let me know what you think of my version of the Joker. he is not that different from the source material, but there is only so much to work with when he has no real backstory to speak of. Next i think i will work on Lex Luthor.

Jianghu League: Maddening Skies

Continuing on in my celebration of Jadepunk's digital release, I am going to keep doing Jadepunk versions of classic DC heroes. I have already done workups for Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman. Today I delve into the awesomeness that is Hawkman.

Eshak Safavi, The Hawk

The Kingdom of Nohket is long gone. All that remains are a few Ruined Temples and Terracotta Statues, half buried in the southern savannas. Little is known of the culture or history of the Nohket people. The statues fetch a massive price on the black market, as they are quite rare and the region is dangerous to explorers. Large hungry beasts stalk the land, and several tiny kingdoms will hunt and kill any outsider found defiling their land. 

To the experienced Naramel Treasure Hunter, Eshak Safavi, the danger was part of the fun. He had raided temples, graves, and treasure rooms on every continent. This would be no different. Upon landing his ship things went south swiftly and with gusto. He lost his wife, Aiyade, to a rampaging Nunda(A feline the size of a horse) on the first day. As they were laying her body to rest, the Huaple people attacked and Eshak was wounded in the escape. As he lay, grieving and in pain, the ship's doctor gave him Black Poppy for the pain. This mixture of Opium and Black Jade dust showed Eshak the truth.

Eshak was truly the reincarnated king of Nohket, and his wife was the reincarnated queen. Cursed to never leave this realm for the afterlife, Aiyade and Eshak had found each other in a hundred lifetimes over a thousand years. He saw in this vision that he was cursed for defiling the graves of so many. To remove this curse he must become a hero, and save the history of all peoples.

Eshak woke from his fever dreams with the clarity of madness. He set sail for Kausao City, for it was there that the rich and the corrupt had sent him out of to steal history from its rightful lands. In the short time he has been in Kausao CIty he has gathered an arsenal, and begun to prey on the tomb robbers and desacrators. Often the last a sky pirate or smuggler will see, is the shadow of the Watchtower as it descends upon them. He has taken the symbols of the Nohket, the flail and the Hawk, as his symbol. He is the Hawk, terror of the skies.

Portrayal: Grief Maddened Skyship Captain

Background: Knows the Skies Like the Back of His Hand

Inciting Incident: Reincarnated Godking of Nohket

Belief: History Is the Soul of the World

Trouble: Delusional Freedom Fighter

Professions: Explorer +3, Aristocrat and Scholar +2, Fighter and Scoundrel +1, Engineer +0

Assets

Device: Sky Ship Watchtower

Re-purposed long distance cargo hauler, this ship is quite large for its crew size, and has been outfitted for carrying valuable pieces of history. It contains many artifacts that have yet to be delivered back to their homelands, as well as provisions for long distance travel. It requires only a small crew to run her properly. Eshak won her in a game of cards with a fellow ne'er do well, back in his old pirate days.

Function Aspect: White Jade Airship

Features: Aspect (Massive Exploration Ship), Exceptional (instantly leave or appear in a scene,

as long as there’s a way in or out), Sturdy 1

Flaws: Demanding (requires a Fair [+2] Explorer roll to get the ship underway), Situational

(only with a crew of at least six members who are dedicated to the task of working the ship,

and nothing else)

Device: Nohket Style Wing Harness

In his visions, Eshak saw the kings of Nohket utilizing wings to ascend to their heavenlly palaces. When he arrived in Kausao, he had such wings made for him. They allow him to fly, but they also make him a target as he is a well known pirate and has recently begun hunting down the Governor's ships. The governor does like to have beautiful things, many of which were stolen from their respective peoples.

Function Aspect: White Jade Wings

Features: Sturdy 2(Two extra Stress boxes), Exceptional(Can appear and leave a scene at will by flying)

Flaws: Demanding 2(Takes a turn and an Explorer roll of +2 difficulty to start flying), Troubling(Hunted By The Governor's Forces)

Device: Kahtar's Royal Flail

As he had the wings crafted, he also had crafted a mighty flail. In his delusion, he discovered the flail in the tomb of his first incarnation. 

Function aspect: Blue Jade Flail

Features: Harmful 2(does two extra harm on a successful attack)

Flaws: Troubling(Illegal to Own Such a Weapon)

Techniques: Rage of the Ancients

When he is battle, he often has flashbacks to, "similar situations," that occurred in his, "previous lives." This grants him a fair degree of insight into his foes actions and tactical know-how. Though none can really explain why hallucinating would help him win battles. 

