A treatise on the Middle Kingdoms

 If you were raised in the Still Pond Monastery from a young age, you were taught that the Middle Kingdoms and the “petty squabbles therein” were cosmically unimportant, and that you were to avoid interfering with such “ephemera”. Those who have lived in the Kingdoms know that this is very far from the truth. The Middle Kingdoms are defined by a sweeping conflict between a newly-risen imperialist Dynasty and the old nations, kingdoms, and tribes of the land that threatens to plunge the entire world into total war.

THE DYNASTY

The largest empire of the Middle Kingdoms, hungrily expanding from its capital Da Wan Zo in the greying Eastern Valley. Its expansion is fueled by STRENGTH, rare and strange magic that enhances power and stamina so greatly that even mere mortals under its influence are capable of herculean force. The secret means of manifesting STRENGTH, and thus control of the Dynasty, are held by the Half-Celestial Empress Sai Lan, a battle-hardened general and bearer of the Blade of Heaven. The zodiac-emblazoned blade, said to have been forged from dragon’s blood in the fires of the Jade Emperor’s star-forges, is so heavy that only a STRENGTHENED Half-Celestial could hope to lift it. Empress Lan claims that her unique capability to wield this blade gives her Dynasty divine mandate. Though the Dynasty’s brute military power is near absolute, its understanding and knowledge of magic is limited, and so rebellions often turn to strange (and occasionally blasphemous) sorceries to create an advantage. No magic comes without a price...

TRAVELING IN THE MIDDLE KINGDOMS

While travelling, choose the number of days the travel will take. (Travelling between two opposite Pillars takes 4 tendays.) If you’re exploring a part of the Middle Kingdoms whose contents have not yet been decided, roll every d8 days of travel therein to find out what’s happening politically in that area.

1 Dynasty land, securely held

2 Dynasty land in conflict of some sort

1-2 Rebellion

3 The Dynasty is yet seizing this land, roll for Empire

4 This is a military outpost

3 Roll for Empire

4 Roll for Empire, but there’s a Half-Celestial around here somewhere

OTHER EMPIRES

1 Hua Din. The people here wear flexible stained-glass mail to denote their status; a farmer has a line of shards along their clavicle, while the rulers wear full-on multichromatic plate armor.

2 Mau. The ruler is a cat of no particular sentience. The locals believe in her oracular power.

3 Ko’rak. In this swampy region, crocodiles are worshipped as the progeny of the gods. Some of the more intelligent varieties hold government positions.

4 Zyn Shou. If you are in need of botanical assistance, this jungle conclave is the place to be. They can pull the souls out of plants and weave them into silken drugs.

5 Tian Tian Tian. Atop the plateau, their greatest city lies dominated by a tower that simulates the motion of the heavenly bodies. Their zodiac-reading and astronomy are legendary.

6 Gou Huang. This massive monastery and canoneer’s workshop is the home of gun-fu. The headmaster will personally teach you, if you can figure out how to make waterproof gunpowder.

7 Monastery. This area is simply a large monastery that teaches a very specific style.

8 Inkblot Atheneum. This academy teaches calligraphy and doubles as a major library. A living crystal computer lives in the center.

9 Turvy. This hub of criminal activity rests in the hulk of a graffiti’d-up, Empire-destroyed city.

10 Feng Yi. Marsh-barges carry floating yurts across stagnant waters and shallow sands.

11 Xyrx. Everyone here is part of a hive mind of Venusian Skinjackers cloaked in human flesh. Why are all the villages so symmetrical and clean? And why are there no children or elderly?

12 Sou Liang Da. Some of the most talented chefs can combine spices and ingredients in a way that sings to the cosmos itself, crafting wholesome and delectable culinary magics.

13 The Tan. These people haven’t forgotten the tongues of beasts taught to them by the first of the Half-Celestials, and Beastspeakers lead their nomadic tribes in their explorations.

