T-MINUS 8 MINUTES AND COUNTING....

Power flickered out across Hong Kong, reducing the city to millions of headlights and bringing traffic to
a snarling stop. The terrorist’s bullet-riddled car ahead of Michelle swerved, blocking her motorcycle from escaping into traffic. Michelle,
however, didn’t flinch — she slammed into the side of the terrorist’s car and allowed the momentum to send her rolling over the hood. She came
up on the other side of the car, her MP5 blazing. She caught the lead motorcycle following her in the fuel tank, turning it into a blossom of orange
fire; the other two bikes were flanking Michelle, trying to pin her down with Uzi fire. That was the least of Michelle’s worries though. The
burning wreckage of the terrorist’s motorcycle was skidding straight for Michelle’s wrecked and fuel-leaking bike. She turned and ran through
traffic. The flaming bike slammed into Michelle’s motorcycle, detonating the exposed fuel and taking the surrounding vehicles with it. Chain
reaction. The cars behind Michelle exploded in succession like a tidal wave of fire while the terrorists did their best to fill her with holes … and
Michelle still had to disarm the nuclear bomb the terrorists were using to hold Hong Kong hostage. T-MINUS 7 MINUTES AND COUNTING….

Welcome to Hong Kong Action Theatre!, where the guns

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are always full and the action furious. This role-playing
game is a must for anyone who has ever marvelled
at the exploits of Hong Kong movies and
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longed to partake in the action. From two-

fisted gunslingers in the modern West of
Hong Kong’s mean streets to martial masters
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cleaving entire forests with a single stroke of

their blades, no role is too daring for the
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modern heroes of cinema. Hong

Kong Action Theatre! provides
Game Masters and players
with a fast-and-easy rule
system to create characters and
run explosive action sequences using the
Tri-Stat Compatible system, as well as
movie reviews, adventure seeds, and game
advice to create entirely unique story lines.
Finally, this book also contains historical
and geographical information on Hong Kong
itself along with the detailed and fully
researched history of Hong Kong’s film
industry and its unique pioneers.
 written by
NICOLE LINDROOS JEFF MACKINTOSH
CHRIS PRAMAS LUCIEN SOULBAN
additional writing by
SCOTT KESSLER JOHN R. PHYTHYON, JR.
DAVID L. PULVER TERRY RICHARDS
tri-stat system™ designed by
MARK C. MACKINNON
edited by
MARK C. MACKINNON LUCIEN SOULBAN
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editing assistance by
JEFF MACKINTOSH JESSE SCOBLE
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graphic production by
JEFF MACKINTOSH
front cover artwork by
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ANDREW BAKER
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interior artwork by
ANDREW BAKER GRANT HARRIS
RAVEN MIMURA DARREN SPARLING
chinese translations by
TONY LEE
playtesting by
JOHN FIALA JUSTIN MOHAREB MARK MORRISON
with MARION ANDERSON, PHIL ANDERSON, BENEDICT CHAPMAN, SEAN DALZIEL, RACHAEL HAMMOND, DANIEL HOLMES,
AMANDA KOOL, JOHNATHAN LANG, ERNEST MUELLER, JOHN NOWAK, JEFF RAGLIN, and CHAD UNDERKOFFLER
based on the first edition game by
GARETH-MICHAEL SKARKA
HKAT!, HONG KONG ACTION THEATRE!, GUARDIANS OF ORDER and TRI-STAT SYSTEM are trademarks of GUARDIANS OF ORDER, INC.
Copyright © 2003 GUARDIANS OF ORDER INC.
Version 1.0
All rights reserved under international law. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or in whole, in any form or by any means,
without permission from the publisher, except for personal copies of the character sheet, or brief quotes for use in reviews.

GUARDIANS OF ORDER, INC.

P.O. Box 25016
370 Stone Road
Guelph, Ontario
CANADA N1G 4T4
Phone: (519) 821-7174
Fax: (519) 821-7635
info@guardiansorder.com ISBN 1-894525-25-6
http://www.guardiansorder.com Product Number 10-001
 HONG KONG ACTION THEATRE!
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

5 C HAPTER O NE : I NTRODUCTION 49 I MPROVING ATTRIBUTES AND S KILLS

E D I T I O N

49 B UYING O FF D EFECTS
6 L IGHTS , C AMERA , I NTRODUCTION
6 W HAT IS A R OLE -P LAYING G AME ? 50 C HAPTER T HREE : G AME M ECHANICS
6 P LAYING THE PART 51 S YSTEM B ASICS
8 T RI -S TAT C OMPATIBLE
8 L ANGUAGE 51 T HE PASSAGE OF T IME
9 C HAPTER T WO : C HARACTER C REATION 52 TAKING A CTION
S E C O N D

52 D ICE AND D ICE R OLLS

10 A CTOR VS . R OLE 52 S TAT C HECKS
12 S TEP O NE : GM D ISCUSSION 55 S KILL C HECKS
12 S TEP T WO : A CTOR S TATS 56 C OMBAT D ICE R OLLS
12 S TAT R ATINGS 56 U SING ATTRIBUTES
57 W HEN TO R OLL D ICE
!

