Here is latest the translation for the Street Fighter RPG (SFRPG) Brazilian fanzine: Punho do Guerreiro (Warrior’s Fist). Thank you to Eric for the issue, plus the big list of contributors: Aloísio Soares Senra, Eric M. Souza, Felipe M. Vasconcelos, Giovane do Monte, Jeferson Vicentini, Jhan Aragão, and Marcos Amaral. As always an extra thank you to Eric for helping with the translation.
This issue looks at introducing more Beat ‘Em Up aspects to SFRPG, plus a look at a more MMA focused chronicle. The classic SFRPG debate about Jujitsu and free maneuvers, so this issue has an article exploring the topic and provides suggestions for giving every style free maneuvers, as well as the prerequisites.
Normally each issue of Warrior’s Fist presents details about Kabuki Town, a fictional city for SFRPG, but this issue introduces By Fight! A look at a real life location and how it can be used in a SFRPG game. By Fight! is a play on the old White Wolf’s city books (Chicago by Night, New Orleans by Night, etc.), for Vampire: the Masquerade for the World of Darkness. This issue Eric presents Campo Grande (“Great Field”), which is a city in the interior of Brazil in South America. It is the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul. Eric says this feature will be a regular one in the pages of PdG and has asked for people to submit ideas; in time the setting will have many regions covered, providing the setting with more of the travel seen in the arcade game. 😉
This issue’s Circuit Legend is Jeiza Rocha, a MMA fighter and a member of the police. Additionally the issue includes two historical characters, Madam Satan & Thin Waist; although they could be tweaked to fit in to any SFRPG era. The Maneuver of the Month is Record. In closing, a recommendation to look at Jhan Aragon’s Solo rules for SFRPG.
Issue 25. Eric tweaked the explanation in Issue 13 about ways to handle the Backgrounds of the super-rich. A few minor errors have been fixed in older issues. Here is a link to the folder of Street Fighter translations, which includes all the issues of Warrior’s Fist (PdG), the epic Circuit Guide, Glory Times, Solo Rules, Spartacus, and the Mortal Kombat core and Shinnok. The whole folder can be downloaded as a Zip file 🙂
I present a PDF of different tables presenting the numerous articles from Punho do Guerreiro (Warrior’s Fist) in different categories. A fantastic Brazilian fanzine for Street Fighter RPG (SFRPG).
Thank you to the many contributors of Warrior’s Fist (WF). They have provided a treasure-trove of ideas. (Obrigado aos muitos contribuições da Punho do Guerreiro (PdG). Eles têm fornecido uma riqueza de ideias.)
Here is another translation of Punho do Guerreiro, a Brazilian fanzine for Street Fighter RPG (SFRPG).
This special takes a deep dive in to Anime, covering many ideas from numerous Anime, and how they can be used in SFRPG. A look at Street Fighters in the World of Darkness, or Chronicles of Darkness, would they become a special type of hunter?
The Maneuver of the Month: Pluck Hair. The Circuit Legend is the special Tiger Robocop and his Kabuki Town arena. Lastly, the addition of the Dojo background, updating an old idea.
So many RPGs are about living on the Edge, primarily of mainstream society, the exceptions to the norm. It was one of many things that I appreciated about Cyberpunk in my youth, the view from the edge; Edgerunners: “3. Always take it to the Edge.” Cliché fun 🙂 Building upon Cyberpunk, countless other games, and studying psychology, my passion the last few years has been exploring the edges of identity. Understandably not everyone wants to deep dive the topic in an RPG, so fiction writing has been my main outlet for this.
Quick mention of the importance of the Edge in Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (VTES) card game. My friends and I used to use random objects to represent it at the table, which was not always sensible, as inevitably somebody would run off with our Edge to show others. This led to us using a dice, boring but sensible. The picture below is at our local Nightclub; thankfully we invested in plastic card sleeves. 😉
Edge for Street Fighter RPG
For my SFRPG answer, I’ve spent the day trying to think of an alternative to my initial thought: the wrestler Edge (Adam Copeland). I pondered fusing more Cyberpunk in to SF, after all it already has Cybernetics, but I was not inspired by this. Of note, Warrior’s Fist Issue 12 (English), Punho do Guerreiro 12 (Brazilian) expanded on cybernetics some more. Then I started getting ideas relating to my Game of Death meets Twin Peaks adventure. Edge is an actor and has been in various shows; in particular he gives a brilliant performance as Kjetill Flatnose in the Vikings TV series. So, maybe somebody in Kabuki Town has cast Edge.
#RPGaDay2020 23-Edge. Edge is in U2. It's good to have music you enjoy when you prepare your gaming notes. You could say, it will give you The Edge…. favourite songs-All I want is you, Desire, With or without you, Where the streets have no name.
