[Let's Study Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade] Part 6 – Conclusion and Review

And so today we wrap up our Let’s Study series for Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade. It’s been an interesting ride, as the book covers a particular niche that I don’t really see often in the market.

I find that Wu Xing is a game that has a lot of open spaces for a GM to fill in on his own. Sure there’s a large central conflict with the Izou Empire and the Lotus Coalition, but it’s just sort of there. The writing doesn’t seem to convey the same kind of urgency that being hunted to extinction is supposed to impart. That said, all the pieces to make it feel urgent are there, the Executioners and Golden Lions are all fearsome opponents, and the Firearms mentioned in the game’s blurb is barely given more than a short sidebar, a paragraph saying that they’re pretty dangerous and take a while to reload and a single row in the weapons table. It would have been nice to see a unit of empire soldiers that specialize in firearms, like Imperial Snipers or something just to amp up how they can turn the tide against Chi-Manipulating Ninjas.

Speaking of the Empire and the Lotus Coalition, even having a small smattering of NPCs from both sides of the conflict would have been nice to see. Giving a name and a face to the big names of the Empire, such as say, a Spymaster could do a lot to make the setting more interesting. Likewise the Lotus Coalition would be more interesting if we knew who were the Ninjas who were squabbling against each other, and what their agendas were.

I’m also slightly put off by the modern language and concepts used in character dialogue in the fiction parts of the book. One particular vignette for the Blazing Dancers Clan had me strangely bothered when the Ninja offers a fan an autograph. It seemed like a very strange anachronism, and one that kept jarring my suspension of disbelief. Some turns of phrase were also far too informal to match the setting, but I think that’s just my expectations clashing with the setting as intended by the author. I think my expectations could have been colored by my experiences and comfort in running Legend of the Five Rings.

That said, the game itself is pretty neat. I mentioned some issues I’ve had about the organization of the rules, such as putting the basic mechanics in the skills portion of the character creation instructions, but once you actually get a hang of the entire thing, it feels like a very solid system. The options for combat, the strong visuals for the Wushu and various techniques, and the little ways to customize your character are all well done. The artwork and layout are all well done, with the various pieces for the Clans being a highlight. Also the character sheet, while dense (and perhaps riddled with just a little too many shuriken) is very useful, and has a mini-reference for all the little rules for combat to help things move along a little more smoothly.

Wu Xing delivers on the promise of being action-oriented, and provides enough magic and mysticism to pull off the whole superpowered Ninja schtick with aplomb. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in playing or running in such a game, but I would also advise them to read the book very carefully just so you don’t miss out on any stray rules tucked away in other paragraphs.

Wu xing: the Ninja Crusade is available from DriveThruRPG for only $14.99 or roughly Php 675.00

[Let's Study Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade] Part 5 – Storytelling

Hello again everyone, today we’re looking at Wu Xing: the Ninja Crusade’s Storytelling Chapter, where we get to see just what tools and advice are available for someone looking to start running the game.

The chapter starts off with a discussion on the Themes and Mood of the the game. Eloy points out that the primary theme for Wu Xing is Rebellion, given the fact that the Ninjas are all being systematically exterminated by the Izou Empire, they have no choice but to fight back in order to survive. Secrecy is the second theme, as Ninjas are forced to live and practice their arts in secret, while trying to unravel the secrets of their enemies.

As for Mood, Wu Xing’s focus on Action, Martial Arts and Mysticism are all given an explanation. There’s an interesting mix of the overt nature of high-octane action, and the spiritual nature of Ninja wushu and techniques that lend to the unique atmosphere of the wu Xing campaign.

I found it interesting when the author mentioned some anime inspirations in this chapter. Individually, I can see how they did influence the final product, but they can be very different from each other. I won’t go into too much detail, but I’m certain that people who are familiar with animation will be able to discern what I’m trying to say just from the list: Avatar: the Last Airbender, Basilisk, Naruto (and Naruto: Shippuuden) and Ranma 1/2.

The chapter goes on to talk about frameworks and provides plot hooks common to Wu Xing, which range from the trivial and lighthearted to more serious matters. I felt that this is an excellent resource as not all GMs will be able to come up with an appropriate plot hook for Wu Xing right off the bat unless they’re a big fan of the same material that influenced the game.

Finally the chapter ends with a few suggestions by the author on running a successful game. The tips themselves are fairly general, but all are good things to keep in mind for most games, not just for Wu Xing. That said, it does give a bit of insight as to just what kind of gameplay Wu Xing tends to favor, and the tone of the game that exists as the default.

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I feel that this chapter is a solid capstone to end a corebook with. Sensible advice, insight to the game’s mood, tone and themes, and more than a few plot hooks to get any GM started are all good things in my book. In our last entry to this Let’s Study series for Wu Xing: the Ninja Crusade, I’ll give my thoughts and conclusions with regards to the game.