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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2004
 Table of
Contents
5
Features
The Empty Hand Martial Arts in the new World of Darkness
By Eloy Lasanta Art by Christopher Lee Simmons
15 Spotlight On: The NecroCyberz A new online Guild for Wraith: The Oblivion
By J. Edward Tremlett Art by Joshua Gabriel Timbrook
17 Of Floating Spirits Tips for playing Yulan-Jin in Kindred of the East
By Eloy Lasanta Art by Melissa Uran
20 Justification Vampire: The Requiem fiction
By Tony Murlin
22 The Broken Mirror A secret sect and a broken mirror. Fiction for Kindred of the East
By Daniel Acaba

4
Columns & Departments
Letter from the Editor
By Christopher Lee Simmons

On The
CoVeR

A charcoal study of a
vampireʼs victim, by
Kat Burress.
3
 THE EMPTY HAND
The World of Darkness… The World of Secrets… The World
of Things That Go Bump in the Night… There are many names
for the world our characters exist in and everyone uses something
different. Everyone has demons to fight, personal or otherwise
and it is best to always be equipped to do so. There are those in
this world that perfect their minds and bodies to the point where
they are safe from almost any threat out there. Well, safer than
normal anyway.
This article will take a look at the role of Martial Artists in
the World of Darkness. Their role is important to the history
of so many areas of the world, but has most of its influence com-
ing from China. There are many forms as well, ranging from the
Brazilian style, Capoeira, which focuses on seemingly wild flips
ad kicks, to Tiger Style Kung Fu which emphasizes strong claw
attacks to cause the most pain possible to your opponent. While
many of the styles have common aspects with the Fighting Style:
Kung Fu presented in the World of Darkness Corebook, there
are important differences that must be presented.
HISTORY
It would be impossible to compile all of the different martial
art styles into one comprehensive history. They come from dif-
ferent cultures and different points in time. But there are a few
things that stand true for just about every martial art style out
there.
SELF DEFENSE
While many of styles are truly deadly to opponents, most mar-
tial arts were created as a way to defend one’s self from attackers.
Whether it was to defeat the rival tribe in the jungles of Africa
or to make sure the emperor was kept safe in China, it is all about
protection. The institution of martial arts training leaked from
militaries into the schools that taught the average person on the
instruction of self defense, until most everyone, from soldier to
shopkeepers to farmers, knew some sort of martial art and could
defend themselves and their families from harm.
There are many stories of self-discovery around this principal.
The rogue martial artist fighting against his urges to take the fight
to the enemy, only to die in the end for such heroic, yet stupid,
actions. There are, of course, other stories which contradict the
first. Every student is taught to use his or her own judgment and
see what comes from it.
ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORT
There is a reason why they are called the martial arts. For
centuries, masters of the various forms would perform before their
betters in exhibitions against equally talented fighters or simply
execute katas that showed how focused they had become through
their practice. There are even some forms, like Capoeira, that
5
By Eloy Lasanta
were developed as entertainment and dancing first and a
combat method second. There is a quality in every mar-
tial art that is ritual, ceremonial and pleasant to behold and
these skills are often coupled with traditional dancing and
other art forms.
Likewise, many of the different styles have been turned into
sport. While this defies the traditions of many of the more pas-
sive forms, it fits right in with the more aggressive styles like
Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, or Tiger Kung Fu. The sport style and
traditional style of the martial art will often differ in execution
as the sport style will have accompanying rules and regulations
to follow. Many more conventional practitioners stay away from
sports as it waters down the art’s awesome power and spirituality.
USE OF WEAPONS
While we are talking about hand-to-hand fighting in this ar-
ticle, we cannot forget about weapons all together. Most schools
will teach their students the basics of fighting with weapons, be
it a knife, sword, staff, or less obvious implements. There are
just too many situations when a weapon would be better than
your hand. Each school will teach a different style, often coming
together with the hand-to-hand style, but keep in mind that your
Fighting Styles Merit does not count when wielding a weapon.
However, your character should still have a descent rating in
Weaponry to reflect his training.
SPIRITUALITY
Martial arts teach that the artist should focus his body and his
mind together, allowing him to go beyond himself and let the
soul take over. The principles of Yin and Yang are taught in Asia,
of course, but meditation is a universal lesson that runs parallel to
the concept. Through meditation, they can clear their minds of
everything except their intended purpose, whether it be to defeat
their opponent or finish their school exam, it is a truly useful skill
and one that is at the heart of all martial art forms.
This training in the mystical arts puts some masters of martial
arts into a whole other realm of power. They have gone past the
pinnacle of martial arts training and have become truly magi-
cal beings, capable of fantastic techniques. This also puts them
closer on the radar of supernatural beings and usually makes them
targets. Vampires hate the competition, especially when food
fights back.
SCHOOLS
While martial arts styles are generally the same from place to
place, there are some schools that place specific focus on certain
aspects of the style above others. For example, there are recog-
nizable differences between Northern Black Tiger Kung Fu and
Southern Black Tiger Kung Fu, as well between White Crane
Kung Fu and Tiger Crane Kung Fu. While the styles themselves
are similar enough to have the same name (or close to the same
name), they are taught in different areas by different masters in
different schools, which makes them different.
Students keep their school in high regard and most become
as family. Your teacher is you father and the other students your
siblings. It becomes the cornerstone of the student’s lifestyle, es-
pecially if they started young. This is how rivalries begin.
If some grievous disrespect is shown to a school, its students
and master will usually strike enmity against the aggressive school.
Some of these rivalries have lasted for centuries, the true reason
behind them lost to history, while others are settled quickly, usu-
ally by ritual combat. The grievance must be considerable to war-
rant something of this magnitude, but it does happen.
MASTERS
The teachers, the sensei, the sifu, are expected to be masters in
their fields. There are stories of imposters, pretending to be the
foremost in their field, only to be beaten by their little-learned
students. They live the rest of their lives as jokes in their com-
munities.
True masters, of course, have nothing to fear of their reputa-
tions. They are usually either hermits, totally withdrawn from
civilization (these men are commonly called hsien, which means
“men of the mountain”) or are the pillars of their villages and
towns, being role models for the young. They usually stray from
large cities, as the environment lends itself to more aggressive
behavior. Most have given their lives to the study of their art,
believing totally in the forces of the universe and their place in it,
totally content to exist in any way the universe sees fit.
It is tradition to pass along your gifts to the next generation,
so no knowledge is lost. You are not a teacher without a student
and you can rarely be as great as you claim if you cannot duplicate
your techniques through training another. Masters are known to
take up to 3 students at a time, trying their hardest to stay within
this limit, except for extraordinary circumstances. While there
are schools with larger classes, they don’t tend to give as detailed
and personal an experience and are avoided by Masters.
