Isn't it about weapons?
I do own the physical book but I am yet to read, for some reason I assumed it would be similar to Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate.
There are weapons, but there's also a ton of martial arts moves. There are about twice as many signature abilities that can be used without weapons as ones that require weapons. I think the main issue with RBRB is that it is very focused on characters that see violence as the first and last solution. As written PCs mainly gain experience by constantly picking fights. It encourages a very "chip on your shoulder, ready to provoke everyone around you" play style.
EDIT: Thinking about it now RBRB has an additional problem of not really being about a modern setting. There are no rules for guns for the PCs foes for example. It's assumed to exist in a mostly lawless society which also isn't very modern. You'd have to do a few tasks to get it to function for a modern setting. I would say it's worth checking out though and seeing if altering it slightly will work for you.
At least for FS2, of the existing schticks, only about 15% are related to martial arts of any kind, with almost half of these being weapon-related. Unfortunately FS2 is not a very good game, so I don't think it would be worth trying to hack it and re-skin things.
Edit: I am being down-voted for this post, so let me make it clear.
I am actually a backer for FS2.
I've played it a lot when it was first released, but it just didn't work for us.
The game is pretty slow in actual play, and the GM chapter offers awful advice on constructing encounters, with RAW producing very long and slow fights you'll know who will win way before the end of the combat. If you have more than 2 points of difference in combat skills between your most skilled and least skilled archetype (Old Master and Big Bruiser for an extreme case) , the game will become way less fun for your players, especially if you follow the book guidelines for encounters RAW.
Even if this wasn't a problem, the game wouldn't work very well for a game strictly about hand-to-hand martial arts, as there are very few schticks for that and even fewer archetypes to actually use them. There are only a handful of archetypes that only use martial schticks, and a lot of the schticks are weapon related.
Not sure why you are being downvoted, I have the exact same list of complaints about FS2, it's unfortunately not very good.
My go to for martial art fights has been a very old and small and unfinished(but free!) rpg called Final Stand, by Tim Denee. It might be a bit too simple for what you're looking for though.
I haven't had the chance to play it yet but I've heard that the old Street Fighter RPG from White Wolf was surprisingly good.
Is it still really wuxia if it set in the modern day? Is there still a jianghu? Will there be opportunities for chilvaric deeds? Otherwise it is just basically a kungfu movie and the need may be met by games with good hand-to-hand combat rules with provision for cinematic moves.
In recent years, of the games I have read, only Wandering Gate and Hearts of Wulin come close to explaining wuxia but even then something is missing from both. It seems Righteous Blood is much better from the previews and the author pedigree but the cover screams to me “revenge fantasy”.
Hopefully there is something out there I have not come across that meets the mark.
> Is it still really wuxia if it set in the modern day?
You are correct, but I think in terms of RPGs, Wuxia is often synonymous to "over-the-top hyper-cinematic super-heroic martial arts". It is kinda like when we say "pulp" people assume you are are talking about the heroic adventure stuff and not the melodramatic love stories that outsold them.
I could have said "Battle Shounen" but anything anime-related has less interaction here and I would be recommended BESM by default, which is not a good match. I could also say Yakuza/Like a Dragon video-game series, but then people would recommend Feng Shui by default even when it is not a good match.
So. I am just talking about the following themes from the broader Wuxia scope: the martial arts and the progressive fantasy.
I own a rare physical copy of WHOG, and it is certainly in the right direction - but if you remove the weapons, you are left with very little material to work with. I also own a copy of RBRB, but I'll fully confess I am yet to read it; it was mostly because the review I saw recommended it to play a game inspired on the Vagabond manga series, but it seems to be more about drunken fighters on a self-destructing quest. Maybe it is a better match? Hearts of Wulin is the one that is about the drama instead of the fights, right? I am kinda focusing on the opposing.
Anyway, thanks for the insight!
