Xia: Game Systems

Xia: Main Page -> Xia: Game Systems

This page describes the game systems for playing the game.

Conflict Resolution

The core of the Xia game is Conflict. Our hero warriors battle the world around them, perhaps because they seek to change it, or perhaps because they need to defend themselves against it!
There are three sorts of conflicts in the game:

• Physical conflicts are usually violent encounters, where the goal is to beat the enemy into submission, or to murder them!
• Social conflicts are battles of words where conflicting agendas come crashing against each other, and the most charismatic man wins!
• Mental conflicts involve the matching of wits and the clashing of intellects. This isn't just games of chess and scholarly one upmanship either - two generals directing opposing armies are engaging in mental conflict, as are two sorcerers seeking to undo each others magic.

The type of conflict sets which Trait is at the core of the conflict. For example, a physical conflict uses the physical trait.

Initiative

Acting first and fastest is very important in conflicts!

• Your Initiative Rating = Active Trait + Thunder Trigram.

For example, if the Xia warrior Moon Shadow has a Physical Trait of 3, and a Thunder Trigram of 4, then in physical conflicts her initiative rating is 7!

The highest Initiative Rating always goes first in a round, and can take a single action. You then move down the Initiative Order, with each character acting in turn.

In the case of equal Initiative Ratings, player characters act before non player characters. The players get to decide who acts first amongst player characters of equal initiative to each other. The GM gets to decide who acts first amongst non-player characters of equal initiative to each other.

If the players can't agree amongst themselves (as might happen in PVP combats), then the oldest player goes first! It is only polite to respect your elders!

Attacks

An attack takes your action. When you attack, you need to know three things:

• Dice Pool: This is how many D6 (six-sided dice) you roll. By default, this is equal to the attacker's active Trait.
• Accuracy: This is the number you need to roll equal or under to score a hit. By default, this is equal to the attacker's active Trait.
• Power: This is how much damage each "hit" does. By default, this is equal to the attacker's active Trait.

So, for example, in a Physical Conflict, Moon Shadow (who you will recall has a Physical Trait of 3) would by default roll 3 six sided dice, score a hit on a 3 or less, and deal 3 physical damage on each hit.

The above, however, assumes that the target is standing there like a fool, refusing to defend himself...

Defence

You can defend whenever you are attacked. This does not take an action. When you defend, you get three modifiers:

• Evasion: This defence is deducted from the attacker's Dice Pool. By default, Evasion is equal to the defender's active Trait. Evasion cannot reduce dice pool to less than 1.
• Interference: This defence is deducted from the attacker's Accuracy. By default, Interference is equal to the defender's active Trait. Interference cannot reduce Accuracy to less than 1.
• Absorption: This defence is deducted from your attacker's Power. By default, your Absorption is equal to the defender's active Trait. Absorption cannot reduce Power to less than 1.

So, for example, in a Physical Conflict, let us assume that Moon Shadow is attacking an ordinary guardsman, who has Physical 1. This gives the hapless guardsman Evasion 1, Interference 1 and Absorption 1.

Now, Moon Shadow only gets to roll 2 dice, score a hit on a 2 or less, and deals 2 physical damage on each hit.

Injury

Damage is applied to the relevant health type. For example, physical damage is applied to the targets Physical Health.
If a target's health is reduced to zero, he is defeated.

• With a Physical Health of zero a Xia hero is incapacitated. He is so beaten and bloodied that he can't even crawl about anymore, and is helpless to act in any way. Though not necessarily dead, he is open to a coup de grace from anyone who might choose to finish him off.
• With a Social Health of zero a Xia hero is discredited. His arguments are defeated, his position is untenable and his opponents are proven right. He will roll over to intimidation, surrender to seduction and be convinced by persuasion.
• With a Mental Health of zero a Xia hero is shattered. He has no will to oppose any more, and will abandon whatever task he set out to do. His plans fall to pieces - if he is playing a game it is lost, if he is commanding an army there is a rout, and if matching arcane power then his spells collapse and fade.

NPCs have different effects on defeat - normally more severe. For example, an ordinary soldier who is reduced to zero Physical Health will be killed outright, while a poor human peasant who loses his Social Health will be cowering, whimpering and subservient. On the other hand, powerful NPCs (especially major villains) might suffer smaller setbacks at the GM's discretion. A physical defeat for the main kung fu demonic nemesis of the story might only be enough to drive him off, for example.

Chi Effect: Spend 1 Yang Chi to add Wind to Dice Pool for that attack. Chi Effect: Spend 1 Yang Chi to add Heaven to Accuracy for that attack. Chi Effect: Spend 1 Yang Chi to add Fire to Power for that attack.

Defence: Defending costs Yin Chi. When you declare a defence declare any number of Chi Effects and special techniques. Timing: You place defence cards after the attacker places his cards, but before they are revealed or any dice are rolled. Chi Effect (Evasion): Spend 1 Yin Chi to deduct Mist from Dice Pool for that attack, to a minimum of 1 dice Chi Effect (Defence): Spend 1 Yin Chi to deduct Earth from Accuracy for that attack, to a minimum of Accuracy 1. Chi Effect (Absorption): Spend 1 Yin Chi to deduct Water from Power for that attack. to a minimum of Power 1.

Damage: Set by Power of attack. Health: Equal to thirty, plus Trait times Mountain.

Regaining Chi: Regain all at end of a conflict. Style Chi Bonuses: - Gain +1 Chi for a decent description. - Gain +2 Chi for an excellent stunt that uses your environment in some way. - Gain +3 Chi for exceptionally cool stunt. - You gain Chi of the type of your action. That is, an active or attacking stunt gains Yang Chi, while a passive or defensive stunt gains Yin Chi.

Weapons: Weapons add to certain traits, in turn for losing other traits. Most weapons net bonus and penalty of +0. For example, a Giant Stone Maul gives +2 to Power, but -1 to Defence and -1 to Initiative. These bonuses would only apply in physical combat, of course. Edges: Edges are like weapons, but relate to certain mental and social conflicts. For example, the title of Bureaucrat of the Jade Protectorate gives you +1 to Power as your edicts have more weight, but -1 to Evasion as you are more socially visible with your public persona. EXPERIENCE

You gain 1-3 XP per session. (1 XP for turning up, 1 XP for style, 1 XP for success).

Buying a new Advantage costs 1 XP. Increasing a Trigram costs XP equal to your current level (e.g. 45 costs 4 XP). This also adds +1 to Yang Chi or Yin Chi as relevant.

Buying an advantage requires you have to access to that advantage somehow – i.e. either a tutor or some source of learning.

Unopposed Tasks

Mostly, this game centres around conflict, be it mental, social or physical.

Credits

This page created by Asklepios.