The question stands, then: What makes a True Master. Many
would think that it comes from simply knowing a martial art form
to its fullest. This is true. Some say that it comes from intense
spirituality. This is true. Others speak of masters being so simply
from knowing many different styles. This is true, as well. All
of these ring true, because masters are expected to match these
characteristics. A True Master is one that knows the secrets of
the universe and teaches them only to worthy. A sinister sifu,
teaching death techniques to beggars on the street, is not a true
master, but an enlightened master who teaches only to students
who have gone through the trials he has set forth can be called
as such.
In addition, martial arts masters, while being a popular staple
to attach to Asia and that Far East, exist all around the world.
There are masters of every style, everywhere, capable of teaching
their students in the ways of their art. So while Zheng Xia of
China could teach you the intricacies of White Crane Kung Fu,
you could also find Nisa Amando, master of Capoeira, in Brazil.
TUTELAGE
Every master is different in their tutalege, depending on their
6
temperament. While some masters focus on training the mind
and so are very gentle in their approach, there are others who
teach with a stick at the back of the student’s head. Students
must do everything the teacher asks without question or suffer
grave consequences.
Some students are tasked with carrying water up and down
stairs all day or punching a wall for hours on end. The list of
potential training tasks goes on and on. Most of the time, the stu-
dent doesn’t realize that they are even being trained (the Karate
Kid is a good example of this principle). No matter the training
style, the way the student turns out later on in life has a direct
bearing on the way they were trained. Those students trained
with compassionate discipline go on to be benevolent to their
villages, while those taught through self mortification and torture
tend to lose their morality and become villains in the eyes of the
people.
DUELING AND HONOR
It has been tradition for centuries upon centuries for great war-
riors to compete to be the best. In the martial arts community,
though, there is more to the process than beating your opponent
to a bloody pulp. It is a matter of honor.
There are times when group combat is acceptable, but the vast
majority of battles are composed of only two combatants, usu-
ally from rival schools and usually with a score to settle with one
another. It is important for these martial artists to remember the
rules of combat.
Rules like “Never strike your opponent in the back” or “Never
strike an opponent when he’s down” are two important ones. Do-
ing one of the two above will lose the artist a mass of reputation.
If no one is watching, he will usually look down upon himself,
knowing the wrong he has made. The actual rules of combat do
vary from region to region, however. The Storyteller should take
this into consideration when running his game.
MILITARY TRAINING
In today’s increasingly modern world, many of the old secrets
have been lost. Many of the world’s great martial artists have
started to come from intense training from the numerous military
academies, not from a martial arts school or from the instruction
of a True Master. While this is just as viable an option, access to
Master Techniques are virtually null.
CHOOSING YOUR STYLE
WHICH STYLE IS BEST FOR ME?
It is important to think about the personality of your character
when deciding which martial arts form he chooses to be his field
of study. Tall, burly men are not prone to practicing White Crane
Kung Fu as it lends itself more to petite persons. The same say
that a pacifist wouldn’t choose Tiger Kung Fu as his style, as it is
very aggressively violent. Choose wisely.
Another tip to Storytellers would be to not do work that’s not
needed. After careful consideration, many martial arts styles were
skipped in the following write-ups. This is because many styles
can simply use the existing rules for other fighting styles. Savate,
a kick boxing style from France, would fall under Fighting Style:
Boxing. Karate or Tae Kwon Do would simply fall under simple
Fighting Style: Kung Fu. You should really do your homework be-
fore determining if that style really needs its own write up. Most
will either use the two in the World of Darkness Corebook or can
be duplicated by any of the write-ups in this article.
MULTIPLE STYLES
After mastering a style of martial arts, many students go on
to learn other forms. This is encouraged by most teachers, as
it shows the students commitment to their martial studies. But
there are a few things that need to be remembered when practic-
ing two separate styles.
Experience costs: The cost for the learning any style after
your first is x3, instead of x2. Only the style that the character
has deemed his Primary style is x2. The Experience cost for lev-
els that duplicate a skill from the style you already know, are re-
duced by 1 Experience point. The reason behind this is that they
have to relearn another complete style, with its own movements
and teachings, trying to forget most of what they learned before.
Teachers keep the students in line, though, saying things like
“This is Tiger Kung Fu, not that whiny Praying Mantis, stop go-
ing to that!” So, if you already know Iron Skin from one martial
art form, you will still need to learn it with the other, but with a
slightly reduced cost since you know the foundations of it already.
For example: Learning Iron Skin in your second form would nor-
mally cost 6 Experience points. But if the character already knew
it from their primary style, it would only cost 5 Experience points.
This rule flows into #2.
You cannot use two styles at once: A master of Tiger Kung
Fu and Hapkido cannot use the two styles simultaneously. At the
beginning of combat, the character must choose which style he
wishes to use. If the character wishes to change styles mid-com-
bat, they can. However, they cannot switch back to their original
style for at least 2 rounds. Any bonuses gained from Tiger Style
would be lost when the character switches to Hapkido and vice
versa (this includes bonuses gained from Iron Skin).
MERITS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS
While interpreting the use of each merit is quite elementary,
listed here are a few that are recommended above others. They
are listed along with suggestions to how the character could have
learned them, as well as ways they can affect a martial artist di-
rectly.
There aren’t any newly created merits below, simply explana-
tion on how to use existing ones. In my own humble opinion,
there isn’t any need to create new martial arts merits, beyond the
increased variety of styles presented below. However, Storytellers
could always make up a few more to reflect useful merits for their
martial artists. For example: a Merit which duplicates Fighting
Finesse, could also work for those martial artist who use their
speed instead of strength to strike at their opponents.
MENTAL MERITS
Danger Sense: Through their situational training, martial art-
ists learn to work more off of instinct than anything, which makes
them very prone to having this merit. They just feel that some-
thing just isn’t right.
Holistic Awareness: Many martial artists know ancient ho-
listic remedies that have been lost throughout history. They will
7
teach these to some students, who deem themselves worthy.
Meditative Mind: This is definitely suggested for any martial
artist who wants to learn the more meditative Master Techniques.
It helps them focus their mind, allowing them to execute their
techniques much more steadier.
Unseen Sense: Many martial artist, using meditation to wake
up their mind, become open to things they’ve never seen before.
This merit is the reason why only those who are loyal to their
studies should embark on the road of becoming a Martial Arts
master.
PHYSICAL MERITS
Fast Reflexes or Fleet of Foot: Either of these two merits can
be useful in portraying quickness training that a character may
have been put through.
