Xia: Twelve Zodiac Stances

Xia: Main Page -> Xia: Wushu Secrets -> Xia: Twelve Zodiac Stances

Overview

This page is a Lore Sheet for Twelve Zodiac Stances, a set of twelve Wushu Secrets that explore the animal forms of kung fu.

These techniques can only be used for physical conflict. The fighting styles relating to the Twleve Zodiac stances mean that while you are in a Zodiac Stance you can only make unarmed attacks. You can still defend against any physical attacks as normal though.

In time, animal kung fu stances will become widespread across the middle kingdom. At present, such techniques are still rare and exciting, and have much greater power thanks to their primal forms. A Xia seeking to learn zodiac animal techniques has three options.

First, he could seek to discover the fundamental truths by watching real animals. The Monkey style, for example, can be deduced by watching apes playing and fighting with each other. Such observation is easier for some creatures than others - watching battling dragons would require one to climb a sufficiently tall mountain to observe their battles in heaven, for example. Even with observation, enlightenment is not guaranteed. Often, such observations are just the first step, revealing to a Xia warrior the idea of animal kung fu, but not the actual secrets.

Second, he could be taught animal kung fu by an already established practitioner. Of course, Animal Kung Fu is still pretty rare in the Middle Kingdom, so this is easier said than done. Such knowledge would certainly have to be earnt.

Third, he could seek out texts on the kung fu secrets. The problem is that these texts don't exist yet, at least not in the Middle Kingdom. A Xia would either have to travel up to Heaven or down to Hell to find the celestial/infernal scrolls with the secret styles in them.

Stances

This Lore Sheet introduces a new concept - Stances.

If a power is marked as a Stance, it follows the rules below:

• At the start of your turn, you can select a stance you know. Paying the Chi cost puts you in that stance. This does not take an action.
• You don't have to keep paying for a stance, once you're in that stance, you stay in it in subsequent turns. However, each stance has a "maintain" condition. You must meet this condition at all times while in te stance - if you fail to do so the stance ends.
• You can only be in one stance at a time. If you adopt a new stance, then the previous one automatically ends.

Stance of the Ascendant Dragon

The Dragon believes that if your chi is strong, and that if you hone your inner balance, you can defeat any enemy. Visually, the stance is undeniably graceful, perfectly balanced and incorporating movements that accumulate and focus chi.

Cost: 3 Yang Chi and 3 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: At the end of your turn, regain 2 Yang Chi and 2 Yin Chi.

Maintain: The stance can only be maintained for as long as you have opponents left to fight. Once a conflict is over, the chi flow fades.

Stance of the Intelligent Rat

The Rat represents the triumph of intelligence over physicality. The philosophy of this stance is that you assess the situation, out-think the enemy and then use his own power against him. Visually, the stance is fluid and adaptive, sometimes with open hand, sometimes closed, sometimes using kicks and footwork, and sometimes concentrating on balance and arm movements.

Cost: 3 Yang Chi and 3 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: While in this stance, you add +2 to physical Accuracy, Power, Motion, Interference, Absorption and Evasion, but only when attacking or defending against opponents that have a lower Mental trait than you.

Maintain: The stance can only be maintained for as long as you have opponents left to fight. Once a conflict is over, the chi flow fades.

Stance of the Perfected Tiger

The Tiger represents hardened, trained and disciplined physicality. There is no messing around with trickery or specialised approaches - the Tiger is simply stronger, quicker and better than his opponent. Visually, the Tiger form is one of hard, linear attacks with perpetually tensed muscles and shouts of aggression. The martial artist will often use Ying Jow (eagle claw) hand shapes, as well as powerful straight kicks and aggressive strong parries.

Cost: 3 Yang Chi and 3 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: While in this stance, you add +1 to physical Accuracy, Power, Motion, Interference, Absorption and Evasion.

Maintain: The stance can only be maintained for as long as you have opponents left to fight. Once a conflict is over, the chi flow fades.

Stance of the Resplendent Rooster

The Rooster uses style and charisma to win through, defeating enemies who ought to be stronger through panache, showmanship and trickery. Visually, the stance is postured and flamboyant, with apparent overuse of extension and telegraphing actually concealing a brutally efficient fighting style full of feints and hidden attacks.

Cost: 3 Yang Chi and 3 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: While in this stance, you add +2 to physical Accuracy, Power, Motion, Interference, Absorption and Evasion, but only when attacking or defending against opponents that have a lower Social trait than you.

Maintain: The stance can only be maintained for as long as you have opponents left to fight. Once a conflict is over, the chi flow fades.

Stance of the Swift Snake

The Snake is all about speed, with precise darting movements and a philosophy that if you defeat your opponent fast enough then he never gets a chance to attack you. Visually, the stance is agile and mobile, with sinuous turning movements, and strikes ending with crane-hand stabbing techniques or sharp toe-point kicks.