14 S TEP T HREE : A CTOR ATTRIBUTES

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14 O PEN AND A CTOR O NLY ATTRIBUTES 57 R OLL D ICE W HEN ...

57 D O N OT R OLL D ICE W HEN ...
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28 S TEP F OUR : A CTOR D EFECTS

57 C OMBAT
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29 O PEN AND A CTOR O NLY D EFECTS
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58 C OMBAT R OUNDS
31 S TEP F IVE : A CTOR S KILLS 59 I NITIATIVE
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31 S KILLS AND S PECIALIZATIONS 59 C OMBAT A CTION

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32 S KILL C OSTS 59 M OVEMENT IN C OMBAT

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32 U SING S KILLS
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60 O FFENSIVE A CTIONS
32 O PEN S KILLS 61 M ELEE VS . R ANGED ATTACKS
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36 S TEP S IX : D ERIVED V ALUES 61 S PECIAL S ITUATIONS

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36 C OMBAT V ALUE 62 W RESTLING AND G RAB ATTACKS

65 ATTACK R OLL M ODIFIERS
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36 H EALTH P OINTS
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36 E NERGY P OINTS 65 N ON -C OMBAT A CTIONS

37 S TAR P OWER
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66 D EFENSIVE A CTIONS
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37 S TEP S EVEN : B ACKGROUND P OINTS 67 R OLE I MPORTANCE AND D EFENSE

67 C RITICAL H ITS
38 S TEP E IGHT: R OLE C REATION
67 S TUNTS
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38 B IDDING ON R OLES
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39 B UYING R OLE ATTRIBUTES AND S KILLS 69 D AMAGE

39 I MPROVING R OLES
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69 D ELIVERING D AMAGE
40 R OLE H EALTH AND E NERGY 69 A RMOUR AND D AMAGE
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41 R OLE ATTRIBUTES 69 E FFECTS OF D AMAGE TO A C HARACTER

42 R OLE D EFECTS 69 C HARACTER I MPORTANCE AND D AMAGE
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44 R OLE S KILLS
70 R ECOVERY
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48 R OLE D EATH
70 R ECOVERING H EALTH P OINTS
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48 C HARACTER A DVANCEMENT 70 R ECOVERING E NERGY P OINTS

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48 S PENDING S TAR P OWER AFTER A F ILM

49 I MPROVING S TATS

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 HONG KONG ACTION THEATRE!
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

70 W EAPONRY AND E QUIPMENT 114 K OWLOON

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70 G UNS AND A MMO 114 T SIM S HA T SUI
70 P ERSONAL W EAPONS 114 C HUNGKING M ANSIONS

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72 W EAPON A BILITIES 115 T SIM S HA T SUI E AST

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72 W EAPON D ISABILITIES 115 YAU M A T EI

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74 B ODY A RMOUR 115 M ONG K OK
75 A DVANCED C OMBAT R ULES 116 S HAM S HUI P O

K
75 A P UNCH VS . A K ICK 116 L AI C HI K OK

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76 H IGH , T ORSO , OR L OW 117 T HE N EW T ERRITORIES

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77 A DVANCED C OMBAT AND W IRE F U 117 T HE W ESTERN R EGIONS OF THE N EW T ERRITORIES

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77 A DVANCED C OMBAT AND I NITIATIVE 118 T HE C ENTRAL R EGIONS OF THE N EW T ERRITORIES
77 A DVANCED C OMBAT AND M ULTIPLE A CTIONS
119 C HAPTER S IX : T HE H ISTORY OF H ONG K ONG F ILM

A
78 C HAPTER F OUR : G AME M ASTER ’ S S ECTION 120 T HE B EGINNING

C
79 S HOWTIME 121 T HE G OLDEN A GE OF C HINESE F ILM

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80 T ELEVISION VS . C INEMA VS . S EQUEL F RANCHISES 121 W AR , O CCUPATION , AND C IVIL W AR

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81 P RE -P RODUCTION : B UILDING THE S ET 122 C ONFLICT AND C APITALISM
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87 M OVIE M AGIC 123 T HE B IRTH OF THE M ARTIAL A RTS M OVIE

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90 C HARACTER D EATH 124 T HE T URBULENT 60 S
92 S PECIAL E VENTS 125 E NTER THE D RAGON
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127 HK I NTERREGNUM

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98 C HAPTER F IVE : H ONG K ONG AND P OINTS B EYOND 127 A N EW K ING IN T OWN

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99 H ONG K ONG H ISTORY 130 H ORROR AND FX

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99 F ISHING V ILLAGE OR T RADE C ENTRE ? 130 T HE N EW W AVE

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99 T HE O PIUM W AR AND THE B RITISH TAKEOVER 132 H EROIC B LOODSHED

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100 T HE H EYDAY OF C OLONIALISM 132 T RIAD C HIC

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100 R EVOLUTION , O CCUPATION , AND C IVIL W AR 134 A N EW G OLDEN A GE
100 P OST W AR B OOM 134 T HE R ETURN OF W ONG F EI - HUNG