Quick Healing: Learning the proper breathing and medita-
tion exercises can help a character heal much quicker than nor-
mal. While many are simply born with this or develop it on their
own, most need to be taught by a master.
Strong Back: usually the result of intense strength training.
Strong Lungs: while not typical in most schools, many seclud-
ed masters teach their students through submersion to help them
with their breathing exercises and to protect them from toxins
in the air.
Toxin Resistant: Many schools, particularly those of Snake
Kung Fu, help their students build up a resistance, and sometimes
immunity, to venoms of all kinds.
SOCIAL MERITS
Fame: For the purposes of a martial arts game, Fame can be
replaced with Reputation. Word travels fast of rebellious stu-
dents using forbidden death moves or of the bravest warriors ever
to grace the village. This can work for you and against you, of
course. If you’ve made up a reputation for yourself to be a slayer
of demons, there may just be a village in need of such services.
Mentor: In the martial arts community, this merit is your best
friend. Most students can recite, and are trained to recite on
command, their entire lineage of teachers and pupils. It usually
comes out as, “I am Zheng Xia, the student of Choo Xue-Xue,
the student of Li Xi-Xao, the student of…”, until it gets to the
founder of either that martial arts style or the founder of that
particular school. You represent yourself as well as your master
in all of your actions. All martial artists must have at least 2 dots
in Mentor before learning any Master Techniques, as the student
always needs someone to teach them. Storytellers keep in mind
that a Level 2 Mentor may only have one Master Technique to
teach, where a Level 5 Mentor may have plenty more.
STORY HOOKS AND IDEAS
There are so many possibilities for playing a martial arts game.
Below, are some story ideas and plot hooks that may make it easy
when starting out.
Quest for the master: Not every master lives within a simple
town or village and is easy to find. This type of quest begins
with the student’s present master letting him know that he can-
not teach him any more. The character must then, with precious
clues and koans from his now former master, seek out this new
master to continue their training.
 Quest for the artifact: Done to death in many games, yes.
But in a martial arts game, it can be most gratifying. Say that a
master swordsman’s blade turns up missing and he has been slain.
This blade has the blood of many on it and anyone who wields
it becomes nigh invincible. How can the characters defeat an
enemy that wields a legendary blade? This scenario can work with
non-weaponry too.
Quest for the spirit: The character may be faced with many
trials throughout his training. The character’s own mind it not
the least dangerous of them all. The martial artist may be called
upon by his ancestors for a quest or he may simply travel into his
own (or someone else’s) consciousness in search of answers to
questions of the universe.
Quest for Revenge: What if someone important to the char-
acter has been slain? This can be a true testament to the char-
acter of the martial artist. Does he simply calm himself, keeping
to his normal routine, mourning in silence? Does he take to the
streets, ready to bring the culprit to justice? Does he go on a blood
rampage, waiting for his chance to strike and kill his enemy to
avenge the wrong? The choice belongs to the character.
Quest for Rivalry: True acts of atrocity happen in the wars be-
tween rival schools. There are several cases in history that these
feuds have survived to the present day, especially prevalent in
Asian countries, as they hold honor and family above all else.
What school do the characters belong to and what are they will-
ing to do for the honor of their school.
Quest for a Role: The other scenarios play heavily on the
thought that your entire group is composed of martial artists. But,
what if your martial artist is the only one in the group? Many
would think he would be “just the muscle”, but this could not be
farther from the truth. Most martial artists excel in stealth and
investigation, as well as being a mediator for disputes. It is im-
portant to emphasize, once again, that martial arts is about toning
the body and mind, not just the body.
STYLES LIST
Now that you are ready to play, here are the breakdowns of the
different styles of martial arts. Once again, some styles may not
need their own rules, being represented just fine by those in the
World of Darkness Corebook or on the following list. But what-
ever you choose to do, have fun with it.
PRAYING MANTIS KUNG FU (CHINESE)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••,
Brawl •••
The Praying Mantis Style was developed by Master Wang
Lang. He lived during the Ming Dynasty 1368-1644 AD. One day
the Wang Lang observed a battle between a praying mantis and
a larger insect. The monk was amazed at the skill of the smaller
insect, using its long limbs and small body to defeat a much larger
enemy. He incorporated the moves of the praying mantis into his
style of Shaolin Kung Fu and the Praying Mantis style was born.
This style uses the hands and feet to develop great speed and agil-
ity to defeat an opponent.
Focused Attack (•)
Defensive Grapple (••): Instead of using their Defense score
to lower the attacker’s dice pool, the martial artist can opt to also
roll their Strength + Brawl to grapple as a defensive action. They
must make equal to or more successes than their attack. This
8
does count for their action and their opponent’s action. Mean-
ing the results of any grapples need to be settled in the following
round.
Duck and Weave (•••)
Deceptive Form (••••): Being hard to read is important to
the Praying Mantis. Per Defensive Action, except that it is +3
Defense and –3 penalty to their attack.
Whirlwind Assault (•••••): per Whirlwind Strike, but can
make an extra attack for every dot of Dexterity above 1 (instead
of 2).
MONKEY KUNG FU (CHINESE)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina •••,
Brawl ••, Athletics •••
Monkey Kung Fu was created by Wang Lang, who also created
Praying Mantis Kung Fu. The way the monkeys advanced, re-
treated, dashed, jumped and turned, proved to be more alive than
all the big steps and broad stances used in all the other martial arts
of that time. From these observations, he designed the “Monkey
steps” which are characterized by narrow paces and quick legs.
This would enable better speed and spirit in moving. It empha-
sizes jumps, flips, quick attacks, and lots of acrobatic dodging.
Quick Recovery (•): if ever the victim of a Knock-down ac-
tion, the martial artist can get back up without it costing him his
next action, but he receives a -3 penalty to initiative for the next
3 rounds of combat.
Acrobatic Dodge (••): Due to their tumbling training, the
character can add his Athletics dots to his Defense for the use of
Dodging, instead of doubling their Defense.
Defensive Attack (•••)
Flipping Attack (••••): the martial artist can make a for-
ward flipping attack, adding +1 to his dice pool or can make a
backwards flipping attack with –1 dice pool, but makes a gap be-
tween the two combatants. The Character cannot make two flip-
ping attacks in consecutive turns.
Knock Down Attacks (•••••): most of the Monkey Kung
Fu attacks are low strikes at the legs and lower region of the op-
ponent’s body. If an attack roll comes up with at least 3 successes
on a strike, the opponent is must resist a Knock down effect at a
-3 dice penalty.
SNAKE KUNG FU (CHINESE)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••,
Brawl •••
There is no ONE style of Snake Kung Fu. Instead there are
several versions of it, adapting to different species of snake, such
as cobra, python or rattlesnake. While these styles may differ
slightly, they are condensed into one style below, for conve-
nience.
