Xia: Guqin Cuts The Air

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"I am but a musician, will you not let me pass? I have no weapons here, just my guqin. No? I see reputation of my martial arts precedes me... Instead then, let me play you a piece. I call it 'Death Moves from Swift Fingers'"

Overview

This page is a Lore Sheet for Guqin Cuts The Air, a set of Wushu Secrets relating to the use of the Guqin to make invisible musical assaults.

These techniques can only be used for physical conflict.

The guqin is a seven-stringed musical instrument, similar to a zither, beloved of scholars and often referred to as "the father of musical instruments" and "the instrument of sages". This martial art (beloved of more fantastical wuxia movies) centres around the idea that with chi, it is possible to release notes that cut like blades through the air. The notes can be heard as normal, but send out invisible lines of force, whose progress can only be marked by the dissection of intervening matter, or by the cuts that appear on an enemy.

Prerequisites

First, it is not possible to practice this martial art without skill in music. To represent this, a Xia must first have taken the specialised skill Musicianship to be able to learn any of the techniques on this style sheet.

Secondly, it is not possible to practice this martial art without a Guqin. As everyday musical instruments are easily breakable, a wise player will probably want to invest in a Quality Item Guqin as soon as possible, though he is not required to do so.

Third, the key technique to this form is the Poise of the Guqin Sage Stance. This must always be the first kung fu secret that any character can learn from this sheet, and the other techniques cannot be used unless in this stance.

Tactics

A masterful Guqin-fighter will use a mix of different attacks, enhancing them as necessary with channelled trigrams or with kung fu secrets from other sheets (such as Eight Trigram Wushu), then pull back a little Yang Chi and Yin Chi with Thousand Echoes Chi. If he plays his combos smart, he might even be able to get enough flow to end up with a net gain in chi that turn! He then turns to other martial arts for defence, employing the surfeit of yin chi he has gained. He also appreciates the utility of the powerful fingers technique, as being able to knock an enemy out of their stance is probably the most tactically effective technique on this Lore Sheet!

Poise of the Guqin Sage Stance

The martial artist bends one knee, rests the other foot across it so that his leg forms a table, and lays his Guqin across it. From this stance position he is ready to activate his Guqin Cuts The Air wushu!

Cost: 2 Yang Chi and 2 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Keywords: Stance; Physical;

Effect: You may use Guqin Cuts The Air wushu in this stance. If you are not in this stance, you cannot use any wushu secrets from this lore sheet (except, of course, for adopting Poise of the Guqin Sage Stance). Also, while in this stance you can make ranged physical attacks with your wushu, sending slicing notes at an enemy within your line of sight. You can attack and defend yourself as normal with ordinary kung fu and other styles, but the limited mobility of this stance means you are at -2 to Physical Evasion.

Maintain: The stance can only be maintained for as long as you hold the same position. Walking, running and even hopping about end the stance. However, you can use magical forms of transport that allow you to hold the same stance (e.g. riding a flying cloud, or teleporting). Also, obviously, you need a Guqin to maintain this stance, otherwise you're just some weirdo crouching in a funny way!

San Yin

These "scattered sounds" are produced by plucking strings to sound an open note. Attacks from these sounds are straight lines, but a single note will produce much power.

Cost: 1 Yang Chi.

Keywords: Attack; Action; Physical; Multiattack;

Effect: Make a ranged physical attack, and add your Fire trigram to the power. After this attack, you may make an additional attack action, but that attack must use one of the following kung fu secrets: San Yin, Fan Yin or An Yin.

Fan Yin

These "floating sounds" are harmonics: the musician lightly touches the string with one or more fingers of the left hand, then plucks and lifts, creating a sound of great clarity and harmony. Attacks from these sounds are like straight arrows, fast and penetrating.

Cost: 1 Yang Chi.

Keywords: Attack; Action; Physical; Multiattack;

Effect: Make a ranged physical attack, and add your Heaven trigram to the accuracy. After this attack, you may make an additional attack action, but that attack must use one of the following kung fu secrets: San Yin, Fan Yin or An Yin.

An Yin

These "stopped sounds" have the musician combine a plucked string with a sliding movement that modifies the pitch. Attacks from these sounds are curved, and sweep in an arc across the open air. As a result, they are hard to evade.

Cost: 1 Yang Chi.

Keywords: Attack; Action; Physical; Multiattack;

Effect: Make a ranged physical attack, and add your Wind trigram to your Motion. After this attack, you may make an additional attack action, but that attack must use one of the following kung fu secrets: San Yin, Fan Yin or An Yin.

Thousand Echoes Chi

The musician knows that he can summon as well as expend chi with his music. As the sound echoes around the chamber, if draws chi back to himself.

Cost: 0 Chi.

Keywords: Attack; Action; Physical; Aftertouch; Finisher;

Effect: For each of the three techniques on the below list you have activated this turn, gain 1 Yang Chi and 1 Yin Chi. List: San Yin, Fan Yin and An Yin.

Note that this counts the number of different techniques activated, not just the total number of activations. So, for example, if you activated San Yin three times an An Yin once, you would only gain 2 Yang Chi and 2 Yin Chi

Powerful Fingers

This is not an attack technique in itself, but a demonstration of the warrior's mastery of his internal chi, and his ability to project this through greatly amplified notes.

Cost: 1 Yang Chi.

Keywords: Attack; Modifier; Physical; Aftertouch;

Effect: Use this only after dealing at least one point of damage with a San Yin, Fan Yin or An Yin attack. The target is knocked back a number of yards equal to your Physical trait. Also, the target loses any stance he is currently maintaining.

Uplifting Melody

This is not an attack mode in itself, but a manifestation of the warrior's control and precision, and his ability to use the telekinetic force of his powers to best advantage.

Cost: 1 Yang Chi.

Keywords: Attack; Modifier; Physical; Aftertouch;

Effect: Use this only after dealing at least one point of damage with a San Yin, Fan Yin or An Yin attack. The target is lifted off his feet, and will remain suspended in mid-air till the start of your next turn. While lifted in the air, a target cannot utilise conventional forms of movement (such as running) but can still use some magical movement forms (such as teleportation).

Credits

This page created by Asklepios.