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101 O NE C OUNTRY, T WO S YSTEMS 135 G O ( TO THE ) W EST, Y OUNG M AN

!
105 A N O VERVIEW OF H ONG K ONG I SLAND 136 T HE H AND -O VER AND B EYOND

S E C O N D
106 T HE C ENTRAL D ISTRICT 138 M OVIE R EVIEWS
108 T HE W ESTERN D ISTRICT: S HEUNG W AN AND B EYOND
108 V ICTORIA P EAK AND THE S URROUNDING A REA 162 C HAPTER S EVEN : S AMPLE A DVENTURES
109 W AN C HAI 163 T O K ILL WITH A G LANCE
109 C AUSEWAY B AY 169 S HAOLIN
110 H APPY V ALLEY
E D I T I O N

111 E VERYTHING E AST OF C AUSEWAY B AY 175 D IE , Z OMBIE , D IE !

112 T HE S OUTH S IDE OF THE I SLAND 180 A PPENDIX
112 S TANLEY V ILLAGE
112 R EPULSE B AY 186 I NDEX
113 T HE L ITTLE H ONG K ONG C ALLED A BERDEEN 191 C HARACTER S HEET

3
 HONG KONG ACTION THEATRE!
F O R E W O R D

COVER STORY: Yuen bit his lower lip and uttered a curse under his breath. He’d lost count
E D I T I O N

of his ammo, but figured one of his twin Sig Saurs was on empty. Problems? He was also trapped
in a room with only a floor table for cover and surrounded on four sides by Japanese sliding
panels ... why the hell did he have to come to Tokyo? Fortunately, his opponents couldn’t riddle
the room with automatic fire without punching through the paper walls and hitting each other.
Hyoto’s goons would have to rush him if they wanted the briefcase on the table. Yuen flipped his
last clip into the air with his left hand, which still held the loaded Sig, while snapping the butt of
S E C O N D

the Sig in his right hand against his thigh, snagging the magazine release and dropping the empty
ammo clip. Yuen then brought the empty gun up, caught the spinning clip in the gun’s butt, and
then slammed the butt into his thigh, locking the magazine in. Hyoto’s goons rushed the two open
entrances at that moment; Yuen dove for the ground, both Sigs exploding into action....

My old Kung Fu school was located on St. Catherine’s Street in Montreal. Thanks to its second story vantage
point and bay windows, it overlooks the city’s main thoroughfare and offers a beautiful view outside as well as an
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embarrassing look inside the school. I say embarrassing because every year, the grand Imperial Cinema hosts the
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Fantasia Film Festival in July and August. Fantasia is a chance to see international films for martial arts, horror,
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fantasy, and sci-fi including the latest Hong Kong action escapades, Italian zombie flicks, and Japanese anime (to name
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a few). I say embarrassing because any movie starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or Michelle Yeoh always draws lines to beat
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the block. I say embarrassing, because these folks were waiting outside to see the world’s premier martial actors, and
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instead were treated to my bad impressions of Sammo Hung (all the weight, none of the talent). When you’re heavy-set
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and learning hurricane kicks ... well let’s just say it ain’t pretty. That didn’t stop me, though; Kung Fu was in my veins.
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Like many fans of Hong Kong milieu, I remember those old 1970, badly dubbed chop-socky flicks playing on
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Saturday afternoon television. Movies like The Five Deadly Venoms, Enter the Dragon, and Four Shaolin Masters were
my first experiences with the genre. Later, my Hong Kong influences were few and scattered like most memories of
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puberty: Jackie Chan in Cannonball Run I & II and, later, Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China. Still, I grew older
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and other hobbies divested me of my time and finances.

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Following my introduction to anime, thanks to my friend Jean Carrières at Ianus Publications (now Dream Pod 9),
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I was in love with these fantastic Asian engines of imagination. “Well,” my friends figured “if he likes high-action anime,
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then let’s show him A Chinese Ghost Story.”

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The choreography and action awed me.

It seemed like a floodgate had opened after that. Slowly, Hong Kong films were appearing on the North American
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radar with greater frequency. Friends like Jean Carrières and Patrick Lapoint were snobs for the offbeat and different,
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exposing me to a better quality of HK films: Jet Li in Fist of Legend, Michelle Yeoh in Tai Chi Master, and the double-
fisted bill of Chow Yun-fat and John Woo in Hard Boiled.
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Finally, when Rumble in the Bronx premiered to North American audiences, Hong Kong cinema was no longer
K

the privy of a select few. Suddenly, every Tom, Dick, and Blockbuster was renting and selling the classics, and I was no
longer hemmed in by limited access. I now had to share my love and was no longer unique for enjoying the offbeat. Still,
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I was glad, for Hong Kong’s talented pool of actors and directors were finally receiving acclaim for their hard work. Little
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did I realize that my growing appreciation for Hong Kong cinema would also culminate in a job where the offbeat is
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rewarded, and the fantastic a job requirement.

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Lucien Soulban
June 2001

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 CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION

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