Emphasizing light, fast, highly mobile movements and quick
penetrating strikes to vital points can take out an attacker regard-
less of his size. Snake style does not directly oppose his adversary’s
strength. Instead he relies on deception and indirection to get
the upper hand, utilizing numerous feints against his opponents.
You need to go in with a fluid manner. Many students also build
up a tolerance to poisons during their training.
Focused Attack (•)
Duck and Weave (••)
Coil and Strike (•••): the methods of the snake are to wait
for just the right time to strike. The martial artist may hold his
action for one round to gain a +4 dice bonus to their strike in
the following round. The character cannot make a Dodge action
while he is “coiled”, but gains a +1 bonus to his natural Defense
score for that round. Likewise, during the round of the Strike, he
suffers a –2 to his defense score.
Pressure Points (••••): Through intense training in pres-
sure points, the character can increase the amount of damage
dealt with a single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist
makes, except for grappling, gains a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Multiple Fang Attack (•••••): per Whirlwind Strike, but
each strike can be directed to a different opponent if within close
range.
TIGER KUNG FU (CHINESE)
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••,
Brawl ••••, Strong Back
Also known as “The Emperor’s Art,” White Tiger Kung Fu has
been passed down through the Doo family for nearly 400 years.
The Doo family served as the right hand to Chinese emperors,
and their security force protected the emperor during feudal times.
They were responsible for both the emperor’s physical safety as
well as his health and well-being. This style is an offensive style
that focuses on claw attacks and palm strike above all else.
Sharpened Claws (•): Through intense training in condi-
tioning their hands, the Tiger can increase the amount of dam-
age death with a single blow. All brawl attacks the martial artist
makes, except for Grappling, gain a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Iron Skin (••)
Double Claw (•••): As per Combination Blows.
Lethal Strike (••••)
Painful Strikes (•••••): For each successful strike the Tiger
strikes his target with, the opponent suffers a –1 penalty to all
combat dice pools from the sheer pain of the attacks. These at-
tacks are responsible for many of the more prominent scars gained
in battle. This effect is cumulative with wound penalties and last
for the next full day.
WHITE CRANE KUNG FU (CHINESE)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••,
Brawl •••
White Crane Kung Fu is a rare system of self-defense which
combines foot techniques, hand techniques and chin na (seizing
and controlling). Although rare in the western world, the art is
a famous fighting style in Southeast Asia. The style is renowned
for its rapid hand techniques; its strikes executed in conjunction
with grabs and its devastatingly effective pressure point attacks.
The founder of the style, Fang Chi-Niang, was a petite woman
who lived in violent times. Most men were comparatively larger
and more physically powerful than her. Fang Chi-Niang reasoned
that certain vulnerable areas of the body could not be hardened
or conditioned to resist injury. Powerful strikes to the temples,
eyes, throat, solar plexus, floating ribs, kidneys, groin, knees, etc.,
could successfully debilitate even the most determined attacker.
Consequently, attacking pressure point targets with specialized
hand strikes became a trademark of White Crane.
Focused Attack (•)
Acrobatic Dodge (••): Due to their tumbling training, the
character can add his Athletics dots to his Defense for the use of
9
Dodging, instead of doubling their Defense.
Pressure Points (•••): Through intense training in pressure
points, the character can increase the amount of damage dealt
with a single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes,
except for grappling, gains a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Focused Fury (••••): intense attention to pressure points
is needed to be a master of White Crane. The penalty to strike
“Specific Targets” is reduced by 2. This bonus replaces Focused
Attack.
Whirlwind Strike (•••••)
JUJITSU (JAPANESE)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••, Brawl
•••
Jujitsu, or gentle technique, includes not only limb twisting
and joint locking, but also a vast arsenal of techniques including
attacking vital points, choking, and kicking. American schools
such as Danzan Ryu, based out of the Hawaiian islands, teach
variations of this style. Jujitsu is considered to have originated in
the 15th century as a grappling martial art for samourai.
The most obvious aspect of Jujitsu is that it is not reliant on
muscular skill and strength. Rather, it relies on balance, speed
and leverage. It is because these factors are so important, that
Jujitsu tends to “level the playing field” regardless of opponent
size. Jujitsu is open equally to men and women and is a far
more devastating art than
its modern sporting form
known as Judo.
Throw (•): As
“Grapple-Damage
Opponent”, but also
throws opponent 2
yards per success.
Hands-On (••):
The character
learns early on how
to best grapple their
opponent, as well
as getting free from
grappling, and gains a
+1 dice bonus for any
and all Grapple related
rolls.
Pressure Points (•••): Through intense training in pressure
points, the character can increase the amount of damage dealt
with a single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes,
except for grappling, gains a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Whirlwind Strike (••••)
Soto Makikomi (•••••): Masters of Jujitsu learn to subdue
their opponent quickly. After spending a Willpower Point, the
character may automatically use an Overpowering Maneuver on
his opponent upon a successful Grapple attack. Drawback: char-
acter cannot use his defense against any attack in the same round
he used this technique.
NINJITSU (JAPANESE)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••,
Brawl ••
Ninjitsu is known by many as the art of stealth or the art of
the shadow. Much of the training in the Ninjitsu school centers
on close range combat and the art of invisibility and espionage.
Some of the special skills learned by Ninjitsu practitioners have
historically given the ninja a reputation of possessing magical
powers. Climbing walls and swimming while clad in armor are
two skills that have earned this reputation. Other skills taught to
the ninja included map making, disguise, silent entry and escape,
leaping, high endurance, sabotage, and the use of available sur-
roundings as weapons.
The history of the ninja is shrouded in secrecy. Ninja often
hold the incorrect reputation of having all been assassins. This
was not the case. Though no single origin can be proven, most
common beliefs surrounding the origins of Ninjitsu attribute it
as a fighting method taught within mountain families as a means
for self-defense during feudal Japan against territory claimants.
In order to defend themselves against powerful foes such as the
samourai class of warriors who had strength in numbers, the ninja
developed stealth capabilities and unorthodox combat tech-
niques. The fighting tactics employed by the ninja were often
seen as cowardly by the samourai. However, they were often very
effective.
Focused Attack (•)
Adaptive (••): Adds +1 to Defense Score; The character is
able to adapt to any surroundings and use this to defeat his foes.
Master of Stealth (•••): Ninja receive +1 die bonus to all
Stealth rolls. Additionally, victims of a Surprise attack from a
practitioner of Ninjitsu suffer a –2 penalty to their Wits + Com-
posure roll.
