RosenMcStern Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Alephtar Games is glad to announce a new title in our RPG line for Basic Roleplaying: “Dragon Lines”. This supplement fills one gap that fans highlighted in the new BRP rulebook by providing specialized rules for the different styles and schools of Martial Arts, and introducing several new options and combat maneuvers for hand to hand combat. But Dragon Lines is not just this: it is a new and fancy background that focuses on a fantastic version of the Forbidden City of Imperial China, where dragon magic permeates the land and martial artists in the Heavenly Emperor's employ, who must face supernatural threats every other day, use incredible combat styles that are as close to magic as they are to Kung Fu. If you think that characters in Ang Lee movies do really weird things, have a look at Dragon Lines and you will change your mind. Charles Green, author of several Multiverse supplements, will be our guide to the world of the Forbidden City in late 2009 or early 2010. Quote Proud member of the Evil CompetitionTM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trifletraxor Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Cool stuff! :happy: Any idea about pagecount? SGL. Quote Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub! 116/420. High Priest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobapple Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Any inspiration take from the Dragon Lines comics put out by Epic years ago? Dragon Lines (Epic comic book) - 4 issues at comicvine.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Green Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Any inspiration take from the Dragon Lines comics put out by Epic years ago? Dragon Lines (Epic comic book) - 4 issues at comicvine.com None whatsoever. I wasn't even aware of this comic until just now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobapple Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Well it was only 4 issues and came out 15 or so years ago. I remember liking the story and the art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickofChaosium Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 How many different styles will there be? Is it going to be strictly asian martial arts or will it be international? I would love to play a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter. That might just be a little bit too technical though... -Nick from Chaosium Inc. Chaosium Inc. - Nick Nacario - Nick Nacario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Green Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 How many different styles will there be? Is it going to be strictly asian martial arts or will it be international? I would love to play a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter. That might just be a little bit too technical though... Presently, there are 24 different styles. Most are magical ones like out of fantasy fiction, though some are based on real-world styles. I don't have a BJJ style written, but there is a section on designing your own Martial Arts styles, and doing Jiu-Jitsu wouldn't be difficult at all. BJJ style would get a bonus to grappling, and maybe some hand-strikes, as well as a few non-fighting skills that fit the ethos of the style. It would probably have a few special techniques for use when grappling, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaddawang Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 How many different styles will there be? Is it going to be strictly asian martial arts or will it be international? I would love to play a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter. That might just be a little bit too technical though... -Nick from Chaosium Inc. Chaosium Inc. - Nick Nacario - Nick Nacario BJJ: Dodge 45%, Pwn on the ground 95% As for the Dragon Lines-book... Sigh, another book I'll have to buy:thumb: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Green Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Cool stuff! :happy: Any idea about pagecount? SGL. Since RosenMcStern hasn't answered this, I'll chime it. The current estimate is 90,000 to 100,000 words, which, depending on layout, should be about 200 hundred pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fergo113 Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 OH! I am SOOOOO looking forward to this one :thumb: Great news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosenMcStern Posted August 1, 2009 Author Share Posted August 1, 2009 Since RosenMcStern hasn't answered this, I'll chime it. The current estimate is 90,000 to 100,000 words, which, depending on layout, should be about 200 hundred pages. 200 pages more likey, maybe a bit shorter. A 200 hundred pages book I would rather call Dragonpaedia. Quote Proud member of the Evil CompetitionTM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Green Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 200 pages more likey, maybe a bit shorter. A 200 hundred pages book I would rather call Dragonpaedia. See this? This is why I need an editor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrippyHippy Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 First of all, I think you did a great job on the Rome book, which was greatly appreciated. Secondly, would this be essentially usable a Wuxia sourcebook? What would the balance be between history/fantasy and the crunchy bits of martial arts rules be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Green Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Secondly, would this be essentially usable a Wuxia sourcebook? While not expressly written as a Wuxia sourcebook, it can be used as one. One of the Martial Arts styles, Ethereal Wings, lets