Guiding Aspect: Reincarnated Godking of Nohket

Features: Focus 2(+2 fighter)

Flaws: Situational(only with the flail), Troubling(Dangerously Delusional)

Ally: Watchtower’s Crew

The crew are loyal to Eshak. They really and truly are. However, they are quite concerned with his recent behavior. They are worried it will get worse. A man loses his wife, it is understandable he goes a little nuts, but this? This is different. They stay with him for now, but all are asking themselves, "How far is too far?"

Function Aspect: Crew of the Watchtower

Features: Professional 2 (Engineer +1, Exploration +2), Numerous 3 (eight crew members),

Resilient (one mild consequence), Sturdy (one stress box)

Flaws: Troubling Aspect (Do not trust their Captain Completely): The captain has clearly gone insane, the crew does not know what to do about it yet

Refresh 1

And that is my take on Hawkman for Jadepunk. What do you think? Any comments, critiques, or thoughts would be appreciated. Next I think I will do a version of the Green Arrow. 

Jianghu League: Lord of the Storm Sea

I have been getting a lot of likes and pluses and stuff with this series, so I thought I would continue on with it for a bit longer. These posts are all using the rules found in Jadepunk, available in electronic format right now! I have previously done Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and the Green Lantern. Today I am digging into that hero of heroes, Aquaman. BOOM!

Arthur, Lord of the Storm Sea
Python Mining Corporation is always looking for new ways to use jade, and new sources of jade. twenty years back, someone in the company came to the conclusion that the ocean floor was an untapped potential source of jade. Several development projects were started to deal with the issues of mining the ocean floor. The Aquaman Project was one such.

The goal was to make a human worker able to survive in the ocean for great lengths of time. They wanted to rebuild men into a slave race of jade miners at the bottom of the sea. The experiment was both a greater success and a greater failure than they could have anticipated. Their subject had phenomenal strength and endurance, could breath water, and even some sort of empathic bond with ocean life. However, they could not break his spirit. One year ago, their Aquaman destroyed the lab and ran away. Now they hunt him, seeking to take him apart and rediscover what they lost in his escape.

Arthur has only vague memories of his life before the experiments. He remembers being cold and hungry a lot. He remembers someone, maybe his mother, getting a large sum of money. He remembers that he had to leave with the men this lady gave him to. That is all he remembers from before. 15 years later he escaped. Arthur escaped the constant pain, the constant experimentation. He escaped into a world he could barely understand. For the last year he has been on the run from Python Mining, and the mercenaries they have hired to track him down. During his time in the world he has helped many people. Fishermen and sea captains speak of the Lord of the Storm Sea, a being of elemental power who brings the creatures of the sea to aid foundering ships.

Arthur has now arrived in Kausao after hearing of other people like him, the Jianghu. Hunted by the authorities, he makes his way as a hero of the people. If you need help, and if you can find him, maybe you can enlist the aid of the Aquaman.

Portrayal: Heart Of The Ocean
Background: Escaped Experiment
Inciting Incident: Never Again
Belief: People Must Be Free
Trouble: No Knowledge Of The World Of Men

Professions: Fighting +3, Explorer and Scoundrel +2, Scholar and Engineer +1, Aristocrat +0

Assets

Device: Blue and White Jade tattoos

These tattoos are of an intricate and archaic design. They allow the Aquaman to hold his breath indefinitly underwater(or nearly so) and withstand great pressure(the protective feature). They also had the side effect of allowing the Aquaman to exert some control over marine animal life(this falls under the allies, mechanically, but in fiction this is due to his tattoos) This design was the creation of a brilliant Jade Alchemist who died during Arthur's escape. These designs are the reason Python Mining is after him with such fervor.

Function Aspect: Experimental Jade Tattoos

Features: Protective 1(reduce shift value of attack against you by one), Exceptional(does not need to breath)

Flaws: Troubling(hunted by the Python Mining Corporation), Situational(only in water)

Allies: The Fish of the Seas

He controls marine life. This is kind of a lot of power. 

Function Aspect: Let My Armies Be The Fish In The Sea

Features: Professional( Fighter +1), Resilient 2(two minor consequences), Sturdy 2(4 stress boxes), Independent, Numerous 4(16 critters at a time)

Flaws: Situational(only in or near the water)

Refresh 2

Alrighty then, that was my take on a Jadepunk Aquaman. I am not entirely happy with how it turned out, though I cannot point to anything specific as to why. Any comments, concerns, or critiques would be most welcome. I can't improve if I cannot even see where I fail. Next I think I will do Green Arrow...Or Hawkman...or maybe the Flash? I don't know.