Whirlwind Strike (••••)
Lethal Strike (•••••)
SUMO (JAPANESE)
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Stamina •••,
Brawl ••
Sumo is one of the most popular professional sports in Japan
and the image of two of these huge wrestlers grappling is one of
the most famous images of Japan abroad. The colorful tradition-
al costumes worn by the rikishi (wrestlers) and gyoji (referees),
the distinctive oichomage (gingko leaf knot) hairstyle and the
various rituals give the sport the exotic air that appeals to many
foreigners. Over the years, several foreign hopefuls have tried to
break into the ranks of sumo but few have succeeded.
There are 70 ways of beating an opponent listed by the Sumo
Association, including such common ones as uwatenage (over
arm throw) and shitatenage (underarm throw), but few methods
of attack are banned. Wrestlers may trip or slap with an open
hand, but eye gouging, hair pulling, and hitting with a closed fist
are not permitted and will result in forfeiting the bout.
Out of the Ring (•): The Sumo tradition teaches wrestling as
its first skill. Sumo get a +2 dice bonus for any and all offensive
Grapple related rolls.
Iron Skin (••)
Big Chop (•••): as per Body Blow. But, the forceful attack
of the Sumo warrior can be used to stun their opponent as long
as he rolls at least 4 successes. If the rikishi took Merit: Giant at
character creation, then they need only 3 successes. Drawback:
character cannot use his defense against any attack in the same
round he used this technique.
Invincible Skin (••••): adds +2 armor against bashing dam-
10
age only. This bonus replaces Iron Skin.
Lethal Strike (•••••)
AIKIDO (JAPANESE)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••,
Brawl •••
Primarily a defensive style, Aikido focuses on subduing their
opponents by using their own momentum against them. A char-
acter with this style has been trained in various throws and grap-
ples, making him very adept at using his opponent’s strength to
benefit his attacks, as well as using the surrounding area to aid
him in combat. These are fierce warriors, yet their focus is on
self-defense as opposed to outright offense.
Throw (•): As “Grapple-Damage Opponent”, but also throws
opponent 2 yards per success.
Defensive Grapple (••): Instead of using their Defense score
to lower the attacker’s dice pool, the martial artist can opt to also
roll their Strength + Brawl to grapple as a defensive action. They
must make equal to or more successes than their attack. This
does count for their action and their opponent’s action. Mean-
ing the results of any grapples need to be settled in the following
round.
Defensive Attack (•••)
Adaptive (••••): Adds +1 to Defense Score; the character is
able to adapt to any surroundings and use this to defeat his foes.
Whirlwind Defense (•••••): The master of Aikido can
utilize his gifts to take on multiple opponents, using their own
strength against them. The character takes a defensive stance
and rolls his Strength + Brawl. Any Brawl or Weaponry attack
toward the character that does not exceed the character’s suc-
cesses on his roll, is flipped, tripped or thrown 2 yards for each
success the attacker rolled. They also take their own successes in
damage, minus 2.
HAPKIDO (KOREA)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••, Brawl
•••
Hapkido Martial Arts is a complete art of self-defense. It com-
bines aspects of Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Ju-Jitsu and Aikido. Hap-
kido has a powerful arsenal of spinning kicks, thrusts and sweeps
combined with hard and soft fist attacks and defenses. As well as
the use of kicks and punches, Hapkido uses nerve and pressure
point attacks, wrist and joint locks, and many twisting and throw-
ing techniques.
Focused Attack (•)
Pressure Points (••): Through intense training in pressure
points, the character can increase the amount of damage dealt
with a single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes,
except for grappling, gains a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Combination Blows (•••)
Joint Lock (••••): The character may automatically make
another roll to “Grapple: Immobilize” upon getting equal to or
exceeding the target’s size on a Grapple attack.
Lethal Strike (•••••)
MUAY THAI (THAILAND)
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Stamina •••,
Brawl •••
Thai boxing, or Muay Thai, is a traditional art of self-defense
of the Thais. It is different from international boxing in that in
the Thai style of unarmed fighting, feet, elbows and knees are
used as well as fists. Thus, it resembles more to a real free-for-all
fight. A Thai boxing match lasts only five rounds of three minutes
each, with a two-minute rest between rounds.
Body Blow (•)
Defensive Grapple (••): Instead of using their Defense score
to lower the attacker’s dice pool, the martial artist can opt to also
roll their Strength + Brawl to grapple as a defensive action. They
must make equal to or more successes than their attack. This
does count for their action and their opponent’s action. Mean-
ing the results of any grapples need to be settled in the following
round.
Extra Weapons (•••): Through intense training in condi-
tioning their legs and hands, as well as their knees and elbows,
the character can increase the amount of damage death with a
single attack. All brawl attacks the martial artist makes, except
for Grappling, gain a +1 bonus to their dice pool.
Whirlwind Strike (••••)
Brutal Blow (•••••)
KRAV MAGA (ISRAEL)
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••,
Brawl •••
Krav Maga is the official self-defense system of the Israeli De-
fense Forces, and has been taught to hundreds of law enforcement
agencies and thousands of civilians in the United States. Krav
Maga is a simple, effective self-defense system that emphasizes
instinctive movements, practical techniques, and realistic train-
ing scenarios.
Armor Training (•): They have had extension training on
combat wearing all armor types. The Defense penalty for wearing
different types of armor is reduced for students of Krav Maga.
Hands-On (••): The character learns early on about the hu-
man body and how to best grapple their opponent, as well as get-
ting free from grappling, and gains a +1 dice bonus for any and all
Grapple related rolls.
Combination Blows (•••)
Quick Disarm (••••): The character may automatically
“Disarm” his opponent upon getting equal to or exceeding the
target’s size on a Grapple attack.
Lethal Strike (•••••)
CAPOEIRA (BRAZIL)
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••,
Brawl ••, Athletics ••
Capoeira was created by various slaves brought over from Af-
rica, and it’s a part of their culture. It is half a fighting style and
half a dance - most of its moves are fluid, many rely on acrobatic
stunts. It depends more of agility than of raw strength - the ste-
reotypical Capoeira fighter is small and fast, being able to hit and
flow away from the opponent’s reach. This style uses only kicking
attacks, while the arms are used only as supports for their swift
maneuvers. It’s usually fought to music, using a special instrument
called a “berimbau” that is played by the watchers, who also sing
while two fighters battle each other.
Defense of the Little Man (•): when fighting against some-
one with Dexterity equal or less than the fighter’s own, he gets a
+1 modifier to his Defense. If attacked by more than one oppo-
11
nent in the same turn, this benefit is lost.
Acrobatic Dodge (••): Due to their intense acrobatic train-
ing, the character can add his Athletics dots to his Defense for
the use of Dodging, instead of doubling their Defense.
