I've written before about the ways D&D is like (and could be more like) wuxia media. Reading a couple of works by Gu Long before delving back into Legend of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong again, I've been struck by something else D&D-ish fantasy gaming code steal.
Unlike most Western fantasy fiction and perhaps even Western adventure fiction (which is, admittedly, the more analogous genre to wuxia) wuxia fiction world building doesn't rely as much on description of locales above the single building level. Jin Yong's fiction does give us some local color at times--a description of the region of Lake Tai or the steppes of Mongolia--but it's a relatively small amount compared to say Robert E. Howard's Conan for the page count. Gu Long's stories sometimes come across as almost taking place in a vague "Wuxia-Land" comparably to a "fairy tale" Europe of knights and dragons--or the environs around a D&D dungeon containing the necessary locales at not much else.
What really does the worldbuilding heavy lifting in these stories is the description of the world of the Wulin or Jianghu: the styles, techniques, and personalities--but particularly the relationships between practitioners. This is seen most robustly in Legend of the Condor Heroes with its generations of shifu and students.
Sometime before the main action of the story the five greatest martial artists of the land came together in a contest to decide the possession of a legendary manual of kung fu secrets. These masters each had a distinct style and resided in a particular cardinal direction. By their nicknames they are the Northern Beggar, the Southern Emperor, the Central Divinity, the Eastern Heretic, and the Western Venom.
These characters' influence is felt throughout the story, and their various students and scions interact, jockeying for power, playing out old enmities, and uncovering secrets.
I think this factional approach could be put to could use in worldbuilding in fantasy games. Instead of inventing various cultures and regions (though there's no reason you can't do that too) establish a relatively culturally homogenous region and instead link characters in some way to various factions. The Icons of 13th Age sort of do this, I think. (I think, because I've really only ever read about 13th Age.)
This sort of approach makes the worldbuilding potentially of more interest to players because it more directly impacts them in play. Maybe they don't start out knowing much about other factions, but if the game is run in the right way, they soon will--or at least will be motivated to learn more.
3 comments:
That's a pretty accurate take on 13th Age's icons IMO. Worth noting that PCs can have positive, negative, or conflicted relationships with any of the icons there, with their choices essentially telling the GM what kinds of influence you want that icon to have in game. An icon with a positive connection regards the PC as at least a useful agent and will offer aid (usually through other agents) but also call for assistance in return. A negative relationship means you'll get help from other enemies of that icon on an irregular basis, but you'll also be opposed by their agents and allies.
Conflicted relationships can go either way - you may be seen by the icon as an ally who isn't wholly trusted, or there might be subfactions of the icon's power structure that see you as a friend while others despise you, and those who oppose the icon are similarly divided on their opinion and support of you. Clint Eastwood's character in High Plains Drifter is a pretty good example of having a conflicted relationships with the gangs that act as icons in the town.
It's a pretty neat system, and the mechanics of it (which you can read in the free online SRD) are easily cribbed for other game systems. They're really just some d6 rolls to see what/who might be aiding a PC in the next session, and whether there are going to be complications from accepting that aid.
Sometime before the main action of the story the five greatest martial artists of the land came together in a contest to decide the possession of a legendary manual of kung fu secrets. These masters each had a distinct style and resided in a particular cardinal direction. By their nicknames they are the Northern Beggar, the Southern Emperor, the Central Divinity, the Eastern Heretic, and the Western Venom.
Sounds like the directional factions from The Wizard of Oz:
Oz is a pleasant land, with a mild, temperate climate and fertile farmlands. It is roughly rectangular, divided into four triangular countries, each with its predominant color. The Munchkins live in the east, and their favorite color is blue. The Quadlings live in the south, and favor the color red. The Winkies live in the west, and they like yellow, and the Gillikins, in the north, prefer purple. In the center, where the four countries meet, is the Emerald City, the nation's capital and only major city. Green is, naturally, the color of choice there.
Much of Oz is made up of either isolated farms or small communities. Close to the Emerald City, and in other locations around the country, people are law-abiding and friendly, and acknowledge the rule of the king or queen of Oz. Further out, however, live many isolated tribes of strange peoples who don't know or care that they are part of a larger country.
I'm very familiar with the layout and countries of Oz. :)
Check out my Oz-inspired Land of Azurth campaign which has exactly such a layout.
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