Cost: 4 Yang Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: While in this stance, the Yang Chi cost of any powers you use that allow multiple physical attacks is reduced to zero.

Maintain: You must make at least one physical attack on your turn. If you make less than one physical attack, the stance ends.

Stance of the Stubborn Horse

The Horse stance is broad based, fixed in position with fists clenched and ready to strike at anyone who approaches. This tense hardened position requires you to pick your spot and stick to it, but it makes you very hard to move!

Cost: 4 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: While in this stance, you add +2 to physical Interference, Absorption and Evasion. Also, the Yin Chi cost of channelling Earth, Water, Mist and Mountain is reduced by 1 Yin Chi per Trigram chanelled. Effectively, you can channel defences for free in this stance!

Maintain: You must stay stood in one place. If you move or are moved at all from the spot you are stood, the stance ends. Note that if the spot you are stood on moves beneath you (for example if you are stood on a kung fu magic cloud or a moving platform) then this also ends the stance.

Stance of the Disrespectful Monkey

The Monkey Stance is a almost drunken-seeming capering martial arts form, replete with howling and shrieking noises, graceless tumbling and flurries of undisciplined attacks. Of course, in reality a great degree of control required to appear so uncontrolled!

Cost: 3 Yang Chi and 3 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: While in this stance, you add +3 to physical Motion and to physical Evasion.

Maintain: You must hold your enemies attention to use this stance! If at the start of your turn you have neither attacked an enemy nor been attacked by an enemy since the start of your previous turn, then the stance ends.

Stance of the Stoic Ox

The Ox is the embodied in the stoic peasant farmer - suffused with Yin chi in his passive acceptance of hardship. This is less of a stance, more of a state of mind, where the martial artist accepts that he will be injured, and thus is not troubled by it.

Cost: 4 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: While in this stance, you add +4 to physical Absorption. Also, if your total physical absorption is equal to or greater than an attacker's physical power, then physical power can be reduced to zero.

Maintain: If you spend Yang Chi for any reason, the stance immediately ends.

Stance of the Furious Boar

The Boar draws energy from burning fury, crashing recklessly from one battle to the next, and winning through sheer force of aggression. Visually, the Boar form is swift and aggressive, with passion and rage evident in every movement. The martial artist will use a lot of leaping attacks, aggresive grapples and attacks to vital chi points.

Cost: 4 Yang Chi.

Effect: While in this stance, you add +2 to physical Accuracy, Power, Motion and Initiative. Also, the Yang Chi cost of channelling Heaven, Fire, Wind and Thunder is reduced by 1 Yang Chi per Trigram chanelled. Effectively, you can channel attack trigrams for free in this stance!

Maintain: If you spend Yin Chi for any reason, the stance immediately ends.

Stance of the Harmonious Ram

The Ram represents Chi Harmony and the principles of balance. A martial artist in this form flows towards yin chi, and back away from yang chi. His combat movements are like the flow of water, sometimes moving back like the retreating tide, sometimes crashing in like a wave.

Cost: 3 Yang Chi and 3 Yin Chi.

Effect: While in this stance, each time a target you are attacking spends Yin Chi in defence, you immediately gain that amount of Yang Chi. Each time someone attacking you spends Yang Chi in attack, you immediately gain that much Yin Chi. This cannot cause you to exceed your usual maximums.

Maintain: At the end of your turn, spend 1 Yang Chi and 1 Yin Chi. If you cannot the stance immediately ends.

Stance of the Protector Dog

The Dog represents loyalty, martial protection and defence. The Dog Form is set up so that the martial artist can protect a friend - he keeps one hand on his friend at all times, and as attacks come in will either move himself into the attacks path or pull his friend out of the way.

Cost: 4 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: While in this stance, you add +2 to physical Interference, Absorption and Evasion. You may select one friend within reach when you adopt this stance. Whenever that friend is attacked by any physical attack, you can choose to have that attack target yourself instead.

Maintain: If you break touch-contact with your guarded friend, or of your guarded friend is injured, then the stance immediately ends.

Stance of the Lucky Hare

In the Middle Kingdom, the Hare represents prosperity and fortune. The Hare Form isn't really a martial art at all - its just a way of making fortune work for you in combat. This is an immensely chi hungry stance - essentially the martial artist is flaring chi continuously to win heaven's favour. Visually this is an acrobatic, seemingly panicked style, where the warrior moves out of the way of blows only at the last minute, and his attacks seem to connect more out of fortuitous timing rather than power or skill.

Cost: 3 Yang Chi and 3 Yin Chi to adopt this stance.

Effect: While in this stance, you add +2 to physical Accuracy, Power, Motion, Initiative, Interference, Absorption and Evasion.

Maintain: At the end of your turn, spend 1 Yang Chi and 1 Yin Chi. If you cannot the stance immediately ends.

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