14 The Stoneheart Unity. These people worship large rune-scorned cairns they claim come from the stars. Apparently, the veins of the earth twist out from below those radiant stones.

15 Khar. Mummies and wights rule from mausoleum-palaces perched atop massive cemeteries. The few living gather in the deepest catacombs to plan a resistance against the tyrants.

16 Oxen Mines. Tunnels riddle the cliff face from which earth spirits are plucked and put into living bronze weapons. The ruler here is Threeface Dan, a miner fused with two such spirits.

17 Ren Shi Highlands. An indigenous group guards diamonds cast down by a meteor. The diamonds grant near-divine physical strength and willpower when ground and snorted.

18 Moonrake. An archway of antediluvian stone opens to a random place in the cosmos, which shifts every full moon. Around is a shanty-town of accidental wanderers from the other sides.

19 Lands of the Yellow Palace. Te Wang The King With One Eye has a written record of the formation of the cosmos with him in a scroll case made of liquid lapis. Or so they say.

20 Roll twice, they’re in conflict.

BLACK MYTH for ICRPG

With help of Ezzerharden’s primer and a lot of delicious art from Black Myth: Wukong.

BIO FORM: Everyone is at least half Celestial. That means that they are more tangible and powerful than most creatures in the world, the spar of Heaven powering their souls.

• You start with 7 STAT points and 5 EFFORT points: you are a force to be reckoned with.

• You have an animal form of your choice you can occupy once a day.

• You operate on a different power scale: mortal creatures, like people and animals, never have HEARTS, only mystical entities can challenge your might in this way.

MARTIAL EFFORT: GUNS and KUNG FU both use a d8 EFFORT dice. However, in order to be “proficient” in these advanced weapons, you have to have at least 1 point in normal WEAPON EFFORT to represent your general training.

STARTING ARCHETYPE: Choose one of the options below, which gives you an extra piece of equipment and a starting ABILITY.

MONK You have honed your body with martial arts, meditation, and intense discipline. You get Focus Wraps (+2 MARTIAL EFFORT) and Mobile Mastery (You have ADVANTAGE on attacks when you move in the same ROUND).

ALCHEMIST Having mastered the traditional arts of healing, you’ve moved onto the greater pursuit- creating the False Gold of Immortality. You get an Herbal Kit (3 uses, heal ULTIMATE EFFORT) and the Midas Touch (once a day, touch something inanimate and turn it to gold).

NOBLE You are insanely rich and powerful, the scion of one of the Emperors of the Middle Kingdoms. You get a Badge of Imperial Authority (“I’m with the Emperor.”) and Commanding Word (Once a day, point to someone and command them, with a CHA roll if they’re inhuman, they must do what you ask).

GENERAL You have mastered the art of war, your skill in combat and leadership absolutely legendary. You get a Victor's Whetstone (Use this on a weapon to get ADVANTAGE on your next d4 attack rolls) and Command (On your turn, you can command an ally to attack for free).

MYSTIC You tap into the latent energies that suffuse the cosmos, known as Qi (“chee”). You get Prayer Beads (+2 MAGIC EFFORT) and Qi Manipulation (Take damage in order to automatically damage someone FAR from you for the same amount).

EIDOLON You are practically a specter, and shadows are like a cloak you wear on your shoulders. You get a Spider’s Mantle (As long as you are in darkness, you can climb on walls) and a Umbral Touch (Once a day, extinguish all light sources FAR from you and regain 1 HP per light extinguished).

INVOKER You summon idols and spirits from the strange realms beyond. You have a pet (1 HEART, +1 to all rolls and EFFORT) and a Spirit Step (Teleport anywhere you can see with a WIS roll, if you fail, you get shunted somewhere random in the cosmos).

