Copyright 2004 Grant Gigee GPG 1000

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Slayer of Dragon RPG Copyright 2004, Grant Gigee
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SLAYER OF DRAGON RPG
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Slayer of Dragon RPG: Basic Edition NAME:
Copyright (c) 2004 Grant Gigee ROLE:
POWER STAMINA
threegee@ponymail.com QUICKNESS INITIATIVE
http://gravitypress.indie-rpgs.com/ CHI ENERGY

“insanity is a gift.” VOID POINTS CHAR. POINTS

Cover Illustration: Raven Daegmorgan TECHNIQUES & MOVES

http://www.daegmorgan.net/

Slayer of Dragon RPG is produced under version 1.0a of the Open

Game License by permission of Wizards of the Coast.

Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby

designated as Product Identity in accordance with Section 1(e) of the
Open Game License, version 1.0a: the names Slayer and Slayer of
Dragon RPG, Slayer of Dragon logo, Introduction, Gamemaster Advice,
and Resources. The above Product Identity is not Open Game Content.

Designation of Open Game Content: Subject to the Product

Identity designation above, the following portions of Slayer of Dragon
RPG: Basic Edition are designated as Open Game Content: Building a
Character, The Basics, Conflict, Techniques, and Improving the
Character.

Open Game Content portions of this book are hereby added to Open
Game Content, and if so used, should bear the COPYRIGHT NOTICE
“Slayer of Dragon RPG Copyright (c) 2004 Grant Gigee.” This material
is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.
Any reproduction, retransmission, or unauthorized use of the artwork
or non-Open Game Content herein is prohibited without express
written permission from Grant Gigee, except for purposes of review,
use of Open Game Content consistent with the Open Game License, or
as described herein. The author grants permission to produce and/or
distribute exact unmodified copies of this work in electronic or other
format.

This document is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people,

organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.

0 1 2 3 4 5
1 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+ Fail
2 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+
3 Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12
4 Crit Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10
5 Crit Crit Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8

SLAYER OF DRAGON RPG © 2004 GRANT GIGEE

PERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOPY
NAME: JUBAI SEVEN-SWAN TAIL TABLE OF CONTENTS
ROLE: PACIFIST MARTIAL-ARTS INSTRUCTOR
Introduction................................................................................ 4
Building a Character .................................................................... 5
POWER 2 STAMINA 2 The Basics .................................................................................. 7
QUICKNESS 3 INITIATIVE D8 Scene ..................................................................................... 7
CHI 2 ENERGY 2 Role ....................................................................................... 7
Void Points .............................................................................. 7
Star Power .............................................................................. 8
VOID POINTS 3 CHAR. POINTS
Conflict Scene ......................................................................... 8
Conflict ...................................................................................... 9
TECHNIQUES & MOVES Rolling Dice ............................................................................. 9
Attacks ..................................................................................10
PUNCH 1 Understanding the Move Descriptions ........................................11
PUNCH – 2 / 2 Stunts ...................................................................................11
Scope ....................................................................................12
Initiative & Taking Actions ........................................................12
KICK 1
Techniques ................................................................................15
KICK – 1 / 3 Punch ....................................................................................16
Kick.......................................................................................17
WRESTLE 4 Wrestle ..................................................................................18
WRESTLE – 4 / 1, HOLD Block .....................................................................................19
KNEE – 3 / 3 Gun-Fu ..................................................................................20
Stick .....................................................................................21
SWEEP – 3 / 2, KNOCK-DOWN
Sword....................................................................................22
JOINT LOCK – 3 / 2, HOLD Dim Mak ................................................................................23
BODYSLAM – 2 / 4 Rage .....................................................................................24
REVERSE SUPLEX – 2 / 3, KNOCK-DOWN Stealth ..................................................................................25
CHOKE – 2 / 3, HOLD Earth .....................................................................................26
Air ........................................................................................27
Fire .......................................................................................28
BLOCK 2 Water ....................................................................................29
BLOCK Designing New Moves ..............................................................30
WARY DEFENSE, +1 VS 1 TECHNIQUE, -1 VS ALL OTHERS Improving the Character .............................................................31
Gamemaster Advice....................................................................32
Conflict Scenes .......................................................................32
Other Scenes..........................................................................33
Arbitration..............................................................................34
Flashbacks, Cut-scenes, and So On ...........................................34
Thanks ..................................................................................35
Sample Story “On Their Own” ......................................................36
Resources..................................................................................39

0 1 2 3 4 5
1 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+ Fail
2 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+
3 Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12
4 Crit Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10
5 Crit Crit Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8

SLAYER OF DRAGON RPG © 2004 GRANT GIGEE

PERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOPY

42 3
 INTRODUCTION NAME: SARAH WHITE-LILY
ROLE: CURIOUS REPORTER
Slayer of Dragon RPG, or Slayer for short, is a game. It might also be
an experience. It should probably lead to the sorts of stories that you
want to tell all your friends. But, ultimately, it is a game. Slayer is a POWER 1 STAMINA 1
game about martial arts. It is a game about the power men hold when QUICKNESS 4 INITIATIVE d6
everything else has been taken away. In Slayer, you will be playing a CHI 2 ENERGY 2
character who has studied martial arts and now finds himself in a
situation demanding action. These rules have been largely influenced
VOID POINTS 3 CHAR. POINTS 3
by Hong Kong movies, but creative folk such as yourself will surely
find other genres to play with.
TECHNIQUES & MOVES
Slayer is not about martial science. If there are rules for something, it
is only because that something is cool. Cool enough to spend time PUNCH 1
talking about it. Everything else is fluff. PUNCH 2 / 1
Slayer of Dragon RPG is an effects-based toolkit for you to use as you
KICK 3
see fit. Slayer Basic presented a simplified version of these rules
suitable for quick play, but you will find more extensive material here
KICK – 3 / 2
in support of serial play (campaigns). It is probably not a good idea to SNAP KICK – 4 / 1
use all of the material at once. ROUNDHOUSE – 2 / 3
SWEEP – 3 / 1, KNOCK-DOWN
Slayer has been a long time in development, and in that time, a DOUBLE HIT KICK – 3 / 1, 1 ENERGY, 2 ATTACKS
number of people have helped me to develop my ideas about what
Slayer should be. I would like to thank my friends and colleagues
AXE KICK – 1 / 4
Barak Blackburn, Raven Daegmorgan, Brendan Doherty, Kevin TRIPLE KICK – 2 / 1, 2 ENERGY, 3 ATTACKS
Doherty, Christoffer Lerno, Robert Ogden, Jason Rumpff, and Jared
Sorensen. All of them have contributed to this game in one way or WRESTLE 2
another. WRESTLE – 2 / 0, HOLD
KNEE – 1 / 2
SUPLEX – 1 / 1, KNOCK-DOWN
JOINT LOCK – 1/ 1, HOLD