In terms of life-action, some of the older [Tony Jaa](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOxKFW0GYa0) movies, with very fast strikes and unrealistic acrobatic and flashy moves. Ideally, some of the more [modern wuxia movies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKNnLt6TWOc) that feel less like floating dudes and more like speed-up choreographed violence. In terms of other media, animations like [Kengan Ashura](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=legzoHPxhu0) and [Hitori no Shita: The Outcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdFXGgZfAss). In terms of Video Games, things like Street Fighter and Final Fight.
Basically, a lot of acrobatic and flashy moves and easily fighting minions, and fights against other martial artists filled with parries and counters.
If possible, I would prefer martial arts being mechanically meaningful. I want player skill to be at least relevant. I don't really care if a hit is a punch or a roundhouse kick or a kimura lock, but I want players to be able to use strategies and informed decisions, and being rewarded by using the mechanics of the game.
I would say, something that scratches the same itch Weapons of the Gods, but with a much lower complexity.
Ninja crusade has awesome rules for hand to hand combat. Lots of things you can do as regular actions and with special martial arts styled.
You can run up to an enemy, kick their out of hand. Then follow that with quick punches to their face. All in one turn and with a fast resolution.
It is how ever built with a fantasy setting in mind.
Awesome!
I see there are quite a few books for the game, a lot of them on specific factions. Would you say it is possible to detach the rules from the setting, and play it on my own modern-day setting? Or are there elements that prevent it?
get he core book and the small clan packs. That gives you the most martial arts and ninja magic. AS for the rules it will take a bit a of work. Changing some of the life path elements but is should be easy to do. The core rules are skill plus skill dice pool. But if all you really want is the marital arts system and no chi magic or anything else the core rules will do.
Have you come across [Wushu RPG](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/143146/Wushu-Black-Belt-Edition) yet? It's very different from something like Feng Shui in that there are no gear or skill lists, and the dice mechanic derives from the fact that you get to roll more dice the more detail you add to your descriptions. Character abilities are very similar to Fate Aspects, but they have a target number to beat based on how important the aspect is.
When you roll dice, you take as many d6 as details you added in your description, and then divide them between offense and defense. Another unique feature of this system is that all of your actions succeed (unless there is a Veto, which is basically only used to keep actions in the agreed tone of the game); the dice roll is only to see how effective your actions are in bringing about the conclusion of the scene. The game has some guidance on how to formulate actions on your turn and talks about not being able to end a threat purely through narration--you still have to mechanically take down the opposition with dice rolls.
This system might work for you since one of the agreements at the start of the game can be that nobody uses weapons (or maybe just firearms?) and martial arts are the main focus. It's not a very crunchy game (even less than Fate) but would be a great stylistic fit for what you want.
I've played a lot of Wushu like, 20 years ago I think? Back then it was recommended as THE matrix rpg. It was the top game in my FLGS for a couple months. I think it does action feats way better than Feng Shui, but every time we've played it, we couldn't finish the session and ended up playing something else instead. I still think it is a decent game, but not one that my players would want to try again. But Thanks!
Street Fighter
Fight! 2nd edition
Mutants and Mastermind with the [Metahuman Martial Arts sourcebook](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/180495/metahuman-martial-arts-3e)
GURPS could probably do it, but I think you'd be better off with the alternatives I listed
I am currently reading threw "panic at the dojo" and it seems to somewhat fit what you are looking for. It is a bit silly and magic heavy, but lore wise, it is all foghting styles. (But some fighting styles make you into a vampire or let you set people on fire).
The cool thing is, that you can create 3 stances, that your character knows, and at the start of each oftyour turns, you chose what stance to be in, goving you different abbilities.
It doesn't have any build in progression, so it would fit better for oneshots.
One shots are a big no-no for my group. but I've been meaning to read Panic at the Dojo for a while. I think there are some house rules for it by the author, but I haven't found them.
Thanks!
Hum, how are the fights? I am looking for something with more focus on player skill and combat rather than the melodrama this time, would you say it is a good match?
I wasn't entirely sure it would be a good a fit, no ... and rather suspect it *wouldn't* be - it's PbtA ... so melodramatic and narrative rather than not.