STARTING LOOT: In addition to 4 pieces of ALFHEIM starting LOOT, start off with 2 Glyphs of any form. Each Glyph manifests itself differently depending on the form it takes. It can be used as a SPELL, a TATTOO, INSCRIBED on any item, or carved specifially into a WEAPON. (For example, Sun Wukong’s staff would be a quarterstaff with a STEEL INSCRIPTION and a WOOD WEAPON inscription, and that one item would be his magical starting LOOT.) Each one has a different effect:

	SPELL	TATTOO	INSCRIPTION	WEAPON
WATER	HEAL. Heal for MAGIC EFFORT.	FLOW. Your speed is doubled, and your body becomes amorphous, fitting through anywhere water can.	PLENTIFUL. The object goes above and beyond what it is supposed to do- a bag might have extradimensional volume, or produce 3 gold coins every time you open it...	EVER-FLOWING. If you get a 15+ on an attack roll, you can attack again.
STEEL	FABRICATE. Mold something metal into something else of equal volume for d4 ROUNDS.	IRON SKIN. +3 DEFENSE.	INVULNERABLE. This item cannot be destroyed or FUMBLED.	MAGIC-BUSTER. If you deal a HEART of EFFORT, you destroy enchantments on the target.
WOOD	OVERGROWTH. Touch a plant to have it explode in size instantly.	EVERGREEN. When you’re conscious, you regenerate 1 HP per ROUND so long as you haven’t taken fire or poison damage in the last ROUND.	SENTIENT. This weapon has a mind of its own, and communicates to you in some way.	RESIZING. The weapon can resize to any (reasonable) size.
FIRE	FLAME RAY. Create conflagration in a line FAR from you, it deals MAGIC EFFORT.	HOT SKIN. Deal BASIC EFFORT to anyone who hits you with a melee attack.	CONSUMABLE. When you destroy, consume, or break this item, something epic happens!	CONFLAGRATION. The weapon lights what it hits on fire, dealing BASIC EFFORT each ROUND until put out.
AIR	WEATHER CONTROL. Do a HEART of MAGIC EFFORT to control the weather for d4 ROUNDS.	WIND WALKER. You can fly half your speed.	POWERFUL. Like the gale and typhoon, the forces of nature give this item ULTIMATE EFFORT.	DANCING. Let go of your weapon and it will attack for you. It has a +0 to hit and uses your EFFORT bonus.

THE PREMISE: You all are graduates of the Still Pond Monastery, one of the Eight Pillars. Having graduated long ago, you all receive rather sheepish-sounding letters from the Oni in charge of the monastery, Master Fao. Despite appearing to be a hard, stone-faced demagogue during your time in his training, in your adulthood you realize that he was actually relatively ditzy and reckless, especially because of his penchant for “collecting” magic artifacts. He explains that the Monastery is in some trouble due to his recent escapades, and that he needs your help to set it right...

THE WORLD: The Middle Kingdoms, land of the mortal Emperors locked in eternal war for territory, lies in between the Eight Pillars, structures that bridge the mystical world with the corporeal. Beyond their perimeter, the magical realms of the Kunlun Mountains, Scarlet River, Flowing Sands, and Pure Lands are home to mighty Celestials and terrible beasts, like the Vermilion Phoenix and the Onyx Tortoise...

THE COSMOS: The Eight Pillars each also act as gateways to Heaven (Tian, home of the Jade Emperor and the Celestial Court) and Hell (Diyu, home of Lord Yama and his infernal servants). In addition, each planet is aligned with a specific element: Mercury (WATER), Venus (METAL), Mars (FIRE), Jupiter (WOOD), Saturn (AIR).

ORKENZ for ICRPG

The setting

Cribbed most of it from Ezzerharden's world primer (thanks, man)!

 You are the orcs of rune and bone. You craft poetry from the call of the wolves, and you dance hearily by the roaring bonfire after a great battle. You know honor and love, fear and compassion, nobility and justice.

Many moons ago, they emerged from the waters. They came bearing STEEL, your greatest enemy. Their presence upset the cycles of life, and they seek to subjugate you, painting you as uncivilized, bellicose savages.

