Thursday, June 11, 2015

MARTIAL ARTS AND REALISM IN WANDERING HEROES OF OGRE GATE

I've talked a little about this before but felt like I should address it in more detail and raise the point again as there are a lot of folks following the project now who were not when it first started. The topic is martial arts and realism in Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate and how we've decided to focus on fantastic and cinematic martial arts rather than attempt to emulate real world fighting. 


Over the years I've changed my position on this topic a lot. I have a background in martial arts and for a long time I always tried to make hand-to-hand fighting feel real in my campaigns. However I noticed the more I did this, the less my players seemed to enjoy themselves. I realized when most people sign up for a martial arts style RPG session or campaign they are looking for stuff they've seen in movies and even cartoons, not something based strictly on real world martial arts and real world fighting. This is not always the case, but more often than not it seems to be. 

Because I had been heavily invested in martial arts, it was difficult for me to run a game that approached it more cinematically. Before I started Ogre Gate I sat down and re-watched a bunch of my favorite martial arts films, viewing them without any thought to my own martial arts experience. This was a lot harder than it sounds. But eventually it enhanced my appreciation of them because the silent judgments I was always making about whatever technique or attack someone used, evaporated. I just learned to enjoy them for what they are without trying to gauge their real world effectiveness. It also allowed me to run games in a way my players really wanted. 

Once we sat down to make Ogre Gate we made a conscious choice to focus on movie-style martial arts and fantastical techniques. Only one technique, Spinning Back Kick, is based on my own martial arts experience. Everything else is inspired by how martial arts are presented in media. 


This applies to learning techniques too. Just like in the movies, while it sometimes takes characters long periods of time to master a new move, it can also happen rather quickly. It is even possible in rare cases to transfer Kung Fu Knowledge from one person to another by mere touch. 

I mention this simply so people who have been paying attention to our updates and have an interest in Ogre Gate, know what to expect from our Kung Fu Techniques (it is probably abundantly clear anyways from the flavor of the samples we have posted). 

That said here is the current list of Kung Fu Techniques in the game:


TECHNIQUES CHART
Absorbing Palm
Adaptation of the Maimed
Arms of Silk
Biting Blade
Biting Grasp of the Invisible Master
Bladder Strike
Blade of the Dancing Fox
Blade Pinch
Blast of the Dragon
Blasting Blade
Blazing Net
Blind Strike
Blood Letting Thorns
Breath of Fury
Breath of the Lotus Petal
Calm of Sunan
Cherry Blossom Palm
The Choking Lash of Lady Plum Blossom
Cloud of Inebriation
Crawling Tiger
Curing Palm
Crack of the Hard Whip
The Crushing Lash of Lady Plum Blossom
Clutch of the Hawk
Dancing Hawk Sword Stance
Deep Biting Blade
Deflecting Canopy
Dip of the Drunken Snake
Dog Bashing Stick
Dog Lifting Stick
Double Thrust
Drift of the Butterfly Fish
Drunken Dodge
Eight Divine Snakes
Elephant Stance
Endless Arc of the Spear
The Encompassing Emerald of Sun Mai
The Fearless Reply of the Spear
Ferocious Flower’s Storming Petals
Fierce Strike
Finger Flick
The First Fist of Yanshi
The Fifth Fist of Yanshi
The Finger of Supreme Disruption
The Finger of Supreme Annihilation
The Finger of Supreme Compassion
Flight of the Hawk
Flood of Wine
Fluttering Kicks
Flying Swan Kick
Four-Point Touch
The Fourth Fist of Yanshi
Gallbladder Strike
Gaze of the Lion
Graceful Retreat
Great Stride
Gust of the Fan Blade
The First Song of Shang Long
Flaming Dragon
Guiding the Crashing Wave
Grasp of the Python
Grudge-Bearing Sword Strike
Hands of the Hawk Beak
Harmonizing Strike
The Happy Strike of Laughing Fox
Heart Smashing Palm
Heart Strike
Hidden Fist of Yanshi
Horizontal Sidestep
I am the Arrow
Intercepting Arrow
Invisible Whip of the Spider Demon
Impact of the Falling Star
Infinite Counter of the Phoenix
Inverted Three Point Strike
Iron Body
Iron Foot Stance
Iron Spear of the Timeless Master
Iron Spirit
Iron Spirit Reversal
Iron Spirit Resistance
Jade Maiden Strike
Kick of the Golden Elephant
Kick of the Swan
Kidney Strike
Knock of the Meteor Hammer
Lady White Blade’s Bursting Charge
Lash of the Fly-Whisk
Lashing Dragon
Lion at Rest Stance
Liver Strike
Lung Strike
Leap of the Swan
Majesty of the Lion
Master Teaches Student
Merciless Black Claw
Merciless Thirst of the Root
Mighty Paws of the Lion
Mountain in the Flood
Naga Palm
Nine Divine Snakes
One-Armed Strike
Path of the Dragon
Palm of the Dragon
Phantom Phoenix Sword
The Phoenix Dragon Strike
Phoenix Palm
Phoenix Spirit Disrruption
Phoenix Star Strike
Phoenix Star Reversal
The Perfect Block of the Raksha
The Perfect Harmony of the Willow
Perfect Strike of the Phoenix
Plum Blossom Palm
Pounce of the Lion
Purge Spirit
Rage of One Thousand Grieving Widows
Rain of Arrows
Red Claw Strike
Reclining Stick Stance
Ribbons of Steel
Ringing Strike of the Divine Ram
Rising Dragon Stance
Rising Swan Stance
Restoring Palm
Roar of the Lion
The Second Fist of Yanshi
Shift of the Chameleon
Skull Breaking Stick
Slashing Blade
Slicing Blade of the Flying Phantoms
Spear Swipe
Spearing Blade
Spear of the Infinite Emperor
Stance of the Drunken Cat
Stern Rebuke of Heiping
Stealth of the Spider Demon
Stick of the Rebounding Dog
Stick of the Rising Dog
Stone Shattering Finger
Storm of Arrows
Storming Daggers
Storming Needles
Strike of the Divine Falcon
Stunning Stick Strike
Swift Rebuttal
Swift Stride
Swift Pounce of the Cheetah
Somersault Strike of the Drunken Monkey
Spinning Back Kick
Spear Swipe
Spear of the Infinite Emperor
Strike of the Raging Tiger
Sun Mai Sword
Swan Taming Strike
Sword Stance
Sword Whipping Strike
Tai Lan’s Staff Strike
The Third Fist of Yanshi
Three Point Strike
Trapping Wind
Trembling Strike
Tree Bounding Stride
Tree Bounding Strike
Triple Yang Strike
Turn of the Caltrop
Venom of the Fly-Whisk
Wall of Caltrops
Weapon Hunts for Food
Weapon Stride
Whipping Strands
Whirling Dodge
Whirling Blade
White Flower Palm
Willow
Zhe Valley Blade
Zhe Valley Fist

3 comments:

  1. Bit weird to read them as single entries, instead of degrees/aspects within a school. Hopefully the sifu of "bladder strike" has more than that going for him.

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  2. Each sect or school has a a collection of techniques from the list. If your from that sect, learning those techniques is easier for you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Finger of Supreme Annihilation: Yo, that's metal.

    ReplyDelete