WUXIA INSPIRATION: INTRODUCING PLAYERS TO WUXIA PART TWO

This is a follow-up to my original post on this subject (HERE). I decided to do a follow-up with more current online resources. This is more of a revision or refining of the initial post. Also my ideas on this have evolved as I've introduced more players to the genre. I may do an expanded break down of some of the films or categories in future posts. 

INTRODUCING PLAYERS NEW TO WUXIA
Because wuxia is a niche genre (at least where I live in the US), I think chances are high you will have players who are not familiar with it, or have limited exposure to a few notable examples. You can definitely show players over the course of a campaign, what the genre entails, but it also helps if you introduce them to online resources, movies, books and shows. 

Also, it is important to understand what your take on the wuxia genre is. Certain kinds of wuxia stories probably appeal to you more than others, and if your campaign reflects this, you will want to steer players toward material that reflects your sensibilities. For this reason I grouped movie recommendations by types. 

TYPES OF WUXIA MOVIES
I am grouping wuxia by type in this list to make recommendations easier for GMs. Also for GMs, this can be a handy guide for their own inspiration. This is far from comprehensive. There are many classic films like Come Drink With Me or Temple of the Red Lotus that I didn't have categories for. It is mostly films I really enjoy (or in some instances, films that seemed essential to the category). This kind of list is incredibly subjective and many movies can easily fit into more than one category. 

NEW WUXIA

Reign of Assassins

In my first post I offered a selection of movies worth showing to your players. I think that list is solid, but others have been released since that time. I also decided to compile a list of new movies based on the kind of wuxia they represent. If I repeat anything from my first list, it will be marked with an asterisk. 

Brotherhood of Blades
Dragon (Wu Xia)
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
Reign of Assassins
Sword Master

ARTSY WUXIA 
These are the more cerebral type of wuxia film. Most on the list I highly recommend. Personally I have to admit, I did not enjoy The Assassin (2015), so I can't personally recommend it. However I recognize a lot of people like the movie, and it definitely belongs in this category. Since I am assuming most reading this have seen Crouching Tiger, my biggest recommendation here is Ashes of Time (which is really unusual) and A Touch of Zen (which is admittedly slowly paced, but a very important wuxia movie). 

Ashes of Time 
The Assassin (2015)**
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Hero
Curse of the Golden Flower 
Legend of the Black Scorpion 
A Touch of Zen

GONZO WUXIA
Wuxia varies greatly depending on the decade and the production company. In the early 80s there were a number of wuxia films that took things in wild and fantastic directions. I think these are particularly suited to GMs and groups aiming for a more gonzo style. Here is a brief list of prime gonzo wuxia:

Holy Flame of the Martial World 

Bastard Swordsman 
Blood Parrot 
Buddha Palm
Deadful Melody 
Duel to the Death
The Enchantress 
Holy Weapon 
Holy Flame of the Martial World
Jade Dagger Ninja 
Legendary Weapons of China
Swordsman III
Web of Death
The Weird Man 

I would less enthusiastically point to The Battle Wizard and The Journey of the Doomed as other films in this category. 

FANTASTIC AND MYTHIC WUXIA
These are movies that get into myth, legend and other genres like xianxia. Some overlap with gonzo, but most of these are movies that many would regard as not belonging strictly to the wuxia genre. For example, A Chinese Odyssey is a retelling of the classic novel, Journey to the West. Strictly speaking, many of these are not wuxia movies, but they are easy material to incorporate into a wuxia campaign if you have supernatural elements. 

A Chinese Ghost Story

Painted Skin: Resurrection

A Chinese Odyssey
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons
Legend of the Mountain 
Painted Skin and Painted Skin Resurrection*
Sorcerer and the White Snake* 
The Thousand Faces of Dunjia 
Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain 

DARK AND MYSTERIOUS WUXIA
This is wuxia that features darker characters and themes. I also fold wuxia with mystery elements here. A film like Duel for Gold is dark because the characters are all pretty much bad people, whereas a movie like Magic Blade features dark and eccentric characters like Devil Grandma. 

Bat without Wings

Bat without Wings  The Blade 
Broken Oath 
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame 
Duel for Gold 
Finger of Doom 
Human Lanterns 
Killer Constable 
Killer Clans*
Magic Blade
Trail of the Broken Blade 
What Price Honesty 

BROKEN HERO WUXIA
This is just any movie where the hero is maimed or mentally broken. 

Death Duel 
Eight Diagram Pole Fighter 
The New One-Armed Swordsman 
One-Armed Swordsman
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman 
The Crippled Avengers
Opium and the Kung Fu Master 

ROMANTIC WUXIA 
These are movies that feature strong romantic storylines. Some are more focused on the romance than others. Painted Skin and Painted Skin Resurrection could have been on this list as well (but I chose to put them on the fantastic wuxia list). Reign of Assassins could also have gone on the dark list. 