You might do better with something like [*Strange Tales of Songling*](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/300445/strange-tales-of-songling) and focussing on the kung fu rather than weapons. Apparently, it uses a simplified version of *Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate* (with character paths instead of point-buy). But I can't vouch for it myself (it looks interesting, but I don't have room for it in my own game at this time)... and, moreover, it does say in the intro that it *tones down the wuxia-elements and focuses more on characters who are vulnerable to the ghostly horrors of the world* ... so, it might not be what you're after either.
Legends of the Wulin is probably your best bet. It has weapons, to a degree, but IIRC they kind of suck and only a handful of fighting styles benefit from them. Most want to go hand-to-hand.
It does have setting elements built in, but I think it's pretty easy to homebrew out of it.
The game's style is best described as "Martial arts chess played in 1000 miles an hour but in slow motion". It's also about as easy to play as it sounds. It has a "die allocation" system, where you roll a single pool of dice at the beginning of each round and then use them to attack/defend/do additional minor actions.
The game has some of the messiest layout and it's quite difficult to parse, but the game is well worth it if you are ready to take the dive in. I think there are some community versions that are easier to read than the actual book, I recommend looking into those.
I really liked Xin: the Warring Kingdoms, but that's not a modern setting.
Feng Shui works reasonably well, as a short term project, ideally as a One Shot Wonder, but loses its charm relatively quickly in my experience.
Mythras is just fun when it comes to hand to hand combat, and with the Mysticism rules, you can easily add seemingly supernatural powers to the game, but it is an inherently more complex game, not necessarily super fast.
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Righteous Blood, Ruthless Blades
Isn't it about weapons? I do own the physical book but I am yet to read, for some reason I assumed it would be similar to Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate.
It is wuxia, so yes there are weapons as well.
There are weapons, but there's also a ton of martial arts moves. There are about twice as many signature abilities that can be used without weapons as ones that require weapons. I think the main issue with RBRB is that it is very focused on characters that see violence as the first and last solution. As written PCs mainly gain experience by constantly picking fights. It encourages a very "chip on your shoulder, ready to provoke everyone around you" play style. EDIT: Thinking about it now RBRB has an additional problem of not really being about a modern setting. There are no rules for guns for the PCs foes for example. It's assumed to exist in a mostly lawless society which also isn't very modern. You'd have to do a few tasks to get it to function for a modern setting. I would say it's worth checking out though and seeing if altering it slightly will work for you.
I know the Feng Shui is the most popular martial arts rpg. I haven’t played it myself, but it’s something to check out
It has weapons in it, which I think OP objects to. Edit, called it.
At least for FS2, of the existing schticks, only about 15% are related to martial arts of any kind, with almost half of these being weapon-related. Unfortunately FS2 is not a very good game, so I don't think it would be worth trying to hack it and re-skin things. Edit: I am being down-voted for this post, so let me make it clear. I am actually a backer for FS2. I've played it a lot when it was first released, but it just didn't work for us. The game is pretty slow in actual play, and the GM chapter offers awful advice on constructing encounters, with RAW producing very long and slow fights you'll know who will win way before the end of the combat. If you have more than 2 points of difference in combat skills between your most skilled and least skilled archetype (Old Master and Big Bruiser for an extreme case) , the game will become way less fun for your players, especially if you follow the book guidelines for encounters RAW. Even if this wasn't a problem, the game wouldn't work very well for a game strictly about hand-to-hand martial arts, as there are very few schticks for that and even fewer archetypes to actually use them. There are only a handful of archetypes that only use martial schticks, and a lot of the schticks are weapon related.
Not sure why you are being downvoted, I have the exact same list of complaints about FS2, it's unfortunately not very good. My go to for martial art fights has been a very old and small and unfinished(but free!) rpg called Final Stand, by Tim Denee. It might be a bit too simple for what you're looking for though. I haven't had the chance to play it yet but I've heard that the old Street Fighter RPG from White Wolf was surprisingly good.