BLOCK 2
BLOCK
WARY DEFENSE, +1 VS 1 TECHNIQUE, -1 VS ALL OTHERS

0 1 2 3 4 5
1 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+ Fail
2 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+
3 Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12
4 Crit Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10
5 Crit Crit Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8

SLAYER OF DRAGON RPG © 2004 GRANT GIGEE

PERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOPY

4 41
NAME: MING THE CLAW BUILDING A CHARACTER
ROLE: BRASH COP
Let’s get right to it. You want to play, and you need a character. Well,
step right on up. I have just what you need.
POWER 3 STAMINA 3
QUICKNESS 2 INITIATIVE d10 First, discuss with the rest of the group, including the Mad Overlord
CHI 2 ENERGY 2 (that’s the gamemaster), the direction of the story. You should have
an idea what sort of character to make before going ahead with the
task. In keeping with the theme of the story, the Overlord will decide
VOID POINTS 3 CHAR. POINTS 0
which advanced techniques will be available. By doing so, he is
indicating additional lines of challenge for the party, and these extra
TECHNIQUES & MOVES options should be taken seriously. If anyone has questions about what
will be expected, now is the time to ask.
PUNCH 4
PUNCH – 5 / 3 Okay then, here we go. First, you need to buy your attributes. The
JAB – 6 / 2 following chart gives you an idea of how good a given attribute rating is:
HOOK – 4 / 4 1 Poor
UPPERCUT – 3 / 5 2 Typical
DOUBLE STRIKE – 5 / 2, 1 ENERGY, 2 ATTACKS 3 Good
DOUBLE AXE HANDLE – 3 / 6 4 Great
FISTS OF FURY – 4 / 2, 2 ENERGY, 3 ATTACKS 5 Inhuman

There are three attributes: Power, Quickness, and Chi, and you have 7
KICK 2 points to spread among them. Each attribute needs at least one point
KICK – 2 / 4 (otherwise, your character is a cripple), and you may not spend more
SNAP KICK – 3 / 3 than four points on a single attribute.
ROUNDHOUSE – 1 / 4
SWEEP – 2 / 3, KNOCK-DOWN Second, there are four basic techniques: Punch, Kick, Wrestle, and
Block. Every character starts the game with a rating of 1 in each of
DOUBLE HIT KICK – 2 / 3, 1 ENERGY, 2 ATTACKS these techniques. You have 20 points to spend on any available
techniques (including the basic four), but you must pay points equal to
WRESTLE 1 the desired level times itself. You are not required to spend every
WRESTLE – 1 / 2, HOLD available point, and the remainder become Character Points, which are
used for future improvements, as explained under Improving the
BLOCK 1 Character on page 31. Your character does not know any advanced
moves (moves above level three), even if you buy level four of a
technique, but write down on the character sheet the basic moves that
he knows. See the Techniques section on page 15 for more
information.

These will be described in detail under Conflict, but your character’s

Stamina equals his Power, his Energy equals his Chi, and his Initiative
is based on his Quickness, as described on page 12.

0 1 2 3 4 5 Finally, write down an adjective and a noun to describe the Role your
1 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+ Fail character will play in this story. For example: country doctor, foreign-
2 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+
3 Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12
educated student, or wandering monk. This Role determines what
4 Crit Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 sorts of skills your character possesses.
5 Crit Crit Crit 2–4 4–6 6–8

SLAYER OF DRAGON RPG © 2004 GRANT GIGEE

PERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOPY

40 5
EXAMPLE:
Ming the Claw
RESOURCES
ROLEPLAYING GAMES
Power: 3
NINJA BURGER
Quickness: 2 That’s seven points. None left over.
http://www.ninjaburger.com/rpg/
Chi: 2
STREET FIGHTER: THE ROLEPLAYING GAME
Punch: 4 16 points
http://mu.ranter.net/rpg/sfstg.html
Kick: 2 4 points
Wrestle: 1
FINAL STAND
Block: 1 20 points.
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/timdenee/FinalStand.pdf
Ming is a pretty one-sided character, but what he does, he does well,
DRAGON FIST
and that is beating people senseless with his bare fists.
http://www.greenronin.com/
EXAMPLE:
THRASH
Sarah White-lily
http://www.blackbird.nu/thrash/
Power: 1
LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS ROLEPLAYING GAME
Quickness: 4 Seven points again.
http://l5r.alderac.com/rpg/
Chi: 2
OCTANE
Punch: 1
http://www.memento-mori.com/octane/
Kick: 3 9 points
Wrestle: 2 4 points
DRAGON SUN : JAZZ NINJA
Block: 2 4 points
http://gravitypress.indie-rpgs.com/
17 points. Three left over.
FILMS
Sarah is physically unthreatening, but she is quick on her feet and has Fist of Legend
a number of talents to draw on. She also has three character points, Twin Warriors
which go toward building the character further. The Legend
Romeo Must Die
Drunken Master
Seven Samurai
The Matrix
Bloodsport
Hard Boiled
The Killer

WEBSITES
http://illuminatedlantern.com/
http://www.entertheninja.com/
http://www.realultimatepower.net/
http://lieske.com/5e-intro.htm
http://www.ronlim.com/martial.html
http://www.deathvalleydriver.com/bbbowm/bbbowm.htm