you do a lot of the moves associated with the xia; flipping over enemies, flying through the air, doing the "balance on a tree branch" thing. As mentioned above, there is a system for creating Martial Arts styles, so if you need more Wuxia action, the tools are there to do so. What would the balance be between history/fantasy and the crunchy bits of martial arts rules be? I'm not sure I understand what you're asking here, so let me know if I'm off base. The Martial Arts are divided into "normal" styles and "magical" ones. The normal styles are based on real-world martial arts, and are appropriate for normal level games. They are also usable in other BRP games with a little tweaking. The magical styles are pure fiction; they aren't based on anything from the real world, not are the mostly based on fictional styles (with the Wuxia-style art from above being the obvious exception.) The arts add a tiny amount of crunch, which is easily removed if it isn't your thing. Mostly, they streamline certain elements of the combat system. So, if you know a move that causes Knockback, it always causes Knockback, regardless of damage done and relative SIZ. That way, you can always count on being able to use Knockback when you need it. I don't believe in adding crunch for the sake of crunch. Wherever possible, I've used existing rules, with some trimming here and there, to get the affect I'm after. Martial Arts works like is always has; I've mostly added some notes on what to look out for when everyone the party uses it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pulpcitizen Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 This sounds great. I really look forward to how the martial arts are modelled. Whilst the background does sound very interesting (especially as a fan of the current Immortal Iron Fist comic book, as well as the Western resurgance in sowing mystical martial arts movies that we saw from the success of Crouching Tiger onwards), I have to admit that the martial arts section will be of the greatest interest to me. Good luck guys. :thumb: Quote Very slowly working towards completing my monograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GianniVacca Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Do you need any playtesters/re-readers? Quote 「天朝大國」，https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/92874/celestial-empire 很有意思: http://celestialempire.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Green Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Playtesting is being done in house, so to speak. I've got two groups running through it, so it's being given a pretty thorough examination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GianniVacca Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Well, I speak Chinese and I am a big fan of wuxia pian, so I thought I might be helpful. Quote 「天朝大國」，https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/92874/celestial-empire 很有意思: http://celestialempire.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Green Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 As of 6:00 PM this evening, the rough draft of Dragon Lines is finished. It currently clocks in at just over 90,000 words, and I aim to trim it down to exactly 90,000 over the editing process. I'm pleased with how things have turned out. It's a pretty decent book, though I'm obviously biased. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in this game. I think you will all be pleased with the final product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pulpcitizen Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 As of 6:00 PM this evening, the rough draft of Dragon Lines is finished. It currently clocks in at just over 90,000 words, and I aim to trim it down to exactly 90,000 over the editing process. I'm pleased with how things have turned out. It's a pretty decent book, though I'm obviously biased. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in this game. I think you will all be pleased with the final product. Congratulations. :thumb: Quote Very slowly working towards completing my monograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Green Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I've wrapped up the 3rd revision of Dragon Lines this morning, and submitted the manuscript to Alephtar Games. I'm going to take a much-needed break and let my hands and wrists recover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trifletraxor Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Updated the blurb. Good work Charles! :thumb: SGL. Quote Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub! 116/420. High Priest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosenMcStern Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 I have kept Dragon Lines as scheduled for release in 2009, but it could be delayed due to reasons I will not uncover yet. In any case, if it is moved to 2010 it will be in order to make it available to more people through distribution. Quote Proud member of the Evil CompetitionTM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GianniVacca Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I have kept Dragon Lines as scheduled for release in 2009 Still no sneak peek? Quote 「天朝大國」，https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/92874/celestial-empire 很有意思: http://celestialempire.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosenMcStern Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 Nope. The ETA of Dragon Lines has (unfortunately) shifted to March 2010. But the plan now is to make it available also through regular shops. Quote Proud member of the Evil CompetitionTM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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