Jianghu League: The Lamplighter's Tale

In response to Jadepunk being released for sale as a PDF, I have been working on various versions of the iconic heroes of DC comic. So far I have done a version of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. Today I am digging into the elephant in the room for any system, the Green Lantern. Lets see how it goes.

Jordan, The Woman Without Fear

In Darkness, In sorrow

The Fear Maker came

The weak and the sick

Lamented his name

Then came the whisper

the glimmer of light

The lamplighter walking

In darkness to fight

~Translated fragment of the Lamplighter's Tale

In the legends of the Kaiyumi, there is on ehero who rises above the rest. When the ancient gods kept the world of man in darkness and ignorance, their came a being to aid man in his darkest hour. This being was the Lamplighter, the fire bringer, and the founder of the first empire. For his hubris, the gods cursed him and locked him in torment within a volcano for all time.

Now, this is just a story. Something to pass the time and share with friends. there is no truth to this story. Except recently, the people of Kausao and the surrounding lands have begun to tell tales of a phantom Lamplighter. When the people face danger or injustice, a shadowy figure bearing a green lantern steps forward and deals with the problem. No one knows who this man is, or how he is able to do the things credited to him, but he fits many descriptions of the Lamplighter from ancient stories.

The truth is both more mundane and far stranger. Jordan was born and raised in the deep desert, daughter to a great red jade mine owner. Had she been born a man, she would have been sent to the finest schools and trained in all the intellectual arts. Due to her father's attitudes about women, she was forced to train herself. Always tinkering, she learned many great secrets about Jade. Though her father would beat her when he caught her building, Jordan only sought more knowledge. Finally there came a fateful day, as there always does in such stories. The day she was to be wed to the man-nay, the boy her father had chosen for her. Standing at the crossroads, Jordan chose to no longer live in fear. She renounced her family name and left the lands of her father. 

In her travels she learned many things. New ways of utilizing Jade, new technologies, and all the cruelties of man. Jordan finally arrived in Kausao City, the home to the greatest minds in the world and the worst abuses of human dignity. She set to work at anything that would get her closer to the jade tech, closer to knowledge. She became a Jadetech tester. Her job was to test out new innovations in Jade. It was dangerous, but it payed well and she was able to see the cutting edges in Jadetech. 

Finally with enough money to do so, she began to experiment. Over the course of weeks, she built a magnificent Jadetech device. Something unheard of, a constructed intelligence. combining several of her other esoteric ideas for Jadetech, she assembled The Lamp. She was about to test it out, when there was an accident at Low Port. A cargo crane had fallen and crushed a warehouse and two ships. Without really thinking about it, she leaped in and used The Lamp to rescue the people trapped in the wreckage. And thus the legend of the Lamplighter began. 

Portrayal: Fearless Jadetech Engineer

Background: Hope Beats Despair

Inciting Incident: People Need My Help

Belief: Justice Is Its Own Reward

Trouble: They Will Misuse My Inventions

Professions: Engineer +3, Explorer and Scholar +2, Aristocrat and Fighter +1, Scoundrel +0

Assets

Device: The Lamp

Crafted from Green jade to give form to thought and energy, the Lamp is nearing the edges of what is possible with Jade, even in in the theoretical realms. At a basic level it allows the Lamplighter to create green energy constructs(through create advantage rolls). It can create anything that can be imagined. When in use it gives off an eerie green glow.

Function Aspect: Green Jade Energy Matrix

Features: Exceptional(can affect the whole zone), Exceptional(allows wielder to fly or move underwater unimpeded), Harmful 2(add two extra stress to a successful attack), Protective 2(reduce the shifts of incoming attack by two), Sturdy 2(device has two extra stress boxes)

Flaws: Demanding(must make a scholar roll vs a difficulty of +2 in order to utilize the device, for every scene you use it), Consuming(Must spend a Fate Point to use)

Ally: The heart of the lamp

At the center of the lamp lies a metal sphere laced with white jade wires and black jade switches. A constructed Intelligence. Its purpose is to provide the Lamplighter with information on anything he runs across. This almost breaks the rules of the game. with an edge case like this I would definitely get your GM's approval before moving forward with it. Basically this is an ally that the Lamplighter keeps on her person at all times and acts as a mobile library. It can be targeted and destroyed separately from the Lamp itself. If I were running this game I would probably make the two linked. If one breaks, the other no longer works, but that would be up to your table and how you want to use the system.