6 39
Power; feel free to boost his techniques as well to make the fight more
even.
Given their numeric superiority, the PCs should be able to overwhelm
Nanashi, who will reveal he is part of the Scorpion clan, who have
been plotting to take over the town. They have made false promises to
the Horse Clan and its master, claiming to seek peaceful relations with
the community. Ichiro believed them when they claimed to need a
powerful ally in town with whom they could do business. Unknown to
the Horse Clan, Nanashi infiltrated the clan some time ago, posing as a
simple student to keep an eye on the clan while the overt Scorpion
representatives negotiated with Ichiro.
The Scorpion plot having been revealed, a confrontation will be
inevitable. The party should seize the initiative and attack the Scorpion
Clan before the clan learns of Nanashi’s mistake, but if they take the
defensive approach, more ninjas will attempt to take control of the
school.
Should the PCs attack the Scorpion Clan dojo, they will find that it is a
maze of rooms filled with training ninja.
SCORPION CLAN NINJA
Power 2 Punch 2 Star Power 1
Quickness 3 Kick 3
Chi 2 Wrestle 2
Block 2
In addition, traps prevent the unwary from progressing into the inner
chambers. The outer traps simply alert guards to the presence of
intruders, while inner traps are much more serious. Feel free to use
any ideas of the players to make the Scorpions as frightening as
possible. After realizing they have entered the lair of ninja, they will
surely speculate out-loud about potential dangers.
Finally, when the party have won their way to the inner sanctum, the
Scorpion master Takeda Nobusada will great them as expected guests
and congratulate them for passing the test. As worthy fighters, they
are welcome into his Scorpion Clan as highly-ranked members.
Should they resist the offer, Nobusada will attack all of them, laughing
at their foolish refusal of his generous offer.
TAKEDA NOBUSADA
Power 4 Punch 2 Star Power 5
Quickness 4 Kick 4
Chi 3 Wrestle 3
Block 3
However the final scene goes, the rest is history.
38
THE BASICS
The single most important rule of any game answers the question,
“Does my character succeed in his action, and what happens?” In
Slayer, the answer depends on a couple things, but the first question
is what kind of scene your character is in (i.e. what is the situation). In
a normal scene, the Overlord will take into account the situation
surrounding the character’s action and that character’s skills and
abilities to decide whether it is more interesting for the character to
succeed or fail. If you are used to rolling dice to determine this sort of
thing, I can only say Slayer is not that kind of game.
SCENE
Before getting into different cases, let us talk about what a scene is. A
scene is the amount of time it takes to describe the action in a specific
location at a specific time. Most of the time, all you need to know is
that you are not in a Conflict Scene, which will be explained shortly.
ROLE
A character’s Role is not necessarily a static choice. If your group plays
stories that are not continuous, the character becomes more like an
actor assuming a new role for each story.
Outside of a formal conflict, you are free to try anything, but any
action related to your character’s Role is normally done with ease. You
will never roll dice to determine whether a task is or is not within your
character’s abilities. The character’s Role determines what sorts of
things he can do to keep the plot moving, and as a task falls farther
outside of this Role, the more likely it is that the Overlord will deny the
action if it does not further the plot.
If your character’s Role does not seem appropriate to the task at hand,
you still may try to convince the Overlord that your character can do
it. However, the Overlord may either consider the action outside of
what your character can reasonably accomplish, or he may possess
information regarding the situation that you do not. In either case, he
will tell you, “No, your action fails.” At this point, your only recourse is
to spend a Void Point.
VOID POINTS
Every player begins each session with three Void Points (actually, with
points equal to his character’s Star Power). By spending a Void Point,
you may change your character’s situation in one specific way. You can
cause your character to succeed at an action (excluding conflict, which
is described shortly), even when the Overlord has denied it, or you can
change one specific detail of the setting. For example, you could
decide that there are katana hanging on the wall, that the innkeeper is
actually a long-lost friend, etc. The change must be at least somewhat
plausible, and you should listen if the Overlord rules out your proposal.
Because Void Points are easily spent, you may gain them back by
entertaining the group and by advancing the story in an interesting
manner. It is better to make interesting choices for your character,
7
 which are generally the more complex or more unexpected choices. As
a reward for entertaining the group, any player may grant you an
additional Void Point, or the Overlord may grant you as many points as
he pleases.
Void Points may be converted into Character Points, as described
under Improving the Character on page 31.
STAR POWER
Star Power is a numeric representation of how important a character is
to the ongoing story. Your character has 3 Star Power, making him
resistant to being knocked-out by normal blows. In almost every case,
non-player characters (NPCs) will have fewer than three points. Mooks
and faceless ninja will generally have 0 Star Power and may be
dispatched with impunity. Named foes will generally have 2 Star Power
and provide a stiffer challenge. In certain instances, the Overlord may
choose to assign an important NPC a rating higher than three. That
character is not really more important to the ongoing story than the
party, but he will be easily more than a match for any single player
character, all else being equal.
CONFLICT SCENE
Getting back to scenes, a Conflict Scene is specifically defined as a
scene that focuses on conflict. You will know a conflict scene has
begun because the Mad Overlord says so (that was easy). Once a
conflict is resolved, that scene is over and a new one begins, even if
the location remains the same and no time has elapsed. If a conflict
changes location in a continuous manner, it remains the same scene
for the purposes of these rules. For example, if the heroes take a
beating and retreat, but the opposition is able to keep up, the conflict
continues.
The reason this is important is because characters always fully recover
when a scene ends. They catch their breath, regain their composure,
etc. Even if they have taken a beating and used every last point of Chi,
they can still function at full effectiveness as soon as a new scene
begins.
VOID USE: By spending a Void Point, you have the chance to change
your character’s situation favorably, thus gaining a one-time +1 bonus
to one of your character’s values. Naturally, if you describe something
really cool, you can get the point back.
Also, you may spend a Void Point to reroll an attack. You should
describe something that allows your character a renewed opportunity.
8 37
In general, the PCs should be able to win this fight by seriously
weakening or knocking-out one of the lieutenants. Hotaka and Nanashi
will leave the mooks behind to cover their escape.
Once the fight is over, take some time to reveal the situation. The PCs
represent the last students to remain with the school. This is due to
the death of Akimune-sensei, who was killed by the Horse Clan
master, Karasuma Ichiro, in a duel last week when Ichiro challenged
Akimune for control of the school. Because of the death of the master,
the dojo’s honor has been seriously diminished, and the PCs will need
to defeat Ichiro to restore their honor.
Given the right prodding, they should head for the Horse Clan dojo to
challenge its master. When they arrive there, they will see the
imposing, militaristic nature of the school and the precision with which
the clan practices. If the party is at all antagonistic, a horde of stick-
wielding fighters will attack them to drive them away. In any case,
when they demand an audience with the master, Ichiro will arrive with
Hotaka and Nanashi.
Honor demands that only one PC fights Ichiro, but to enforce the
matter, the lieutenants will fight the remaining party members. Hotaka
and Nanashi have only 1 Star Power for this scene.
KARASUMA ICHIRO
Power 4 Punch 4 Star Power 1
Quickness 2 Kick 2
Chi 2 Wrestle 1
Block 2
The Horse master is an imposing figure, and his style is no-nonsense,
but with a reduced Star Power, the chosen PC should be able to defeat
him. It is important that the fight seems too easy, given that Ichiro
killed Akimune, so reduce his stats if necessary.
What Ichiro and the party do not realize is that Akimune was poisoned
by Nanashi before the duel, making him slow and weak. Akimune
would have easily defeated Ichiro’s challenge, had he been healthy.
Having restored their honor, the party will need to rest and restore
order within their dojo. Over the next several days or weeks, if the PCs
behave honorably and demonstrate strong leadership, some of the
students will return to learn from the new master. Also, while the
school is vulnerable, challengers will periodically appear to take over
the dojo. Make these challengers roughly equal in power to the PCs,
but with only 1 Star Power. Every player’s character should be given a
challenge, giving him the spotlight for the scene and a chance to prove
he should be master over the others.
Once the party has reestablished the school and made it apparent that
one of them is a suitable master, Nanashi, dressed as a ninja, will
infiltrate the dojo at night to assassinate the new master. At the last
moment, a noise wakes the party, who find the ninja poised over his
target, string in hand. In the inevitable fight, Nanashi has 5 Star
 SAMPLE STORY CONFLICT
This example storyline is suitable for two to four beginning characters. Conflict is the heart of any good story, and in Slayer, conflict is
The listed numbers should be adjusted to provide a suitable challenge formally defined as any scene where extra time is spent to detail the
to the party. The characters’ roles must be adjusted so they are exact proceedings. Additionally, it is the only time that dice are rolled.
appropriate to students of a martial arts dojo. Fate enters her hand into the action with the potential of shifting the
storyline in a direction unexpected by all.
Many events are written as if the party will definitely win their fights
and make the “correct choices”, but the players’ characters (PCs) In general, conflict means physical conflict. However, any manner of
should always be allowed to win or lose by virtue of their actions, and conflict is resolved in the same way. For example, the Overlord may
they should be allowed to choose their own path through the story. decide that the story will focus around something less tangible, such
You, as the Overlord, simply need to find a way to work the following as understanding of the Tao — where another might punch or kick,
scenes into the story, as appropriate. masters of the Tao control the flow of the situation to control the
outcome, moment by moment. Clearly, the Tao is related to Chi, so
I would suggest reading through the story at least once to get a feel the Overlord decides that anything that would be based on Power uses
for how it goes, and then read through it again to tweak everything to Chi instead when using this new technique (this example will be more
fit your style and the style of the group. Consider the following to be a clear as you continue reading).
broad example of how a story might go. You will want to make a card
for each non-player character (NPC) detailing his style and special ROLLING DICE
moves. Doing so will familiarize you with the system and give you an When Fate controls your character’s destiny, roll and add two dice (the
idea what sorts of things the players might try. Also, try to imagine the six-sided kind) and refer to the following chart. Your acting value is
sorts of stunts the NPCs might perform. If the players have trouble found along the left side, while the difficulty value is found along the
getting into stunts, wow them with your own and show them how it is top — where the two cross, you will find a range of numbers.
done, but encourage them to take the lead.
1) If the roll is less than the entire range, the action fails.
“ON THEIR OWN” 2) If the roll falls within the range, the action is successful.
This story begins with a fight in the dojo’s yard. To begin, a horde of 3) If the roll is higher than the entire range, the action is critically
fighters outnumbering the party at least two or three to one have successful.
entered the school to fight the PCs.
-–— DIFFICULTY —–-
HORSE CLAN MOOKS 0 1 2 3 4 5
Power 2 Punch 2 Star Power 0 1 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+ FAIL
Quickness 2 Kick 2 2 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12 12+
Chi 2 Wrestle 1 3 CRIT 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10 10–12
Block 1 4 CRIT CRIT 2–4 4–6 6–8 8–10
5 CRIT CRIT CRIT 2–4 4–6 6–8
When the fight starts to wind down, two lieutenants will appear,
Hotaka and Nanashi. They have come to challenge the most powerful There is never a reason to roll the dice more than once to determine
fighters in the school to take the school’s sign and close it down. the outcome of an action. Even when one character challenges
another, only the challenger gets to roll dice. Being proactive is good.
HOTAKA
Power 3 Punch 3 Star Power 2
Quickness 2 Kick 2
Chi 2 Wrestle 1
Block 2