Trips and Sweeps (•••): by utilizing low attacks, the charac-
ter can cause a knock down effect. If the character scores equal
to or exceeds the targets size, the opponent must resist a knock
down effect.
Flipping Attack (••••): the martial artist can make a for-
ward flipping attack, adding +1 to his dice pool or can make a
backwards flipping attack with –1 dice pool, but makes a gap be-
tween the two combatants. The Character cannot make two flip-
ping attacks in consecutive turns.
Spinning Kick Strikes (•••••): per Whirlwind Attack, but
each strike can be directed to a different opponent if within close
enough range.
JEET KUN DO (UNITED STATES)
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity •••, Stamina ••,
Brawl ••
The first truly American martial art form, Jeet Kun Do is the
style founded by the legendary Bruce Lee. Through the combin-
ing of several different art forms and theory on the body and its
connection to the ancient elements, Jeet Kun Do has become
one of the most controversial, yet effective styles in existence. It
teaches that martial arts doesn’t need katas and stances, you just
need to be able to defend yourself to the best of your abilities.
Bruce’s Strength (•): Through intense training and condi-
tioning on weak points, the character can increase the amount of
damage death with a single blow. All brawl attacks the martial
artist makes, except for Grappling, gain a +1 bonus to their dice
pool.
Like Water (••): per Duck and Weave. The fluid movements
of Jeet Kun Do are much adaptive to and harder to hit.
One-Inch Punch (•••): When at close range, the character
can strike a target so hard that he will be propelled backward. For
every point of damage done, the target is knocked back 3 yards.
If more than the opponent’s size, they are also knocked down. If
used against objects, it subtracts one from the item’s durability.
Drawback: character cannot use his defense against any attack
in the same round he used this technique.
Lethal Strike (••••)
Multiple Opponent Combat (•••••): per Whirlwind Strike,
but each strike can be directed to a different opponent if within
close range.
MASTER TECHNIQUES
So, after you have mastered a martial art, what else is there to
do? Many students of combat simply try their hand at another
style, but there are those that go beyond this point of body and
mind. There are many lost secrets and ancient techniques that
are not taught to the average student. Below are a few of those
techniques.
However, these are not abilities that can be taught without
the proper teacher. Some students work diligently for a master
for years to learn a single one. They are not cheap either con-
ceptually or when referring to the cost of Experience points. Sto-
rytellers should make it hard to learn lost techniques, since only
a precious few really wield their awesome power in this modern
and cynical world.
These Techniques sometimes mimic powers that supernatural
beings already possess. Although, even with years upon years of
training, a martial artist still cannot replicate their level of power.
As such, they cannot replicate any level 5 effects and techniques
that would duplicate Level 4 effects would cost an arm and a leg
in Experience points.
Note on Prerequisites: The character must have mastered at
least 1 style of martial art and at least 4 dots in Brawl before even
considering achieving this level of comprehension. Storytellers
may want to consider making some techniques require a particu-
lar style as well, so not everyone can learn everything. A Tiger
Style martial artist isn’t going to learn the same types of Master
Techniques as a master of Capoeira, after all.
ART OF INVISIBILITY
Cost: 35 experience points
Effect: This ability is similar to uses of Obfuscate, clouding the
minds of those they wish not to see them. The martial artist must
spend a Willpower point and make a Contested Wits + Stealth
roll against the target’s Wits + Composure. The target number is
generally double the target’s Willpower, but the Storyteller can
apply penalties or bonuses based on the situation. If effecting a
group, use the highest Wits + Composure of the group. If the roll
succeeds, the martial artist cannot be seen by the target(s). The
martial artist cannot act in any aggressive way toward anything
(not even the wall or a door) while using this technique or it in-
stantly broken. Auspex can see through this normally and vam-
pires receive a +2 dice bonus to resist the Art of Invisibility.
CHI STRIKE
Cost: 30 experience points
Effect: Masters of the Chi Strike often hold life and death
their hands. They have the power to force their yang chi into
their limb to deliver startling and deadly blows to their oppo-
nents. By spending one willpower point, the character can add 6
dice instead of 3 to their next attack. An extra bonus to this abil-
ity: for every 2 points of Bashing damage, the martial artist may
instead do one Lethal point of damage to the target. For example:
For example: the artial artist has Strength 3 and Brawl 4 and so
has 13 dice to roll with the additional 6 dice. He rolls 1, 2, 4, 4,
5, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9 – 8 successes. He can then opt to do 8 levels
of bashing or 4 levels of Lethal or 4 levels of Bashing and 2 Lethal
or any combination; the player’s choice.
CRIPPLING STRIKE AMENTI
Cost: 30 experience points
Effect: A skilled combatant along the right path will come
across a master that knows this lost art. It is a punch that de-
bilitates the target, making it hard for them to even move. After
spending one Willpower point, the martial artist will make a nor-
mal Strength + Brawl roll at a –3 penalty. Upon hitting, every 2
success can subtract one of the target’s points of Dexterity instead
of doing damage to a minimum of one. The dexterity can be
lowered to 0, but requires 4 successes.
Example: the martial artist has Strength 4 and Brawl 5 and so
has 6 dice to roll, after applying the –3 penalty. He rolls 1, 2, 5, 7,
8, 8, 9 – 4 successes on a target with 2 Dexterity. The character
could lower the target’s Dexterity to 1 for two of the successes and
12
then also do 2 levels of Bashing with the other 2. He could not
lower the Dexterity to 0 unless he had 6 successes (2 to bring it
to 1, then 4 to bring it to 0), but would do no damage. The loss
of Dexterity from his attack heals back as if it was lethal damage,
meaning it would take a mortal 2 days to gain back each dot lost,
but a vampire would only need to expend a Blood Point per point
lost. ST NOTE: Other techniques exist that can take away the
Strength or Stamina of the target as well. They are harder to
come by, costing 40 experience points, but would work with the
same mechanics.
SWIFT EYE GOUGE TECHNIQUE
Cost: 15 experience points, 20 experience points for rebuy
Effect: With a quick motion, the martial art can remove
object from hands, pockets, etc. It gets its name from its most
sinister use. A master can even use this lighting fast action to
remove someone’s eye before they even have a chance to counter.
After spending a Willpower point, penalties to actions involving
“Specified Targets” is reduced by 2 (in addition to any reductions
gained from Fighting Styles) and adds +5 Initiative allowing for
the very quick motion of snatching the “object”. Martial artists
with a stake are a force to be reckoned with. This technique can
be bought a second time, which reduces the penalty by 3, instead
of by 2 and gives an additional +3 initiative bonus.