Function Aspect: Jade Crafted Intelligence

Features: Professional(scholar +1), Resilient(the heart has one minor consequence available), Sturdy(Has one stress box)

Flaws: Demanding(you must spend an action asking the Heart a question in order to gain access to its information)

Alright, then that is my take on a Jadepunk version of the Green Lantern. Oddly enough, the green lantern was pretty simple to do in this system. Let me know what you think, questions, comments, and concerns are all welcome. Next I will be working on the Lord of the Storms and Master of the Sea(Aquaman). There is enough water in the region, that I think we can even avoid the Aquaman problem. I am excited.

Jianghu League: In The Shadow of The Bat

In response to Jadepunk's release as a pdf, I began to build some characters for the game. I based them off certain Iconic DC heroes. So far I have done Superman and Wonder Woman. Today. Today we delve into the darkness of Kausao City. If ever there was a character designed for Kausao, this man is such a character. He is The Batman.

Wei Baatarsai, The Bat

Baatarsai was born to the owner of one of the finest Jadetech Engineering firms in all of Kausao, Wei-Tech Industrial. Over ten percent of all jade in the city was smelted in their Refineries, and Wei-Tech innovations were used in all forms of Jadetech. Life was good for the child Baatarsai, until that fateful night. On their way home from the opera his mother and father were robbed and killed in front of his very eyes. On that day he swore an oath to put a stop to all crime, so that no one else would ever need go through the pain he had just suffered.

Raised by his loyal manservant, Peng An, young Baatarsai set out to accomplish his task. He trained in martial arts, science, and psychology. In learning he discovered that crime was not merely a problem, but a symptom of a larger problem. He knew that as a man he could not be what the city needed. He would need to change the hearts of men, to do this he would need to become a symbol. Bringing hope to the downtrodden and fear to the criminal element. He became the Bat. A rumor in the night. A mad god that swooped down upon the guilty and freed the innocent. The City Watch are often driven to distraction by the graffiti of the bat, written on walls and buildings throughout the city. None suspect that the benevolent business man Wei Baatarsai is this creature of the night. He makes sure to appear as an idle son of a rich man, uninterested in anything but parties and women. Bon Vivant by day, Bat Vigilante by night.

Portrayal: Spirit of Justice

Background: Warrior Detective

Inciting Incident: Let no one suffer as I have suffered

Belief: Fear and Violence keep the Criminals at bay

Trouble: The People Still Suffer

Professions: Scoundrel +3, Fighter and Scholar +2, Engineer and Aristocrat +1, Explorer +0

Assets

Technique: The Way of the Bat

Trained from an early age by Peng An in several forms of martial arts, Baatarsai has developed his own unique style of fighting. It uses stealth and fear alongside sudden and brutal attacks to take his opponents out with minimal danger. As a master of the Way of the Bat, Baatarsai can read his opponents like a book and react with near superhuman speed to their actions.

Guiding Aspect: Fear and Violence Keep the Criminals at Bay

Features: Focus 1(+1 to fighter), Focus +1(Scoundrel +1)

Flaws: Situational(only in the shadows and darkness)

Device: Utility Belt

As the sole owner of Wei-Tech Industrial Baatarsai has access to a great many jadetech innovations. He carries a variety of cutting edge tools in a specially designed belt. It is the rare situation that he is not prepared for.

Function aspect: Utility Belt Full of Minor Jade devices

Features: Exceptional(when utilizing aspects related to gear gain a +3 rather than the normal +2)

Flaws: Demanding 2(Must take a turn and an engineering roll vs +2 difficulty in order to load up your belt, must be done after any scene where you utilize the utility belt more than once)

Technique: Master Detective
Guiding Aspect: Warrior Detective
Features: Flexible(can use scholar in place of explorer)
Flaws: Situational(only when dealing with crime and crime scenes)

Ally: Peng An

A former master of the martial arts, An gave up fighting to become a man of peace. After the death of his master, he sought to help you Baatarsai deal with his pain through the only thing An knew might help. He trained the lad in every form of martial arts he knew. Never had An seen a more gifted or dedicated pupil. Now he is old and he looks at Baatarsai's life's work with no small amount of pride. Though he doesn't say, Baatarsai loves his mentor, and fears for his safety now that the great work has begun.