NANASHI
Power 2 Punch 2 Star Power 2
Quickness 4 Kick 2
Chi 2 Wrestle 3
Block 2

36 9
ATTACKS
Attacks are those moves that target another character. The character’s
Skill is the level the character possesses in the technique being used.
Specific moves may adjust this level up or down, depending upon its
difficulty. If, for some reason, you have an effective skill less than one,
the action is not possible.
opposition present the party with knowledge of how their story fits into
the big picture, giving them a chance to take things in the direction
they like. Of course, they might use this knowledge to take the story
away from personal conflict, so feel free to hit below the belt and
make it personal. In short, use every trick you can, especially those
found in movies, to tell a more interesting story.

In general, the difficulty of an attack will be the opposing character’s
Quickness. By rolling a simple success, the attacker may knock-out or
otherwise disable the defender. This is the case when the effective
Power of the attack exceeds the defenders Stamina + Star Power. At
the beginning of a scene, a character’s Stamina equals his Power, but
this number will go down as the fight goes on. When a critical success
is rolled, the attacker has struck a telling blow. The attack may
knockout the defender as usual, but even if it does not, the defender
loses a point of Stamina. If a character’s Stamina ever reaches zero,
he is knocked-out anyway.
Sometimes, one or both values will be over five, which is off the chart.
To correct the situation, reduce both numbers until the highest is a
five. In the very unlikely situation that the acting value is more than
five points higher than the difficulty value, the acting character
automatically gets a critical success for the action.
When you do use a scene that does not involve the players’
characters, give them some characters to play, anyway. It can be a lot
of fun to start the story with some of the evil lieutenants under player
control, setting up the initial conflict, and then cutting to the party as
their story begins. The same is true of presenting a previous
generation of heroes, especially if you stack the deck by encouraging
moral flaws in these predecessors, which then come back to haunt the
present generation.
T H AN K S
Thank you for reading through these rules. Now go have fun, and may
Fate be with you.
Grant, Mar. ’03

COUNTER-ATTACK: If the character’s attack fails, the defender may

immediately take his action to counter-attack. Whether or not his
counter-attack succeeds, both characters roll initiative, as described
under Initiative, below.

VERTICALITY: Sometimes one character will attack another who is at a

different vertical level. Generally, to represent the advantage or
disadvantage of height, a +1 Power bonus will be given for being
higher than the defender (this includes attacking a prone defender) or
a –1 Power penalty will be given for being lower than the defender. If
necessary, the Overlord will decide whether the situation warrants
these modifiers.

DEFEAT: If your character is knocked-out, all is not lost. You may

spend a Void Point to revive your character with one Stamina, or you
may play one of the Overlord’s characters, bearing in mind that he will
take that control away from you if he wishes. He probably won’t, being
lazy, but attack your friends with vigor, anyway.