FLAME AND ICE TRAINING
Cost: 15 experience points
Effect: From intense training, the martial artist becomes very
resistant to the effects of adverse weather. The character can
survive for a number of hours per dot of Stamina before feeling
any adverse effects. As an extra note, when exposed to fire or
cold damage, they can resist one point of damage on a successful
Stamina roll. Character must have Iron Skin. Characters that are
embraced into the Requiem after already knowing this technique
cannot benefit from the reduced fire damage, since the weakness
is supernatural in origin.
FLEXIBLE MASTER
Cost: 12 experience points, 18 experrience points for rebuy
Effect: Some martial artists are masters of flexibility, using this
to their advantage during battle, for escaping, etc. The character
can dislocate bones and contort in impossible ways. His adds 3
dice to any action that being flexible would be beneficial, without
the use of a Willpower point. This technique can be bought a
second time to double the dice bonus.
Examples: getting freed from cuffs, rope or getting free from
a grapple.
FORGETFUL MIND PRANA
Cost: 30 experience points
Effect: There are very few masters in the world who know this
lost technique, even those that use to know it, have forgotten it
after confrontations with their enemies. Using this ability on a
victim, the martial artist can remove the thoughts and memeories
from his mind or create new ones through the use pressure points
to the brain. For all intents and purposes, this duplicates level
3 Dominate, Forgetful Mind, including the rules for remember-
ing lost memories. A Extended Wits + Persuasion – victim’s Re-
solve. Bonuses can be gained if the victim is fully restrained. An
Exceptional success means the victim accepts the new memories
without thought.
GRACEFUL SWAN TECHNIQUE
Cost: 15 experience points, 20 experience points for rebuys
Effect: After spending 1 Willpower point to activate this te-
chinue for the scene, the character becomes light as a feather,
being able to walk on walls and jump incredible lengths. This
ability adds 2 dice to all athletics actions, such as climbing, jump-
ing, etc and lets the character ignore 1 point of damage from fall-
ing. It can be purchased up to 3 times, for a total of 6 additional
dice and 3 avoided levels of damage from falling. Masters of this
technique can even appear to be in flight, even though its just re-
ally long jumps with enough successes. Gravity still effects them,
however. Walking on walls or balancing on tree branches are
done by rolling Dexterity + Athletics at a –2 penalty, while walk-
ing on the ceiling is a –5. They can only stay on the surface un-
moving for up to a number turns equal to their dots in Dexterity,
before falling again. If the successes accumulate an Exceptional
Success, the amount of turns is doubled.
INTANGIBLE STRIKE MEDITATION
Cost: 18 experience points
Effect: The martial artist, with enough training, can learn to
strike through even the toughest armor. If the character spends a
Willpower point before attacking, he can make a strike that pass-
es through a number of points of Armor as he has dots in Wits.
For example: a martial artist with 3 Wits can ignore 3 points of
armor protection.
Note: this even ignores levels of armor gained from martial art
training (such as Iron Skin or Ox-Body Technique).
KILLING STRIKE
Cost: 50 experience points
Effect: Whether called the Five-Finger-Method Strike or the
Vemon-Heart Technique or the Double-Temple Kick or what-
ever, this is an ultimate attack that a martial artist can learn: the
ability to kill someone with only a single strike. The character
must spend a Willpower dot, then make a successful strike that
equals or exceeds the target’s size. If the character succeeds in
this attack, the opponent dies as if all by lethal damage, killing
a mortal. A vampire subject to this attack, goes into torpor. If
the attack does not accumulate the character’s size in successes,
the attack deals damage per normal and the character still loses
their Willpower dot. This reflects how killing strikes require ex-
act precision that must be done exactly right. Regaining their
lost Willpower dot costs 12 experience points.
Note: This attack ignores any additional health points earned
from supernatural powers or any gained from enhanced stamina.
LONG DISTANCE PUNCH
Cost: 20 experience points, 25 experience points for rebuy
Effect: This ability allows the character to attack a target from
a distance. The character must spend a Willpower point and roll
Dexterity + Brawl with a –3 dice penalty. The strike can be per-
formed from a max distance of the character’s Strength + Brawl
in yards, but can double this distance by taking an additional –2
13
penalty (for a total –5 penalty). This technique can be bought a
second time, which removes the dice penalty.
OX-BODY TECHNIQUE
Cost: 20 experience points, 30 experience points for rebuy
Effect: The character’s body becomes stronger and it is easier
to resist damage. The character gets one extra health point and
can resist 1 additional point of bashing damage. Character must
have Iron Skin. This technique can only be bought twice.
PARALYZING STRIKE
Cost: 20 experience points
Effect: There are certain ways of defeating your opponent;
the least of them is incapaciting them. By spending a Willpower
point and making a successful Strength + Brawl roll at a –3 pen-
alty, the martial artist can paralyze their target for a number of
turns equal to their dots in Strength, along with dealing 1 point of
Lethal damage. An Exceptional success doubles the duration and
raises the damage to 2 lethal. Vampires only suffer half of the ef-
fects (rounded down), so if the attacker had 3 Strength, a vampire
would only be paralyzed for 1 turn, instead of 3. Damage done to
a vampire with is technique deals bashing not lethal.
POISON HAND TECHNIQUE
Cost: 25 experience points
Effect: Often seen as the opposite of Chi Strike, as it is forcing
Yin Chi into your strike. The character must spend 1 Willpower
on this attack. If the attack misses, then the Willpower is wasted.
If hit, the victim then feels the poison course through his body,
taking 1 Lethal damage in addition to any bashing done on the
attack. They will continue receiving 1 automatic lethal damage
each hour each dot of Strength the attack has from the mystic
poison coursing through their veins. For example: the artial artist
has Strength 3 and Brawl 4 and so has 7 dice to roll. He rolls 1,
2, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9 – 4 successes. The target would receive 4 Bash-
ing damage and 1 lethal damage at this time, then would take
1 additional Lethal damage per hour for the next 3 hours (the
attacker’s Strength). This technique can be purchased up to 3
times, but only adds +1 to the lethal damage taken each hour.
The attacker’s strength would need to be raised for the effect to
last longer. Vampires will feel only half the effects of this tech-
nique (rounded down), but take full damage. Character must
have Focused Attack.
SILENCE OF WIND
Cost: 20 experience points
Effect: This technique is used in styles that promote skill and
stealth above brute strength and power. By spending one Will-
power point and making a successful Dexterity + Stealth roll, the
sounds of the character’s movements are totally cloaked. Not
only this, but any inanimate objects he may come in contact with
will feel the effects as well. If he jumps into water, his splash is
totally silent. If he knocks over a picture, it falls to the ground
without a sound. Any animate being or creature that he touches
during this effect, is able to hear him without a problem. Hence,
if he goes into combat, his opponent will have no problem hear-
ing him. If the successes accumulate an Exceptional Success, the
martial artist receives +3 dice to any Stealth rolls for the rest of
the scene. Vampires with Auspex can make a Contest Wits +
Composure roll to hear through their mystic protection.
