GLORIOUS DEATH CULT AVAILABLE

The latest Sects of the Martial World PDF, Glorious Death Cult, is available now HERE. Check it out, and if you like it, spread the word!

GLORIOUS DEATH CULT

The Glorious Death Cult dedicates itself to the spread of heroic martyrdom. Disfigured masters of disguise, they shepherd heroes to their doom where their leader, Supreme Master Tung, immortalizes the glory with a calligraphy brush to grow his own divinity. They are rivals to Supreme Master Tung’s brother, Tung Lu, a righteous and stubborn hero who lives to kill the Glorious Death Disciples. Whether the players join with the Death Cult or help the Tung Lu family is for them to decide.

This PDF includes stats for members of Glorious Death Cult and Tung Lu Family, new Kung Fu Techniques, a description of the Endless Noodle Restaurant, new Objects of Power, stats for the Wolf Tooth Club and a new Monster. It is designed to be dropped into any campaign as needed.

BABYLON 5 SEASON 2 EPISODES 1-3 DISCUSSION

On our Bedrock Podcast today we talked about the first three episodes of the second season of Babylon 5: Points of Departure, Revelations, and Geometry of Shadows.

SHAW BROTHERS SATURDAY: CRIPPLED AVENGERS

Every Friday on the podcast we talk about classic martial arts movies. This week, we discussed the Chang Cheh Classic, Crippled Avengers: 

HEROIC BLOODSHED: GUNS FOR WANDERING HEROES OF OGRE GATE

In my Disposable Disciples campaign, there has been a growing time crisis, where people from different eras are suddenly appearing in the setting. The players have encountered primitive tribes, mech warriors from the future and soldiers armed with machine guns. Here are some tentative stats for guns that showed up in my last session and a Gun Fu technique to counter them.

MODERN GUNS

All modern guns require the Modern Gun Skill to operate. They have good ranges in combat and are almost impossible to counter, but they require ammo and this takes 1 round to re-load. While guns have long ranges and can be fired from great distances this does require line of site for them to be used effectively, so the GM should adjudicate accordingly if terrain, buildings, etc are between the target and shooter.

PISTOL: Does 3d10 damage. Requires Modern Gun Skill to use (otherwise roll 0d10). Range: 100/400/800. Cannot be countered except with a specific technique.

MODERN RIFLE: Due to accuracy this gains +2d10 against a single target. Does 3d10 damage. Range: 800/1300/1800.  It cannot be countered unless with a specific technique. Requires the Modern Gun Skill to use (otherwise it is 0d10).

MODERN MACHINE GUN: Machine guns can fire at up to eight targets per round. Before rolling to attack, the user distributes a pool of 8d10 to targets as desired. These become individual Damage rolls for each respective target who is successfully attacked. Specific weapons can vary. Range: 4500/5250/6000. Some machine guns go as high as 10d10, others as low as 4d10. Like Rifles, these cannot be countered except by a specific Kung Fu Technique. Requires Modern Gun Skill to use (otherwise use 0d10).

DODGE BULLETS (NEW COUNTER)

Discipline: Waijia

Skill: Detect+Athletics against Attack roll

Type: Counter

Qi: 3

You can sense where bullets will be, before they even leave the chamber and slip between them with exceptional grace.

Make a Detect Roll TN 6. On a Success you can then make an Athletics Roll against the attack roll. On a Success you reduce the damage roll by 1d10 per rank of Waijia.

Cathartic: Make a Detect Roll TN 6. On a Success make an Athletics Roll agains the Attack roll. On a success you evade the attack.

MODERN GUN: NEW SKILL

With this Combat Skill you can use modern guns freely. Without this skill, roll 2d10 and take the lowest (or 0d10) when using guns.

DISPOSABLE DISCIPLES SESSION 67: THE TEN-THOUSAND-FOLD GOD

This is a log for my ongoing Disposable Disciples of Bone Kingdom campaign. You can see the previous session log HERE.  

Player Characters: 
Shen Chun/Crazed Raksha
Little Bai
Yang Shen 
Ong Lao
Min (Feiyan)

Disciples of the Sect: 
Red Eagle (Little Bai)
Dim-Witted Chen (Shen Chun)
Xiaomei 

Sects Alliances: 

GOLDEN WAY ALLIANCE 
An alliance of orthodox sects lead by Shen Chun (Zhao Kang-Green Cat Kang) and his wife Da Mei Mei. They wield the wind saber of Sunan and the Phoenix Crown of Bao. Their alliance includes Temple of the Jade Mercies, remnants of Relentless Corpse Sect, Purple Cavern Sect, Nature Loving Monk Sect, Dehua Sect, Golden Dragon Sect and connections with the House of Paper Shadows. 

THE SOUTH WIND SOCIETY 
Rivals to the Golden Way, they have been absorbing sects in the south and in Hai'an. They are led by Cunning Dragon and have absorbed: Tree Dwelling Nuns, Perfect Heaven Lineage, Southern River Sect, Sun Mai Sect, Glorious Death Cult, Crescent Moon Sect, and a small group lead by Silent Dagger. 

Rulers:

Zhen Dao Empire: Emperor Zhao
Hai'an: Queen Ai Nu
Li Fan: King Yuan

ZHE VALLEY 

Yang Shen, Min and Ong negotiated with the dying spider, Hua Yin. Large as a city block, her collapsed body still towered over the party. 