Recently, the Couatl’s Teeth, the slopes on which you live, have been roiling beneath your feet in anger. The council has decided to meet at the Hedge in three days time, and they call you, champions of champions, to make right to the meddling of the STEEL-bearers.

MAKING AN ORKENZ

Make a character as the Quickstart suggests in all ways save the following:

“Weapon effort” is now replaced with Tool Effort- when using the tech and weapons you’re used to. “Gun effort” is now replaced with Steel Effort- when using the tech of the imperialists.

Instead of a bio-form, choose a TRIBE (which grants STAT improvements and ABILITIES).

Goro Kahr- Grey-skinned hunters. +1 STR, +1 CON, smell emotion.

Jaka Kahr- Black-skinned domesticators. +1 INT, +1 WIS, animals automatically trust you.

Kara Kahr- Tan-skinned gatherers. +1 DEX, +1 WIS, find something convenient of your choice near you once a day.

Uru Kahr- Crimson-skinned prestidigitators. +1 WIS, +1 CHA, invoke your chosen element (example: fire, eagles, fingernails, textiles, acid) once a day.

Ili Kahr- Brown-skinned craftspeople. +1 DEX, +1 INT, rolls using jury-rigged equipment are never HARD.

To determine your starting Milestone, take your highest stat and your highest effort and consult the table below. You can choose what form the object the ability is tied to takes (e.g. a Forger might have a small chunk of an imperialist amulet on a chain). Other pieces of starting equipment as ALFHEIM, reflavored for indigenous levels of technology.

	BASIC	TOOLS	STEEL	MAGIC	ULTIMATE
S T R	BREAKER Deal ULTIMATE against objects.	SLAYER Roll ULTIMATE Effort on any TARGET you injured in the previous round.	FORGER Bend metal with your bare hands like putty.	INCENDIARY You can manifest elemental beams that deal Magic EFFORT	BEASTKIN Unarmed attacks do STEEL Effort.
D E X	ACROBAT TUMBLING comes second nature, they become EASY.	ASSASSIN Roll a 20 on any weapon attack, cause 1d20 damage.	SNIPER +2 with ranged weapons when you don’t move.	WINDSTEPPER You can move FAR on your action.	QUICK During any round, take your turn before anyone at the table.
C O N	SURVIVOR When DYING, you revive on a 18-20.	PUGILIST Instead of damage, STUN your opponent for one round.	GUARDIAN Absorb 1 attack to an ALLY within CLOSE.	AVATAR You can taste the lifeblood of the earth around you, sensing all living creatures FAR from you automatically.	FISHER Always have 1 FISH in your SUPPLIES.
I N T	TRACKER All TRACKING and HUNTING are EASY.	CRAFTSMAN Create WOOD or ANTLER implements with an INT roll.	IRON SCULPTOR Make inventions with a HEART of effort and sufficient metal.	RUNECALLER Deal a HEART of MAGIC EFFORT to scribe a magic rune, functions as a random INT spell	ALCHEMIST You always have poison on you, and rolls to make poultices and drugs are EASY.
W I S	TAMER You have an animal companion with one HEART and +2 to all rolls.	SCRIBE Once a day, draw runes on something to make it invincible. Make a HARD WIS roll if it’s alive	SCRAPPER Start with a random piece of WARP SHELL LOOT.	SPIRITCALLER Deal a HEART of MAGIC EFFORT to invoke an ancestral spirit	PACKER Get +WIS storage slots.
C H A	TOUCHED Aka Crazy, EASY attempts when lying.	MUSICIAN If you can make up a song about it, you know all there is to know on a subject.	SPY Interacting with imperialists is EASY.	HARUSPEX Speak to the dead (dead body required) on a DISADV INT roll.	SPEAKER TO TITANS Talk to anything living fluently.

Things break when you roll a 1.