10 35
 when they are clearly losing focus and are becoming bored should you
do anything about it.
But what to do? Introduce a complication, something that demands
immediate action. Yes, that would be conflict. Move up your schedule,
introduce a new story element, whatever. Just keep things moving
without creating an antagonistic situation.
ARBITRATION
While we are on the subject, outside of conflict, you decide whether an
action succeeds or fails. The characters will have skills that you need
to respect, but for the sake of a coherent story, you have the final
word, unless they choose to spend Void Points.
Generally, players will try one of two things: they look for information
or they have their characters perform an action. In the case of
information, your response should be either to give the information
because it provides color or advances the plot or it should be to
indicate the player is on the wrong track. He receives no information
because there is none to be given or he is looking in the wrong place.
There will be none of this “roll perception” nonsense. Stalling the
action is never a good plan.
In the case of a character taking action, it is generally best to decide
how difficult that action would be for a normal person and give it a
rating from 0–5. If the character has either an appropriate skill or an
attribute at least equal to the difficulty, the action succeeds.
Otherwise, tell the player the action is beyond his character. This is the
fun part, though. You should always provide something for the player’s
effort. If failure will stall the action, decide which character would be
the best and point that out. If the chubby ninja wants to climb a wall
to reach the evil sorcerer, let the player know the wall is daunting, but
the sneaky ninja could make it and drop a rope. If the player is just
trying to do something that seems unrelated to the movie’s theme,
point that out and introduce something cool that will bring everyone
back on topic.
Bear in mind, though, that there is a difference between taking some
time to experience the setting and going in a direction contrary to the
theme. Stopping for tea is fine when you are setting up the action. It
is even fine in-between high-action scenes. It is bad when a timeline
has clearly been introduced. In this case, you will almost certainly
need to resort to reintroducing the situation as a reminder of the
urgency. If the evil warlord is threatening to torch the village at noon
tomorrow unless he is paid his thirty pieces, and the players insist on
smelling every daisy on the way to the scene, feel free to send the
warlord’s goons after them, just to show them how evil he really is.
FLASHBACKS, CUT-SCENES, AND SO ON
You should feel free to use narrative and dramatic tricks, such as
presenting scenes that fall outside of the chronological flow and/or
presenting a different group of characters. The setup scene could
describe events in the past that have led to the present conflict, it
could detail the plans of the opposition, etc. Cut-scenes to the
34
UNDERSTANDING THE MOVE DESCRIPTIONS
SKILL: Every attack move lists a Skill modifier, which is added to the
level of the technique to form the effective Skill of the move. This is
the number compared with the defender’s Quickness.
POWER: Every attack move also lists a Power modifier, which is added
to the attacker’s Power to form the effective Power of the move. This
is the number compared with the defender’s Stamina + Star Power.
ENERGY: Some moves list an Energy cost, which is the number of
Energy points that must be spent if the move is successful. At the
beginning of a scene, every character has Energy points equal to his
Chi score. If the character does not have sufficient Energy, he may not
attempt the move.
MULTIPLE ATTACKS: Some attack moves list a number of attacks that
may be made on the same initiative. Each attack is made using the
same listed modifiers, but unless otherwise specified, may be directed
at different targets.
KNOCKDOWN: Some moves cause knockdown, which, if successful,
render the defender prone. A prone character may stand as part of his
next action, but until doing so suffers the Power penalties described
under Verticality, below.
HOLDS: Some moves allow the target to be held and will say so in their
description. On a successful attack, the character holds the target
(with at least one arm, one presumes) until that target is able to
successfully attack his captor. Until that time, the held character has a
–1 Quickness penalty and a –1 Skill penalty. The effects of multiple
holds do stack, but no level may be reduced below zero. A character
who has his Quickness reduced to zero is effectively immobilized until
someone frees him from the hold, and a character may not make an
attack if his effective skill would be zero.
If a character’s last action was a hold move that costs Energy, he may
repeat the move without spending additional Energy.
STUNTS
Sometimes, you will want to do something that is not covered by a
technique. With the Overlord’s approval, or by spending a Void Point,
your character may perform a stunt. Stunts never cause knock-out,
but they are an opportunity to grab the spotlight. You must choose an
attribute or technique, and then describe how your character is using
that to challenge the defender. For example, Power to pick up a heavy
object and throw it at the defender, who then must catch it, Quickness
to jump from one log to another, forcing the defender to keep up, Chi
to smash bricks over one’s own head, or Punch to demonstrate an
impressive kata (an impressive flourish, almost like a dance). These
sorts of stunts will not generally end a conflict, but by rolling a critical
success, you may reduce the defender’s Stamina by one, as per an
attack. Also, by rolling at least a success, your character regains one
point of Energy, if any has been spent.
11
SCOPE
These rules are written as if one character always faces off against
another, but sometimes a situation will arise where a more important
character faces a number of lesser characters. If the opponents have 0
Star Power, he may apply his action to a percentage of the opponents
equal to his own percentage of the party. For example, one character
in a group of four may attack one-fourth of the opponents at once if
they have 0 Star Power. Likewise, your character may only be
attacked by this same number, and he may defend himself equally
against all of them together. In essence, his scope has caused a group
of characters to act as one.
A character’s scope only includes active participants. Bystanders and
idle reinforcements are only part of the action if no active targets
present themselves. At best, only a few dozen men could surround
your character and still be able to fight.
INITIATIVE & TAKING ACTIONS
Okay, now that you understand the basic elements of conflict, you
OTHER SCENES
need to understand the flow. At the beginning of a conflict, the initiator
takes the first action, and from that point, the following rules apply:
Every character has initiative dice based upon his Quickness, as
described on the following table:
Quickness Die Type
1 d12
2 d10
3 d8
4 d6
5 d4
The basic unit of time is called a Tick, but it does not correspond to
any real amount of time, and ticks are not grouped into any larger unit
of time. They simply represent the moment when one or more
characters act. Before the first tick of a conflict, the initiator takes his
action, and then everyone rolls their initiative dice. After that, each
player rolls for his character’s initiative after every action that his
character takes.
ROLLING INITIATIVE: Instead of rolling two six-sided dice and adding
them as usual, rolling initiative calls for rolling two dice based on the
character’s Quickness and finding the difference between the two rolls.
This number is the number of ticks that you must wait before your
character may take an action, and it could be anything from zero to
eleven, depending on his Quickness. You do not have to act when your
initiative comes around, but if you hold an action, you must specify
when the character will act. All characters with initiative on a given tick
act simultaneously, with the following exception:
HOLDING INITIATIVE: If a character takes his action and then rolls
zero, he may take another action before play proceeds to the next
tick. This can repeat until he rolls something other than zero and
therefore must wait.
12
One of the most important parts of running a conflict is the initial
setup. It is important that everyone understands the stage and the
situation. A good stage has lots of stuff just sitting around, waiting to
be thrown, kicked, jumped on, broken, or otherwise made a part of
the fight. There should also be walls or platforms to allow for acrobatic
stunts on multiple levels.
It is good to sketch out a rough map beforehand, showing how much
space is available, where key items are, and where everyone is
located. Once the scene begins, all of this can change, but the players
should at least have a clear picture at the beginning.
During conflict is not a good time for flowery descriptions. Take the
time to set everything up, but from that point, keep it brief and to the
point. Only elaborate on details of immediate significance — the first
time a character uses a particular style, the first time a special move is
used, the introduction of the big-bad, etc.
On the other hand, when the action is less fast and furious, take all
the time you need to tell the story. Stay on task, and demand the
same from the players, but feel free to take a little more time
describing everything.
However, do not fall into what I call haggling for bread. Unless the
situation involves starving people, the price of a loaf of bread is
meaningless. Either the character can pay, or he cannot. You decide,
and the player chooses whether or not to spend a Void Point to reverse
your decision. It is that simple.
Ideally, scenes are distinct. A road movie spends time detailing the trip
and glosses over the actual stopping-points, whereas another movie
might skip the whole travel to emphasize the individual locations.
Change the location, change the time, change both. One scene should
not be allowed to blend into another.
An idea that many people have from other roleplaying games is that
time flows faster in an RPG than in the real world. If players cannot, in
fifteen real minutes, make a plan that would make Patton envious,
their characters fail to make a decent plan in a week of story time.
Another idea some people have is that anything a player says, his
character also says, even when it makes no sense or is clearly short-
sighted.
This is completely wrong. If you do it, I will not be responsible when
the players beat you with folding chairs. They want to play heroic,
larger-than-life action heroes and you are being an arbitrary cheese-
monkey to make them look stupid.
A better way to run the game is to allow players to keep their fingers
on their pieces, so to speak. They are allowed to talk out loud,
amongst themselves, to make a plan and to decide what they do. Only
33
 GAMEMASTER ADVICE
So, you want to be a Mad Overlord, do you? Step right on up. First,
though, you need to know the rest of this book, all the way from
challenge resolution to conflict resolution. Still here? Good. You will do
well.
First things first, you need to have the big picture in mind. I meant
that literally. You are shooting a Hong Kong martial arts movie — you
are the director and the rest of the players are the cast and crew. You
need to decide what your movie is going to be about. Sure, it has lots
of fight scenes, but what is the premise? When does it take place?
Where? Who will the players be playing, anyway?
ACTING SIMULTANEOUSLY: When more than one character has initiative
at once, the effects of their actions occur together, but the characters
with less Star Power declare their actions before characters with more
Star Power. If this does not resolve the matter, the Overlord declares
first, and then the players declare, going around the table from the
Overlord’s left to his right.
INITIATIVE COUNTERS: It is recommended that each player has a
collection of counters to keep track of initiative. Place a number of
counters or pennies on the table equal to the initiative rolled, and then
take one away every tick. When you have no counters left, you know
that it is your turn to act.