SPLIT ESSENCE MEDITATION
Cost: 45 experience points
Effect: Asian myths and legends teach that the human spirit
is composed of the Hun, the intelligent and spiritual side, and
the P’o, the beastial and physical side. Practitioners of this te-
chinque have also found this to be true. The character must
spend 2 Willpower points and make a successful Meditation roll,
at a –3 dice penalty. If the roll succeeds, his entire being is split
into two different beings. One of these beings is the character’s
Hun, which holds all his intelligence and wisdom. The Hun re-
ceives +2 dice all mental actions, but cannot enter physical com-
bat, only mental. The P’o, the bestial side, gains +2 dice to all
physcial actions (including combat). His Defense also gains a
+1 bonus, but he loses his ability to think logically, even how to
speak. They can stay separated for a number of hours as the initial
roll garnered and can be any distance away from each other. This
ability is used to multitasking. Think of a scene where you are
trying to pick a lock and a gang of guards come and try to stop
you. If you could do both, wouldn’t you? Both sides have the
character split its health points, but the Hun will always have 2.
So, if your character had 6 health points, then your Hun would
have 2 and your P’o would have 4. If your character had 8 helth
points, then your Hun would have 2 and your P’o would have 6.
But if one of the side dies, the ability ends as the two halves are
thrown back together; the character loses one Willpower dot and
is knocked unconscious. The character must make an Extended
Stamina roll with a target number of 30, each roll constituting
an hour of being unconscious. If the character is ever embraced,
the P’o becomes the beast and will attack anyone around it, even
the Hun. So Kindred usually stay away from this ability for fear
of their own unlives. Regaining their lost Willpower dot costs12
experience points.
Note: this technique may be a little too much for some Story-
tellers, but it depends on just how “fantastic” you want your story
to be. Also notice that it is the most expensive of the Master
Techniques, which reflects how powerful it really is.
STABLE MIND PRANA
Cost: 20 experience points
Effect: The mind is a fragile thing and many martial artists
experience things they never wanted to. With a successful Medi-
tation roll, the character can stablize their thoughts. For each
success, they are free from nightmares for one night. Also, the
character has one Willpower point (2 on an Exceptional success)
14
replenished with a successful roll; This can only be attempted
once a week. They are also able to fend off degeneration easier
with this specialized meditation, gaining a +3 to their roll (this
bonus replaces the normal +1 bonus for meditation). This is es-
pcially good for assassins and accidental killers, helping to put all
their thoughts into perspective, making it easier to get through
life.
SURGE OF LIFE MEDIATION
Cost: 40 experience points
Effect: This technique allows some martial art masters to de-
feat their worst enemy: mortality. Through this meditation, their
life can be slowed down, explaining how some masters are over
100 years old. On a successful Mediation roll at a –2 dice penalty,
the character can slow one year of his aging to the number of
years per success gained. The character must also spend a Will-
power dot for the effects to work. For Example: Sifu Zheng rolls
5 successes on his Surge of Life Mediation roll, which means that
it will take him 5 years to age one year, but he will have to spend
a Willpower dot. At the end of the 5 years, he may roll again.
The first 5 times the character performs this technique, it counts
for one year of his life, as above. Then for 2 years for the next
5 times. Then 3 years for the next 5 times. Until the magic has
no more effect, as the number of years outweighs the character’s
dice pool. Regaining their lost Willpower dot costs12 experience
points.
VIBRATION STRIKE
Cost: 30 experience points
Effect: This attack is often unexpected and very much feared
among the martial arts community. After one round of contem-
plation (meaning one round of no attacking, but also no Dodge),
the martial artist can launch a critical strike at his target, one
that will knock him out for sure. The strike hits certain pressure
points, but does no damage on the first hit (the character must
still roll to hit). The strike will do 1 point the second round,
then 2 points of damage the third round and 3 points the fourth
and so on, until the target collapses. This is all bashing damage.
This damage is continual, not stopping until the victim falls un-
conscious. So any supernatural beings are still susceptible, but do
not fall unconscious after only Bashing damage. If left unhealed,
this strike will upgrade all the bashing to lethal and can force a
vampire into torpor. If the Vampire has the Blood Potency to
spend enough blood to avoid falling unconscious for 6 rounds,
then the effect wears off.
travel away from here. They took over a small village and have
stripped it of human life and killed at least seven Wan Kuei. Only
one has survived the attack, one of my dharma.” He explains.
The woman’s face gets interested suddenly at the mention of the
Broken Mirror. “Really now? Have you? And what do you think
of the area? How populated is it?” She asks looking away as she
says something softly in Korean, presumably to one of her aides.
“It is in a now deserted area due to them taking the humans.
They’re likely food and hosts for bakemono now.” Whangbo adds.
The woman nods to that.
“And if we were to bring out the weapons, how much
danger would there be to other humans?” He thinks for a mo-
ment and reaches for a piece of paper. Looking over it closely, he
analyzes the writing on it before speaking. “If we make a thorough
assault on the area as our elders have dictated, we will likely de-
stroy four small villages and destroy part of a larger city.” Said eas-
ily as if he were discussing the weather. “I see. Send a messenger
with all the relevant information and let us gather our troops to
be mobilized. We will set up a perimeter before we devastate the
area with missiles. Once we have flattened the demons we will
send in our forces to finish it off and seal the Broken Mirror.” He
23
nods to her words and grins. “As you wish. I look forward to this
momentous event. The Thousand Embers Righteousness Society
will no longer have to hide away from the masses. We will seize
our destiny and annihilate all that oppose us.” He grins and the
woman laughs a girlish laugh.
The sound of rapid movement suddenly distracts him.
Whirling around Whangbo looks at the bakemono. “Why were
you listening in on my conversation?” The two serpent creatures
look over to him. “It was not us, master. It was Shen Jin. He was
just here.” Whangbo’s eyes widen at that. “He heard . . . Get
him!” With a hiss, the bakemono slithers out of the room calling
for others to come with them. Walking out to watch the small
horde of bakemono race out the temple, Whangbo makes a fist.
He can ruin everything. He must not be allowed to live to pass on what
he has seen and heard.
Breathing heavily, Whangbo runs as hard as he can. The
cries and screeches of the bakemono behind him, he moves as fast
as his demon powers and Yang Prana will allow him to move. He
has to warn someone . . . has to find help. I can’t let them do this. I
cannot . . . those innocents . . .