Editing Wushu Open (section)

= Core Mechanics =

Action movies have always been at odds with realism. Fortunately for us, their conflict is easily resolved with a series of savage kicks to realism's face! Impossible leaps, insane acrobatics, and victory against overwhelming odds are all staples of the genre... and the essential elements of action role-playing games.

Sadly, traditional RPGs have long been in league with realism. They penalize players who want to, say, kick seven mooks with one spin kick by piling negative modifiers onto their roll, which makes them less likely to succeed. The inevitable result is that smart players stick to simple, boring actions and take a tactical approach to combat. Wushu breaks up this insidious alliance with a core mechanic that rewards players for vivid descriptions and over-the-top stunts by making them more likely to succeed, each and every time.

Traditional role-playing games also alienate themselves from action movies by segmenting time into rounds of only a few seconds. In the movies, you get to see characters trade a whole series of attacks, defenses, and counter-attacks before the camera cuts away. In role-playing games, players are usually limited to one action per round, and they only get enough time for one swing, punch, or pull of the trigger before the next player's turn. This takes the back-and-forth pacing that's essential for exciting fight scenes and stabs it straight through the heart! 

In Wushu, players are encouraged to make as many attacks, leaps, dives, parries, and ripostes as they like before any dice are rolled. Each "round” is divided into two parts, which everyone completes at the same time. First, the group '''Describes''' the scene; this is the important part because their narration determines what actually happens in the game world. Then, they '''Resolve''' their dice rolls to see how well it all worked.

== Description ==

Wushu works its magic via a dice pool mechanic where the size of your pool depends on how elaborately you describe your actions. Each fact you add about your action is called a '''Detail''', and earns you a die for your pool.  These Details could be separate stunts, witty one-liners, cinematic flourishes, pretty much anything that enhances your gaming experience. (You always get at least 1 die, just for doing something.)

For example, someone who says ''"I dodge to the side"'' gets 1 die. Someone who says ''"I dodge to the side / and grab his sword blade with my chopsticks / before punching him in the face"'' gets 3 dice. Someone who says ''"I catch his sword blade with my chopsticks / when it's chiselled edge is less than an inch from my face, / then twist it around with one deft motion, / jam it into the bastard's gut, / and whisper 'Can't you see I'm trying to eat, here?'"'' gets 5 dice. Thus, anything that contributes to the atmosphere and energy of your game becomes a smart tactic.

Of course, not every Detail is appropriate to every game. That's why GMs and players have the right to '''veto''' any Detail that rubs them the wrong way. To make this work, it's important to agree on the tone and style you want for your game before you start playing. (I usually reference a few of the movies I'm trying to emulate and make sure all my players have seen at least one or two of them.)

To control the pacing and tone of a game, GMs can put a '''pool limit''' on the number of dice any player can roll at once. 3-4 dice per turn usually results in faster, more brutal combat; it's a good limit for unimportant scenes or warm-ups that happen early in a game. When things get more dramatic, you'll want 6-8 dice per turn. This is especially true when fighting major villains; you'll want a high enough limit that you can attack and counter-attack many times before stopping to roll. However, that doesn't mean you have to earn the max number of dice every time. Trying to tack on an extra stunt or two at the end can really take the steam out of your description!

== Resolution ==

Wushu characters are defined by their '''Traits''', which are rated from 1-5. When it's time to roll them bones, pick a Trait that's relevant to the actions you described. (If you don't have a relevant Trait, the default rating is 2.) Every die that rolls above that Trait's rating is a failure; those that come up equal to or less are successes. If no one's resisting you, one success is all you need. If someone is resisting, they'll have a bunch of dice to roll, too. Whoever gets the most successes comes out on top. (Ties go to the players, being the heros and all.)

The key to playing Wushu is to understand that everything happens exactly as the players describe it, when they describe it. (This is sometimes called the ''Principle of Narrative Truth''.) Rolling the dice just tells you how much further those actions have advanced the scene. In a way, the dice are only there to let you know when to stop fighting (or chasing, or talking, or whatever).

== Scab Rolls ==

Every once in a while, you might want to roll for something without making a big production out of it. That's when you use a Scab Roll. Just roll as many dice as your relevant Trait, pick the highest die and compare to this scale:

* 1 = A failure so horrible as to defy comprehension.
* 2 = A really bad, probably embarrassing failure.
* 3 = A regular, garden variety failure.
* 4 = A success, but with negative complications.
* 5 = A good success. Mission (barely) accomplished.
* 6 = A solid, professional success. Good work!

If you don't have a relevant Trait, you roll against 2.