Yang Shen held a blade to her chest and said "I will let you live if you are willing to comprise and work with me as an equal."

"I don't think we can trust her," said Ong. 

"If she does what we say, we let her live, if she acts against us, we kill her," said Yang Shen. 

"But she might just kill us in the middle of the night, I don't know if this is wise Shen," said Ong. "Where do you intend to keep her?"

"She knows our abilities are superior and we can kill her anytime we want. I will keep her in Zhe Valley to help me rebuild Canyon Sect."

"If that is what you want to do, I won't stop you, but I must return to the Golden Way," Said Ong. 

Ong soon left, Min remained, mainly out of curiosity and interest in the Hua Yin's nature. 

"What are you exactly?" Yang Shen asked. 

"I am the first strand."

"What is that and can you send your spiders beyond Zhe Valley?"

"I began as a strand of hair from the Enlightened Goddess," Said Hua Yin. "I control all the spiders, they are the people of the First Strand."

"What do you want?"

"To grow my power, to feed and be mighty."

"Do you cultivate Qi? Do you need martial heroes?"

"I feed on the people of the Second Strand," She said and pointed at Yang Shen and Min.

"If you intend to eat us, that just won't do," Said Yang Shen. 

"Any humans will do," She said. "I do not intend to eat you."

"How many do you need?"

"It is difficult to calculate, but perhaps more than 100. You said we would work together, if I agree to this, which it seems I must, then would I be your equal?"

"Well you would have a place of importance and honor in the sect," Said Yang Shen. 

This conversation continued for some time and Shen agreed to make her the Guardian of The Valley (it came to light that she had eaten the previous one). She was also promised to be given disciples (a number of men equal to 20% of the sect total). After this matter was settled Yang Shen and Min left for Dee to rendezvous with the escort company Shen had hired. 

THE GOLDEN WAY 

Back at the Golden Way Sect Headquarters, Shen Chun returned and met with Lingsu. 

"Chief, there have been a number of attacks on people in the areas around our headquarters." 

Lingsu then described explained that peoples' homesteads were being ransacked for supplies and the bodies left riddled with wounds. He also found remains of the weaponry, and brought out a number of shattered metal pellets. He also had information that there were at least three groups of men responsible for the attacks in the area. 

They brought out Xiao Hai to examine the objects and he explained they were bullets from machine guns from the Era of the Divine Dragon (about 500 years after the present). Shen Chen asked Lingsu to see if they could try communicating with the groups responsible and see if working with them was possible. 

Lingsu and Shen Chun discussed the situation and believed that the problem with people slipping through different times into their own was growing worse. Not only that but there were an increasing number of earthquakes locally as well. They decided they had to find a solution. 

Shen Chun had his Yen Li priest brought in and asked him if there was a worthy god to petition to help deal with this problem. The priest told him that Lishi Xiao, the Ten-Thousand Fold God in charge of records, history and who was believed to take thousands of different forms at a time in order to complete his many tasks, would be ideal. He performed the ritual petition and burned 50,000 spades worth of paper currency. 

Ong arrived and met with a Yen Li sorcerer he had called for named Zhen Guan. He told him about the situation on his island and explained he needed pills that could temporarily transform spirited beasts into normal men and women. Zhen Guan said he could and promised to make 50 pills for a high price. 

Later, Lingsu Arrived with a man dressed in strange clothes. He had a group of similarly dressed men, all armed with advanced firearms and said his name was Squad Leader Zhao. He explained that he arrived here with a platoon and that their Platoon Leader believed they were in enemy territory and not listening to reason. They clearly came from the future and had slipped through time like the others. He offered to work with Shen Chun provided the sect leader help him deal with his Squad Leader. They made a spoken agreement and Zhao offered that he might be able to replicate some of his weaponry. 

ZHE VALLEY

Yang Shen and Min arrived in Dee, where they met the 75 men of the Zun City Escort company. They went to Ghashir Manor and spoke with Gashir Al-Anmar who agreed to sell him Celestial Plume in large quantities. He purchased over 300 pounds for 1,500 spades per pound. They then bought carts and fitted one of them with a panel to conceal the goods. They traveled toward the Banyan but had an encounter with some soldiers. They allowed the soldiers to inspect the wagons, and one of the men spotted the panel. Yang Shen immediately offered him a bribe and the soldier kept quiet. 

From there they continued back and stopped at Wu Pen, and spoke with Wei-Yan Jun of Mountain Dragon Inn. Yang Shen made arrangements to work with him, if he could distribute Celestial Plume in the Banyan and sell what they had on a regular basis. Wei-Yan Jun agreed provided Yang Shen provided support against any meddling Martial Sects or Heroes. 

From there they continues on to Zhe Valley. 

GOLDEN WAY

An old man arrived and asked to speak with Shen Chun. The man said "I hear you wish for the help of the Ten-Thousand Fold God?"

"Yes, we are in a deep crisis."

"I am authorized to lend advice. But am not authorized to reveal many details to you."

"You cannot stop the situation from growing worse or tell us how to stop it?"

"I can say that the Golden Stele, the great artifact in Heaven's hall of records that records all that has passed, is illegible to the Ten Thousand Fold God. Only if the problem is pulled from its root, can this be stopped."

Shen Chun puzzled over this and the man gave evasive responses. Ultimately Shen Chun settled that they would need to identity the root and use the Chariot to eliminate it. 

This is where the session ended.