Heroes Shed No Tears

The Assassin (1967)
Brave Archer I-III
Golden Swallow 
Heroes Shed No Tears 
House of Flying Daggers 
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan 
The Butterfly Lovers 
Bride with White Hair
Bride with White Hair II 
Swordsman II*
The White Dragon 

ONLINE RESOURCES
The internet changes quickly. So here are some places online you can send your players for overviews of the genre and related genres:

Wuxia World: This website has a number of full translations of wuxia novels but primarily translates novels from the xianxia genre (and has many active, ongoing translations). Full disclosure: Deathblade, one of the translators at the site, is the writer of Legends of Ogre Gate (a novel set in my Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate world). 


Drama Panda: This is a blog that feels more like an online magazine dedicated to dramas. I get most of my news on upcoming drama series from Drama Panda. Full Disclosure: I occasionally post for this site. 

Shaw Brothers Universe: Full disclosure: I occasionally post for this site as a fan. 

The Wuxia Society: A comprehensive list of fan translations of wuxia novels. 

Viki and Drama Fever: These are both great ways to watch wuxia series. Drama Fever is available on its own website and through Amazon. Viki is its own site and one of the things I like about it is the comments. People comment on the shows as they watch them (and they appear in the upper corner if you keep that feature turned on. 

WUXIA AND RELATED NOVELS
For new players I find it is easier to get them to read stuff in print. Luckily there are two very recent translations I like to recommend. In addition to these there are other translations available in print as well like Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain, The Book and the Sword, etc. 

Online translations are widely available. Here there are a wide range of stories to choose from. The ones I include below give a good overview of different writers. But GMs with different preferences might make other suggestions. 

This is my current list of suggestions for new players. 

In Print
The Eleventh Son*
A Hero Born (first book of Legend of Condor Heroes)
Water Margin

Online Translation
Heroes Shed No Tears
Condor Heroes Trilogy (Legend of Condor Heroes, Return of Condor Heroes, Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre)
The White Haired Demoness (Baifa Monu Zhuan)


*Appeared on my first list 
**I do not recommend this movie but I recognize it belongs on this list. 

DICE REMOVAL Q&A

Today we made an important announcement about the removal of dice caps from the Network System. We also announced several important changes to our business model. You can see the original announcement HERE. We received numerous emails and phone calls from our valued customers and answer the most common questions below. As always, we cherish the relationship we've built with our customer-base and encourage anyone with further questions to use the Contact Me form on this page. We believe all questions are good questions and want to create an open and honest line of communication with our fans. 

Is this a real announcement?
Only a lunatic would ask such a question. The person who submitted this response will be barred from obtaining a Network License for a period of three years. We've also reported them to the FBI and local authorities just to be safe. 

How long do GMs have to become licensed? 
You must become licensed before you can run any session of Network. We take our design and game play very seriously so we will not be providing a grace period. We understand the challenge this presents to people eager to play our award-winning games*, but by making sure every GM is properly licensed we can guarantee maximum gameplay for everyone. 

Becoming licensed is very simple, all of the relevant forms are available through your local Bedrock Games representative. The fees for the forms begin at 250 dollars but may vary by location. The forms can also be obtained directly from our corporate office for a fee of 300 dollars. 

How long will it take to become a licensed Network Gamemaster?
We want people to game as soon as possible. But we also want to ensure quality. The evaluation period will take approximately 120 days. However, this evaluation period can be reduced by purchasing a Golden Dragon membership card. 

What is the Golden Dragon Membership Card?
This is a card we provide to all who sign up for our Golden Dragon program. For an annual fee of 500 dollars, we fast-track all of your licensing and evaluations. We also throw in polyester charmeuse robes embroidered with your choice of a phoenix or dragon. 

Is there a Platinum Dragon Membership Card?
Yes, we are currently working on the development of a Platinum Dragon program. This is subject to change, but for an annual fee of 25,000 dollars, you will become a Platinum Dragon. Platinum Dragons are elite customers who demand the very best. Platinum Dragon Members have all the benefits of a Golden Dragon membership, plus they receive a customized ruleset. Each ruleset is a perfect bound edition printed once per year with full color art and includes mechanics and setting material personalized to fit the taste and expectations of the Platinum Dragon member. 

When does these changes take effect?
"Does" only applies to the singular third person. For all other uses "Do" is more appropriate. But to answer the question you seemed to be asking: Immediately. No exceptions. 

Will bulk discounts be available for group dice upgrades?
No. This is would not only be unfair to smaller groups, but it would also reduce our revenue greatly. 

How will digital dice rollers be inspected?  
Digital dice rollers will not be allowed under the new system until we find a way to monetize them. 