For your first movie, or story, you will probably have it easiest if you
watch a few of the recommended films and pick one that stands out as
being the best match for your group. Watch it again, but try to pick
out the individual story elements that draw your attention. Who are
the characters? What is the setup? What is the central conflict, and
how does the movie resolve that conflict?
The difference between an already-produced movie and your game,
though, is that the movie is done. It’s in the can. Roll it, Jack. Your
game is a process, just like the process the actual cast and crew went
through to make it. Generally, in roleplaying, there is no going back.
You can, you know, but most people don’t.
EXAMPLE:
Hidoshi has a Quickness of 2 and Nanashi has a Quickness of 4.
Hidoshi’s player rolls two d10s and gets a 1 and a 5. He takes 4 stones
and places them with the character sheet. Nanashi’s player rolls two
d6s and gets a 2 and a 3. He takes 1 stone and places it with the
character sheet. The Mad Overlord calls ‘tick’, and each player tosses
in one stone. They now have 3 and 0 stones, respectively. Nanashi’s
player calls out his initiative and performs an action. After the action is
completed, he rolls again and gets 0, so he goes again, immediately.
Then he rolls a 3 and places 3 stones with his character sheet. After
three ticks, both characters will take their actions.

You need to know when to lead and when to give. Your players have
ideas of their own, and they certainly will not follow a script. Your job
is to start them off and keep them going. If your hook is good enough,
they will hit the ground running, taking your idea as far as they can.
Sometimes, though, the players grind to a halt. It happens in every
design meeting, and it will happen in your game. You just have to put
them back on track.

CONFLICT SCENES
Okay, let’s talk details. First, let’s talk about Conflict. In this game,
Conflict with a large ‘C’ is a pivotal scene where the action can take a
turn for the unexpected. In a movie, these are the most interesting
scenes because they are the most detailed. In the martial arts genre,
of course, these are the fight scenes.

In a conflict, you need to be the impartial arbiter. The players will look
to you to provide a coherent explanation of everything that happens.
Most of the rules in Slayer are used only at these times. They provide
the guidelines, but you need to decide just how far to apply any rule in
a given situation. Can a headbutt really be a jumping move? Well, we
see it in Twin Warriors, so if wire-fu is your thing, sure, why not?
Would the players really overlook something like a pyramid made of
logs until someone spends Void to place it in the scene? Well, if the
source films are any indication, they are everywhere, just sitting
around for a good fight scene. Why would anyone notice one until it
becomes relevant?

32 13
 IMPROVING T HE CHARACTER
Because you built your character as a student and not as a master,
you will have the chance to periodically improve your character’s
abilities. At the end of a story or during an improvement scene, you
may trade Void Points for Character Points. When you have enough to
improve your character, you may ask the Overlord for the chance to
make it happen. If you are already in a scene designated for improving
the party’s abilities, simply mark off the appropriate Character Points
and participate.

IMPROVEMENT SCENE
An improvement scene describes how your character is becoming
better. The scene can be in the here and now, where your character is
taking time to train, breaking boards, smashing bricks over his head,
or whatever is appropriate. It can be a scene describing how the
master gives the character new insight, followed by practice, practice,
practice. It can even be a flashback to the character’s past, when the
master taught him these things, but he was not yet ready. The details
are not important; it is only important that you make the details
colorful and interesting.

IMPROVEMENT COSTS
Raising an attribute by one point costs character points equal to the
current total of the three attributes, but no attribute may be raised
above five. In fact, raising an attribute to five costs half again the
normal Character Points, rounded up. For example, Power 2 +
Quickness 4 + Chi 2; the cost to raise Power or Chi is 8 points, but the
cost to raise Quickness is 12 points.

Buying a level 4 or 5 move costs four or five points, respectively.

The cost for improving one of your character’s techniques by one point
is given on the following table, the current level being listed on the left
side:

Technique Character
Level Points
0 1
1 3
2 5
3 7
4 9

14 31
 DESIGNING NEW MOVES
At some point, you are certain to be possessed with the desire to
create new moves, and even new techniques. That’s great! When you
do, however, take a few minutes to think everything through. The
existing techniques are all built around a purpose, for example,
punches have an inherent +1 Skill bonus, but they are the heavy-
hitting moves. Kicks, on the other hand, are more powerful, but focus
on multiple attacks. Superhuman Chi moves are generally restricted to
advanced moves (levels four and five).
Every technique starts with a base move and includes three basic
variants: +1/–1, –1/+1, and –2/+2. More complicated variations use
the following table:
TECHNIQUES
Techniques are those abilities that characters use in a conflict scene.
They are important elements in resolving conflict rather than minor
details of the story. Techniques grant specific moves, which are
generally methods of attack or defense. You should write on your
character sheet any moves you intend to use. Better yet, write each
move on an index card, renaming the moves to something more
appropriate for the character’s style.
Above level three of a technique, the moves must be learned
separately, using character points. Higher-level moves are usually
closely guarded secrets of a school and require specific training to
acquire.