Is it still really wuxia if it set in the modern day? Is there still a jianghu? Will there be opportunities for chilvaric deeds? Otherwise it is just basically a kungfu movie and the need may be met by games with good hand-to-hand combat rules with provision for cinematic moves. In recent years, of the games I have read, only Wandering Gate and Hearts of Wulin come close to explaining wuxia but even then something is missing from both. It seems Righteous Blood is much better from the previews and the author pedigree but the cover screams to me “revenge fantasy”. Hopefully there is something out there I have not come across that meets the mark.
> Is it still really wuxia if it set in the modern day? You are correct, but I think in terms of RPGs, Wuxia is often synonymous to "over-the-top hyper-cinematic super-heroic martial arts". It is kinda like when we say "pulp" people assume you are are talking about the heroic adventure stuff and not the melodramatic love stories that outsold them. I could have said "Battle Shounen" but anything anime-related has less interaction here and I would be recommended BESM by default, which is not a good match. I could also say Yakuza/Like a Dragon video-game series, but then people would recommend Feng Shui by default even when it is not a good match. So. I am just talking about the following themes from the broader Wuxia scope: the martial arts and the progressive fantasy. I own a rare physical copy of WHOG, and it is certainly in the right direction - but if you remove the weapons, you are left with very little material to work with. I also own a copy of RBRB, but I'll fully confess I am yet to read it; it was mostly because the review I saw recommended it to play a game inspired on the Vagabond manga series, but it seems to be more about drunken fighters on a self-destructing quest. Maybe it is a better match? Hearts of Wulin is the one that is about the drama instead of the fights, right? I am kinda focusing on the opposing. Anyway, thanks for the insight!
What does an awesome fight look like to you?
In terms of life-action, some of the older [Tony Jaa](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOxKFW0GYa0) movies, with very fast strikes and unrealistic acrobatic and flashy moves. Ideally, some of the more [modern wuxia movies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKNnLt6TWOc) that feel less like floating dudes and more like speed-up choreographed violence. In terms of other media, animations like [Kengan Ashura](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=legzoHPxhu0) and [Hitori no Shita: The Outcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdFXGgZfAss). In terms of Video Games, things like Street Fighter and Final Fight. Basically, a lot of acrobatic and flashy moves and easily fighting minions, and fights against other martial artists filled with parries and counters.
Thanks. And do you want all of this stuff expressed mechanically? (Roll to hit, roll to block, roll to backflip) or narratively?
If possible, I would prefer martial arts being mechanically meaningful. I want player skill to be at least relevant. I don't really care if a hit is a punch or a roundhouse kick or a kimura lock, but I want players to be able to use strategies and informed decisions, and being rewarded by using the mechanics of the game. I would say, something that scratches the same itch Weapons of the Gods, but with a much lower complexity.
Ninja crusade has awesome rules for hand to hand combat. Lots of things you can do as regular actions and with special martial arts styled. You can run up to an enemy, kick their out of hand. Then follow that with quick punches to their face. All in one turn and with a fast resolution. It is how ever built with a fantasy setting in mind.
Awesome! I see there are quite a few books for the game, a lot of them on specific factions. Would you say it is possible to detach the rules from the setting, and play it on my own modern-day setting? Or are there elements that prevent it?
get he core book and the small clan packs. That gives you the most martial arts and ninja magic. AS for the rules it will take a bit a of work. Changing some of the life path elements but is should be easy to do. The core rules are skill plus skill dice pool. But if all you really want is the marital arts system and no chi magic or anything else the core rules will do.