Function Aspect: Wise and Loyal Manservant

Features: Aspect(Master of the Martial Arts), Professional 4(Scholar +1, Fighter +2, Aristocrat +1), Resilient 2(2 minor consequences), Sturdy(one Stress box)

Flaws: Troubling(The Bat's Hidden Weakness)

Refresh: 1

And there you have it, maybe not the Batman Kausao desires, but perhaps the Batman it needs. I was going to close this up here, but someone made a comment about green lantern, and I think I would like to try and work out how to do Green Lantern in Jadepunk. So next post, the lamp lighter's tale. Let me know what you think, comments, questions, and concerns are always welcome.

Jianghu League: Truth and Love

In honor of the recent release f Jadepunk, I started doing versions of DC superheroes that would work in Kausao City. Yesterday I did Superman, and it went over pretty well. Today we will delve in to the spirit of truth, the ambassador of love, Wonder Woman.

Mahni, Ambassador of Truth and Love
The Ahlmac have legends of the lands far to the south. Deep in the primordial jungles once roamed a people strong and peaceful, the Ter Praeta. They respected the land and made proper sacrifice to both Rapaev and Saivep. But even to such people, war must come. For the Ter Praeta this came in the form of Teltac, the skin stealers. The Teltac killed the Ter Praeta armies, the old, the infirm, and even the children. The women were to be enslaved. When the women saw this they prayed and made sacrifice to the moon goddess Saivep, for salvation. Saivep took pity on her people and made a way for them. Across the river Marjoa, where none may go, lies a great island. This is the land of the Ter Praeta. Only women, they are immortal priestesses and Warriors. So says the stories of the Ahlmac.

These stories are true.

Deep in the rain-forest in the center of the largest river on the planet, lies a hidden island of only women. Far advanced in the use of Jade and other technologies they have whiled away the centuries hidden in their home. But the discovery of Jadetech by the nations of the world has concerned the Council of Priestesses. Man's world is violent and filled with hate. They decided they must send out a scout, to see what the world would do with this dangerous technology. Mahni, daughter of the Voice of Saivep, was chosen for this task. She has only been in the realms of Man for a short while, but Mahni cannot stand by at all the cruelty and suffering she sees. With her weapons and her voice she has become a prominent member of The Jianghu, teaching of Truth and of Love, and standing up to those who would Hate or Decieve.

Portrayal: Chosen Of The Gods
Background: Princess of Peace
Inciting Incident: Man's World Is Filled With Hate
Belief: Truth Will Free Us
Trouble: Fearless and Unashamed

Professions: Aristocrat(+3), Fighter and Explorer(+2), Scholar and Engineer(+1), Scoundrel(+0)

Assets
Technique: Pytah-jovahn
Named after the goddess of war, who gifted this martial art to the Ter Praeta, this martial art focuses on, "shock and awe." It is an impressive art that plays on the psychology of the opponent as much as the body. Only the most pure and dedicated of the priestesses are aloud to learn this holy art. They are known for the ritual scars they carry on the backs of their hands, the mark of the goddess.

Guiding Aspect: Chosen of the Gods
Features: Focus 2(+2 to Fighter)
Flaws: Situational(When Outnumbered)

Device: Blessings of The Grandmother
Up the small river, Yanguai, lies the ruins of the First Men. Only one god of the First Men still exists, Grandmother River. She is an old protective god, who lets no impure person enter her domain. When Mahni was but a child, she heard stories of the First Men and went to look for them. This tickled teh Grandmother so much that she gave little Mahni a blessing, Armored bracers, made from a fine a delicate White Jade. They protect Mahni by allowing her hands to move fast enough to block any attack.

Function Aspect: Bracers of Protection
Features: Focus 2(+2 to Fighter), Sturdy 2(2 extra stress boxes on the bracers)
Flaws: Situational(only against ranged attacks)

Device: Necklace of Angatup
One of the greatest virtues of the Ter Praeta is Truth, personified in the god Angatup, the light in the darkness. In honor of Angatup the priestesses crafted the Necklace. It allows the person wearing it to gain the truth from a deceiver.

Function Aspect: Voice of Truth
Features: Focus 2(+2 Aristocrat)
Flaws: Situational(only when forcing someone to tell the truth)

Refresh: 3

And that is my take on a Jadepunk version of Wonder Woman. Let me know what you think. Next up, i will be doing a take on Batman. I think it is going to be fun, he has all kinds of awesome stuff. And I get to build an Ally, which I had not done prior.