Effect Power Chi Any move (within reason) may be used as a aerial move. Doing so
+1 Skill –1 — imposes a –1 Skill penalty, but grants a +1 Power bonus. Naturally, a
–1 Skill +1 — move may not be attempted with an effective skill of zero.
–2 Skill +2 —
Chi attack +1 +1 Weapons (including guns) use the same moves as usual, except that
x2 attack –1 +1 ranged attacks suffer a –1 Skill penalty. Clearly, not all moves are
x3 attack –2 +2 appropriate for all weapons. Also, before play, the group needs to
ranged attack –1 +1 decide if weapons grant a +1 Power bonus. In general, weapons
hold –1 — should not receive this bonus, but if the group prefers to use weapons
throw/stun –1 — in fights, go ahead and invoke this rule.

LEVEL ONE: BASIC

Level one is the equivalent of a white belt. The character really has no
idea what he is doing, but is able to try, anyway.

LEVEL TWO: INTERMEDIATE

Level two is the equivalent of a brown belt. The character would be
okay in a bar fight, but can really only apply the basics.

LEVEL THREE: EXPERT

Level three is the equivalent of a black belt. At this point, the
character has mastered all of the fundamentals. In a formal sense, he
would be allowed to participate in kumite (sparring), being trusted not
to accidentally hurt or be hurt.

LEVEL FOUR: MASTER

Level four is the equivalent of an advanced black belt. Your character
has learned far more than almost anyone else. Once word gets out
that someone has acquired this degree of skill, prospective students
are likely to appear, begging to be taught the secrets of the
character’s school.

LEVEL FIVE: LEGEND

The character invented his school. What belt would he like to wear
today? This skill level is extremely rare and demands a great deal of
talent, ingenuity, and hard work to achieve.

30 15
 PUNCH WATER
LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL POWER ENERGY # ATT The Water technique uses Chi in place of Power. Also, Water is a
Punch +1 +0 ranged technique and cannot be countered. A critical success encases
the target in ice, holding him until he takes an action to break free.
LEVEL TWO MOVES
Jab +2 –1 LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL CHI ENERGY # ATT K-D
Hook/Knife Hand +0 +1 Spray +0 +0 1
Elbow/Uppercut –1 +2
Double Strike +1 –1 1 2 LEVEL TWO MOVES
Spritz +1 –1 1
LEVEL THREE MOVES Douse –1 +1 1
Double Axe Handle –2 +3 Gusher +0 –1 2 2
Fists of Fury +0 –1 2 3
LEVEL THREE MOVES
LEVEL FOUR MOVES Flood –2 +2 1
Dragon Uppercut –1 +3 1 Tsunami +0 –1 1 X
Crushing Meteor –2 +5 2
LEVEL FOUR MOVES
LEVEL FIVE MOVES Healing NA NA 1
Ring the Bell +0 +0 2 Invigorate NA NA 1
Strike the Spirit –2 +0 2
LEVEL FIVE MOVES
RING THE BELL Ice +0 +0 2
The character may attack any target within sight without needing to
move. HEALING
This move restores one point of Stamina to the target.
STRIKE THE SPIRIT
This attack is resisted by Energy, not Stamina. INVIGORATION
This move restores one point of Energy to the target.

ICE
This move encapsulates the target in ice, holding him until he takes an
action to break free.

16 29
 FIRE KICK
The Fire technique uses Chi in place of Power. Also, Fire is a ranged LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL POWER ENERGY # ATT
technique and cannot be countered. A critical success sets the target Kick +0 +1
on fire, and the target loses as second point of Stamina on his next
action unless he takes that action to put himself out. LEVEL TWO MOVES
Snap Kick/Knee +1 +0
LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL CHI ENERGY # ATT K-D Roundhouse –1 +2
Fire +0 +0 1 Sweep +0 +0
Double Hit Kick +0 +0 1 2
LEVEL TWO MOVES
Spark +1 –1 1 LEVEL THREE MOVES
Blaze –1 +1 1 Axe Kick –2 +3
Split-fire +0 –1 2 2 Triple Kick –1 +0 2 3

LEVEL THREE MOVES LEVEL FOUR MOVES

Inferno –2 +2 1 Dragon Kick –2 +4 1
Explosion +0 –1 1 X Faerie Fire –1 +1 3 3

LEVEL FOUR MOVES LEVEL FIVE MOVES

Fireball –3 +4 2 Kick of the Four Winds –2 +1 4 4
Great Wall of China –3 +1 5 5
LEVEL FIVE MOVES
Triple Fireball –1 +0 4 3 SWEEP
The defender is knocked-down if the attack is successful.

28 17
 WRESTLE AIR
LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL POWER HOLD KD ENERGY The Air technique uses Chi in place of Power. Also, Air is a ranged
Wrestle +0 -1 X technique and cannot be countered. On a critical success, a lightning
bolt stuns the target, who must use his next action shaking off the
effect.
LEVEL TWO MOVES
Elbow/Knee/Headbutt –1 +1 LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL CHI ENERGY # ATT K-D
Throw/Suplex/Sweep –1 +0 X Gust +0 +0 1
Bear Hug/Joint Lock –1 +0 X
LEVEL TWO MOVES
Breeze +1 –1 1
LEVEL THREE MOVES Gale –1 +1 1
Bodyslam –2 +2 Storm +0 –1 2 2
Reverse
–2 +1 X LEVEL THREE MOVES
Suplex/Clothesline
Hurricane -2 +2 1
Choke/Headlock –2 +1 X
Twister +0 –1 1 X

LEVEL FOUR MOVES LEVEL FOUR MOVES

Backbreaker/Pile Driver –3 +2 X Lightning Bolt –3 +4 2
Chokeslam –3 +1 X X
LEVEL FIVE MOVES
Vital Crush –2 +2 X 1
Forked Lightning +0 +0 3 2
Hundred Hand Slap +0 –2 2

LEVEL FIVE MOVES

Stunning Brain Cracker +0 +0 X 1
Wheel of Woe –2 +3 X 2

KD means that on a successful attack, the defender is knocked-down.

HUNDRED HAND SLAP

Make three attacks using the listed modifiers.

18 27
 EARTH BLOCK
The Earth technique uses Chi in place of Power. Also, Earth is a ranged By using a Block move, the character has an effective defense of
technique and cannot be countered. A critical success knocks-down the Quickness + Block until he does something else. The effects of
target. multiple Block moves may not be combined. Energy spent as part of a
Block move lasts until the character takes another action, and Energy
LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL CHI ENERGY # ATT K-D does not need to be spent until the character actually needs the effect.
Stone +0 +0 1
LEVEL ONE: BLOCK
LEVEL TWO MOVES Until the character acts again, he is considered to be actively
Rock +1 –1 1 defending himself, receiving the Block bonus to defense.
Boulder –1 +1 1
Rock-skip +0 –1 2 2 LEVEL TWO: WARY DEFENSE
This move works like a normal block, but when the character uses this
LEVEL THREE MOVES move, he must choose one technique that he will be defending
Spikes –2 +2 1 against. The character receives a +1 Skill bonus against that technique
Quake +0 –1 1 X and a –1 Skill penalty against all other techniques.