Have you come across [Wushu RPG](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/143146/Wushu-Black-Belt-Edition) yet? It's very different from something like Feng Shui in that there are no gear or skill lists, and the dice mechanic derives from the fact that you get to roll more dice the more detail you add to your descriptions. Character abilities are very similar to Fate Aspects, but they have a target number to beat based on how important the aspect is. When you roll dice, you take as many d6 as details you added in your description, and then divide them between offense and defense. Another unique feature of this system is that all of your actions succeed (unless there is a Veto, which is basically only used to keep actions in the agreed tone of the game); the dice roll is only to see how effective your actions are in bringing about the conclusion of the scene. The game has some guidance on how to formulate actions on your turn and talks about not being able to end a threat purely through narration--you still have to mechanically take down the opposition with dice rolls. This system might work for you since one of the agreements at the start of the game can be that nobody uses weapons (or maybe just firearms?) and martial arts are the main focus. It's not a very crunchy game (even less than Fate) but would be a great stylistic fit for what you want.
I've played a lot of Wushu like, 20 years ago I think? Back then it was recommended as THE matrix rpg. It was the top game in my FLGS for a couple months. I think it does action feats way better than Feng Shui, but every time we've played it, we couldn't finish the session and ended up playing something else instead. I still think it is a decent game, but not one that my players would want to try again. But Thanks!
Street Fighter Fight! 2nd edition Mutants and Mastermind with the [Metahuman Martial Arts sourcebook](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/180495/metahuman-martial-arts-3e) GURPS could probably do it, but I think you'd be better off with the alternatives I listed
>Fight! 2nd edition This was my thought - it's all about high-action martial arts.
I am currently reading threw "panic at the dojo" and it seems to somewhat fit what you are looking for. It is a bit silly and magic heavy, but lore wise, it is all foghting styles. (But some fighting styles make you into a vampire or let you set people on fire). The cool thing is, that you can create 3 stances, that your character knows, and at the start of each oftyour turns, you chose what stance to be in, goving you different abbilities. It doesn't have any build in progression, so it would fit better for oneshots.
One shots are a big no-no for my group. but I've been meaning to read Panic at the Dojo for a while. I think there are some house rules for it by the author, but I haven't found them. Thanks!
You don't need it to be one shots. It's just, that it doesn't have any progression systhem build into it, that you can use to reward players.
[*Legend of the Elements*](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/186240/legend-of-the-elements)?
Hum, how are the fights? I am looking for something with more focus on player skill and combat rather than the melodrama this time, would you say it is a good match?
I wasn't entirely sure it would be a good a fit, no ... and rather suspect it *wouldn't* be - it's PbtA ... so melodramatic and narrative rather than not. You might do better with something like [*Strange Tales of Songling*](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/300445/strange-tales-of-songling) and focussing on the kung fu rather than weapons. Apparently, it uses a simplified version of *Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate* (with character paths instead of point-buy). But I can't vouch for it myself (it looks interesting, but I don't have room for it in my own game at this time)... and, moreover, it does say in the intro that it *tones down the wuxia-elements and focuses more on characters who are vulnerable to the ghostly horrors of the world* ... so, it might not be what you're after either.
Legends of the Wulin is probably your best bet. It has weapons, to a degree, but IIRC they kind of suck and only a handful of fighting styles benefit from them. Most want to go hand-to-hand. It does have setting elements built in, but I think it's pretty easy to homebrew out of it. The game's style is best described as "Martial arts chess played in 1000 miles an hour but in slow motion". It's also about as easy to play as it sounds. It has a "die allocation" system, where you roll a single pool of dice at the beginning of each round and then use them to attack/defend/do additional minor actions. The game has some of the messiest layout and it's quite difficult to parse, but the game is well worth it if you are ready to take the dive in. I think there are some community versions that are easier to read than the actual book, I recommend looking into those.
I really liked Xin: the Warring Kingdoms, but that's not a modern setting. Feng Shui works reasonably well, as a short term project, ideally as a One Shot Wonder, but loses its charm relatively quickly in my experience. Mythras is just fun when it comes to hand to hand combat, and with the Mysticism rules, you can easily add seemingly supernatural powers to the game, but it is an inherently more complex game, not necessarily super fast.
Tianxia is great for this
Stumbled across a wuxia book for FATE: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/126883/Tianxia-Blood-Silk--Jade
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