Jianghu League: Year One

Now that Jadepunk is out for sale, I thought I would go through and design a couple of NPCs for it. To be extra fun I thought I would take the core concepts of the Big three from Justice league and build them as Jianghu.

Lord Johnathan Clark
The floating city of Kent was a bastion of peace and honor. Rich in white jade mines and a place of high learning. It was ruled over by the ruling house, Clark. Then came the ambitious General, Xiao, a mercenary who gathered power wherever he could. In one swift stroke he wiped out the Clark's and took control of the city. The Lord Clark was able to get his son secreted away prior to the attack. Now Johnathan lives as an exile in Kausao City. He found an ancient temple deep beneath the earth and there found the power to stand against Xiao and bullies like him.

Portrayal: Champion of the People
Background: True King of Kent
Inciting Incident: House Destroyed, Family Dead
Belief: The Strong Must Protect the Weak
Trouble: I cannot Save Them All

Professons: Explorer(+3), Fighter and Aristocrat(+2), Scholar and Engineer(+1), Scoundrel(+0)

Assets
Device: Raiment of Rao
In the hidden temple of Rao, buried deep beneath the City, Johnathan discovered an ancient Jadetech Power Suit. It is revolutionary and beyond what most alchemists are capable of even in this age of enlightenment. When in direct sunlight the suit allows the wearer to ride the beams of light and a degree of invulnerability. It is a strange mixture of Blue, Red and Black jade. Since he first stepped into the sky over Kausao, the rich and the criminal have been hunting him. They want, nay need, that suit and will do nearly anything to get it.

Function Aspect: Ancient Power Suit
Features: Exceptional(allows you tow fly, maneuver with explorer), Protective 2(reduce Shift Value of attacks against you by two), Sturdy 2(asset has 2 extra stress boxes)
Flaws: Situational(only in direct sunlight), Troubling(everyone wants the suit's secrets

Refresh: 1

And that is my first take on doing a version of superman for Kausao City. Let me know what you think. I will also be doing versions of Wonder Woman and Batman for Kausao. I would love any ideas on how you all think that should work.

Where The Antelope Play: My Personal Old School Renaisance

It has been a while since I last posted. For that, my dear readers I apologize. Life has gotten in the way, as it so often does and I have less and less time to do all the things that bring me joy. That being said, I have not been Idle this last month or so. I have been writing a couple of short stories that I hope to publish soon. I have been plugging away at Jade World(Jadepunk for the Apocalypse Engine) and a major adventure for Jadepunk. Also Jadepunk has just been released for sale in pdf format! How exciting is that?!? Once those projects are done, I have a couple more I am working on, for Jadepunk and for another game that I have been asked to help out on. Busy busy, all the time around here. All that being said, I will try and post more on this blog and hopefully get more than one or two posts a month going on up in here.

I know that you all know of my love, nay obsession, with Gonzo Post Apocalyptic madness. I cut my teeth on After the Bomb, Gamma World, and all sorts of other games, like that. Heck I even built Omnis Mundi, my Fate Post Post-Apocalypse campaign setting. All of that was well and good, but it failed to scratch that itch in just the right way. It is fun, and it does exactly what it said it was going to do, but it felt...too unified. It lacked the craziness that stemmed from the mechanics I loved as a kid.

While all of these thoghts were going on I felt the urge to reread some of my old books, from back when I started gaming. I pulled out my copy of Rifts, dog eared, battered, and curling. I started reading through it. In fact I am currently doing a read through of Rifts over on rpg.net. In reading through it, and writing down my thoughts as I went, i discovered some things. There were parts of that game that I really loved. Parts that are hard to duplicate in the games I play now. So I dug down into my early books and started to suss out what it was I loved about those games. And a great deal of what I loved was the weirdness of the rules, how swingy and random it was. I loved the random tables and the house rules we had to build to shore up these older games. Mostly I loved the sincerity of the games. These games may not have been amazing, though some were, but they lacked that ironic streak to them. They are pure in a way taht is hard to describe, but you know it when you see it.

And then I began to write.

Over the course of a weekend I managed to write something like eleven thousand words. It was game design, sure, but it was stream of consciousness game design. Since that fateful weekend I have gone back and tweaked a thing here or fleshed out a bit there, and it is almost playable. Actually it is completely playable as it stands. However it lacks a few things I will add in later.

So here it is the game I wrote in a weekend. I would love to here what you think. I have left it open to comments, should you wish to make them directly to the game document. If you play it, i would love to hear how the games go.

Where The Antelope Play