How will online groups be policed?
"Policed" is the wrong word. We prefer language like "quality control" and "evaluated". Because it will be more difficult to maintain quality control of online game groups, we will rely on a two-fold evaluation mechanism. First our online agents will review all online sessions for any violations. Evaluations will inspect session logs, livestreams, social media accounts and conduct personal interviews of family, neighbors and friends. The second mechanism is a new program we call "Private Eye". Any player can join the Private Eye network. This is a fun and easy program to sign up for, that comes with an official (but secret) badge and access to our online resources. Each Private Eye is fully trained and responsible for evaluating their own game group, then filing reports to our headquarters. This program will cover both online and live table play. The aim of these programs is to ensure everyone has fun and maintain a high standard of quality at the table. In a year we intend to introduce our "Private Eye Watchers" program, which will be responsible for quality control of the Private Eye program. If that is successful we will add an additional layer to the program the following year. 

I am confused about this dice cap removal; how will making people roll buckets of dice add enjoyment to the game?
It is very simple math really. We've observed in playtest that player fun increases when they roll more dice. If a player has rank 1 in Muscle and rolls 1d10; they have approximately 75% less fun than a player with 3 ranks and an Expertise bonus rolling 4d10. Therefore it is only logical that players will have more fun if they can roll 7d10, 11d10, 24d10 and more. More dice equals more fun. We haven't crunched all the numbers yet, and we still need to speak with Dan (our math guy) but we are predicting a 1,789% increase in overall fun. By removing the cap we are removing an artificial barrier to your entertainment. 

What if I prefer playing with the old dice caps?
We understand this is a difficult transition for people who grew accustomed to the the old dice caps. We ask that you trust our research and playtesting process. This method really is an improvement and we wouldn't be making the change it if we didn't think it would add value to the game. However, the best way to continue using outdated methods without losing your Network License is to purchase a Platinum Dragon membership and request the old dice caps in your customized edition of the game. 

*Technically speaking, we only have one award but it sounds much more impressive when phrased more broadly. It is also worth pointing out this was a Gaming Genius Award, which only was held once in 2011 (but we think that makes it more special). Whatever you do, do not google Gaming Genius awards as it will take you to a possibly malicious website.

DICE CAP REMOVAL ANNOUNCEMENT

This is an official declaration from Bedrock Games, formally removing all dice caps* from our Network RPGs. This applies to both the 6d10 soft cap and the 10d10 hard cap. We will also be making many other changes to our business model in the coming weeks. 

According to the Network rules system, players roll a pool of ten-sided dice for every point they have in a skill. Before this announcement players were limited to a maximum of 6 ten-sided dice in a given dice pool, or 10 ten-sided dice in very special cases. Now there is no limit. You can freely roll 11d10, 12d10, 13d10, 14d10, 15d10, etc. 

Art by Jackie Musto 

Initially the soft and hard cap were introduced as measures to impose balance on the game. But this came at the expense of optimization. This was short-sighted on our part, as we didn't anticipate the greater profitability of providing options that are friendly to min-maxing and player-buying power. All that matters in this world is money and material objects (and of course our customers), so we intend to take full advantage of a player-first marketing strategy. 

Obviously, the removal of the dice-caps also means players and GMs will need more ten-sided dice. In the coming weeks we will be offering a wide selection of hand-crafted d10s. These will be the official 'network dice' and we will require all players and GMs to use them in their games. Because they are handcrafted and made from the finest Tuscan marble, they will cost considerably more than standard d10. 

Quality is important to our customers (and therefore to us), so we will require all Network GMs be fully licensed and regularly bring in their dice for inspection. This will entail an annual fee and exam that evaluates the GM's intellectual, moral and medical state to ensure all sessions of Network, are quality sessions of Network. We will also conduct periodic 'table inspections'.

Our primary value at Bedrock Games is devotion to our customers. However, we recognize that in the past, our business model catered too heavily to a small group of customers: Game Masters. In the coming weeks we also intend to introduce new mechanics that will rectify this imbalance by stripping Gamemasters of key aspects of their authority. It has yet to be determined if this power will be transferred directly to players or placed in the hands of a well-trained committee. But we assure you, the end result we be a more playable and enjoyable game for all. 

-Brendan Davis
President of Bedrock Games
04/01/2018

Addendum: Since the release of this statement we were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic outreach from our customers and have released a Q&A page (HERE) to clarify the meaning of the change. 


































































































*For a full 24 hours, all dice caps are removed from any Network RPG. In cases where people are in different time zones, the time zone of the person rolling the dice applies. Provided that individual is still within the 24 hour period, then the roll in unhindered by the soft cap of 6d10 or hard cap of 10d10. This change only applies to non-terrestrial customers.