LEVEL FOUR MOVES LEVEL THREE: IMMOBILITY

Mountain –3 +4 2 By spending a point of Energy, the character cannot be knocked down
or moved under ordinary conditions, in addition to the usual benefits
LEVEL FIVE MOVES of using a Block action.
Statue NA NA 3
LEVEL FOUR: DEFLECTING BLOW
STATUE By spending a point of Energy, the character may counter-attack, even
The character may not move or be moved, and he may not be if the original attack succeeds. This is in addition to the usual benefits
harmed. of using a Block action.

LEVEL FIVE: IRON SHIRT

By spending a point of Energy, the character may not be knocked-out.
This is in addition to the usual benefits of using a Block action.

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 GUN-FU STEALTH
This technique covers distance attacks, including archery and firearms. All stealth moves above level one may be used automatically in
Because the attacks are made from a distance, the defender may not combination with Hide. Penalties are cumulative per action, but
counter-attack if the shot misses. subsequent actions are made at full Skill.

LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL POWER ENERGY # ATT For example, a Ninja with 5 Stealth stands before a Guard with 2 Chi.
Shoot +0 +0 The Ninja hides in plain sight (–1), moves (–1) behind the Guard, and
waits. The whole action requires spending a point of Energy, and if the
LEVEL TWO MOVES target is able to roll 8+ on two dice (2 Chi vs. 3 Stealth), the Guard is
Target Shooting –1 +1 aware of the Ninja’s movements. Assuming the roll fails, the Ninja
ambushes the Guard (–1). This time, the Guard needs a 10+ (2 Chi
LEVEL THREE MOVES vs. 4 Stealth) or he will lose the benefit of his Quickness when the
Head Shot –2 +2 Ninja attacks.
Aim (+2) NA
The Stealth technique includes the concept of disguise, in addition to
LEVEL FOUR MOVES hiding and furtive movements. In cinematic fashion, disguises are
Fire Burst +0 +1 1 removed at the beginning of a conflict, once the ruse is discovered.

LEVEL FIVE MOVES LEVEL ONE: HIDE

Double-Fire +0 +0 2 2 The character is able to hide while remaining immobile. Other
characters must make a check of their Chi against your character’s
AIM Skill to notice you. This move is only possible in areas providing
By taking an action to aim, the next shot gains a +2 Skill bonus. reasonable cover.

LEVEL TWO: SNEAK

The character may move while hiding, but with a –1 Skill penalty. Any
obvious movements remove the benefits of stealth.

LEVEL THREE: AMBUSH

The character may surprise another character, effectively reducing
that character’s Quickness to zero. An ambushing character suffers a
–1 Stealth penalty.

LEVEL FOUR: LAST PLACE

If the character lacks cover or needs to take actions in plain sight, a
point of Energy may be spent per instance to maintain the benefits of
Stealth. There is a –1 penalty to Stealth for each instance. However,
attacks still ruin the benefits of hiding.

LEVEL FIVE: THE WEST WIND

By spending a point of Energy, even attacks do not end the benefits of
hiding. Doing so imposes a –1 Stealth penalty. This move may not be
used by a character attacking from plain sight.

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 R A GE STICK
Rage moves are automatic and do not require an action to use. The following moves may only be performed with a spear, staff, or
other manner of long stick. In general, other melee attacks should be
LEVEL ONE: RISING STORM performed using the Punch or possibly Wrestle technique. Thrown
For every point of Stamina the character loses, he gains one point of spears use the Gun-Fu technique.
Fury. These points may be spent to increase the character’s Power by
one for a single action. LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL POWER ENERGY # ATT
Strike +0 +1
LEVEL TWO: BURNING RAGE
A point of Energy may be spent to raise the character’s Power by one LEVEL TWO MOVES
for a single action. Thrust +1 +0
Upward Strike –1 +2
LEVEL THREE: FIGHTING SPIRIT Long & Short +0 +0 1 2
When the character has exactly one point of Stamina, he suffers a –1 Trip +0 +0
Skill penalty, but gains a +1 Quickness bonus.
LEVEL THREE MOVES
LEVEL FOUR: STOKING THE FIRE
Joint Lock –1 +1
For every point of Stamina the character loses, he gains a +1 Power
Knee Bash –2 +3
bonus and loses one point of Energy. However, for every point of
Lightning Thrust –1 +3 1
Stamina the character gains, he suffers a –1 Power penalty.
LEVEL FOUR MOVES
LEVEL FIVE: INDOMITABLE SPIRIT
All Tied Up –2 +2
If the character is knocked-out but retains at least one point of
Windmill –1 +0 2 3
Energy, a point of Energy may be spent to recover a point of Stamina.
LEVEL FIVE MOVES
Boomerang –2 +2 1
Flying Head Breaker –2 +3 2 2

TRIP
The defender is knocked-down if the attack is successful.

JOINT LOCK
The defender is held if the attack is successful.

ALL TIED UP
The defender is held if the attack is successful.

BOOMERANG
This attack may be performed at a distance. The defender is knocked-
down if the attack is successful.

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 SWORD DI M M A K
The following moves may only be performed with a sword. In general, Also known as Atemi Waza, this technique consists of +0/+0 attacks
other melee attacks should be performed using the Punch or possibly based on Chi vs. Stamina, not Power vs. Stamina, with special critical
Wrestle technique. results.

LEVEL ONE MOVES SKILL POWER ENERGY # ATT LEVEL ONE: STRIKING COBRA
Cut +0 +1 A critical result reduces the target’s Stamina by one.

LEVEL TWO MOVES LEVEL TWO: ENERVATING STRIKE

Stab +1 +0 By spending a point of Energy, a critical result reduces the target’s
Slash –1 +2 Energy by one.
Cross-Cut +0 +0 1 2
LEVEL THREE: PARALYZING STRIKE
LEVEL THREE MOVES By spending a point of Energy, a critical result increases the target’s
Overhead Strike –2 +3 Initiative by one die type.
Ten-thousand Cut +0 –1 2 3
LEVEL FOUR: DISRUPTING STRIKE
LEVEL FOUR MOVES By spending two points of Energy, a critical result reduces one of the
Lightning Strike +0 +2 1 target’s attributes by one (attacker’s choice). The secondary
Wrath of Heaven –2 +5 2 characteristics are also penalized by one.

LEVEL FIVE MOVES LEVEL FOUR: HEALING HANDS

One Cut –4 +7 3 This move removes from the target the effects of Dim Mak (or similar
Empty Strike (+2) NA 1 attacks).

EMPTY STRIKE LEVEL FIVE: BREAKING BLOW

This move is not an attack and must be followed by another Sword By spending up to 5 points of Energy, a critical result reduces the
move to be of any benefit. The next Sword move gains a +2 Skill target’s Stamina by an equal amount.
bonus.

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