#RPGaDay2020 "Edge" When you're writing a setting, always remember the classic acronym EDGE: Edgy Doesn't Get Entertaining. Don't think you have to add parts to your setting that are DARK AND BROODING. Feel free to mix things up, edge highlights the more amusing parts. Have fun.
#RPGaDay2020 Day 23 Something bothered me when playing video games. There was always an edge, a point you couldn't pass. You can only ever go as far as programmed. With #TTRPGs there are no edges. You are limited only by your collective imaginations. pic.twitter.com/7oIcjU7vRP
Be like a cat and don't hesitate to push your story/mechanic over the edge. It's better to pull back if it breaks than to never explore its limits. #ttRPG#gamedesignpic.twitter.com/W0rmCtkKcQ
My hot tip for writing RPG examples is to deliberately not use a typical situation, but choose an edge case. That way you're illustrating how the move is used but also clearing up a potential ambiguity. pic.twitter.com/y5BetAeScN
— Josh Fox (the artist formerly known as rabalias) (@armadajosh) August 23, 2020
This is a non-exhaustive list; I still have many posts to read today, so I might be adding more links. I’d recommend searching the hashtag and judge those great answers for yourself: #RPGaDay2020, some people use #RPGaDay.
An old work situation, my then boss asking players at a game meeting: “Are saying that want to be able to push a button called ‘Play Game’?!” Several of the players did in fact say “Yes”. A great example of how a room full of players, and in this case customers, want different things, to push things in different directions. The context was to do with whether to simplify some complex mechanics down to a simple process, some wanted it, others preferred to micro-manage things. The following week at work had some lively conversation, but the upshot being goods things were designed.
One of the regular tabletop games I’ve been running has the working title ‘WoD: Sliders’; this is not the TV Series Sliders, but I have used that title because things can slide between realities, they just need a Push. To summarise, characters exist in different realities, the PCs are a connection between the realities, each an axis. I almost choose this game for yesterday’s topic, because the players are investigating a problem that has clues in different realities; player clue file is currently 30 pages. 🙂 In one reality the PC is a Mage, whilst in other realities they are either a: Changeling, Werewolf, Wraith, Mummy, Vampire and finally Hunter. The players have various multi-reality powers, for example they can Push things between realities. Linking back to my opening anecdote, the players choose to have these mechanics hidden from them, to effectively have a button they can push that keeps things simple for them at the start, and they FOIP the powers (Find Out in Play). So far the characters have used a few Push powers, but are not sure exactly what is happening and have become suspicious of them.
Whilst I had wanted to run a game with the players understanding the big picture going in, so their PCs would have control over their multi-reality powers, but the players choose otherwise. I am happy enough that they liked the idea, trusted me to run it, and crucially I didn’t push the system on to them.
Street Fighter RPG
I recently looked through some old SFRPG house rules I made many years ago. One big topic I pushed back then was Fight Camp Preparation. Since then I have learned a lot more about game design, different martial arts and training in general, so some of these old ideas are laughable to me; thankfully a few still hold up IMHO. One of the dodgy ideas was that of a character pushing fitness. The idea actually goes back to old games: Panza Kick Boxing (Amiga) and C64 Barry McGuigan World Championship Boxing, both of which had fight camp mini-games.
Note I’ve not posted the mechanics here, because they were part of a package, which I think needs a solid rework. I wouldn’t want to push ideas that I think are faulty. 😉
#RPGaDay2020 Push: In the fantasy world of #Veitstanz evolution is real; all the sapient life has evolved. Sure, they got pushed by the titans in certain directions, but the trope of fully finished beings put into existence is avoided. #ttrpgpic.twitter.com/k8XX3WHMht
This is a non-exhaustive list; I still have many posts to read today, so I might be adding more links. I’d recommend searching the hashtag and judge those great answers for yourself: #RPGaDay2020, some people use #RPGaDay.
After a childhood full of Cyberpunk, WFRP, and D&D, it was not just rules light/lite that interested me, but unencumbered characters. Shopping can be fun, many RPGs provide escapist fun when it comes to planning and acquiring many different items for our characters, but obsession and greed can run things; both IC and OOC. Whilst still at high school I came to realise why some games felt like a struggle, the circular emphasis some had regarding loot and acquisition, how for some players it invited them to step on the murderhobo treadmill. Obviously a few clearly choose murderhobo treadmill, I could at least appreciate the clarity of preferences they provided, so we didn’t waste each other’s time.
Discovering V:tM in 92 helped me learn different things, in part because with much older adults. One bonus being that typically Vampires do not care about lists of items, no more PC shopping obsession; both as a player and a GM/ST. Playing various TTRPGs and Play-by-Mail helped me find peace with regards to PC shopping; obviously growing up and getting some maturity helped. 😉 Curiously being introduced to GURPS and Champions was interesting, both could feel encumbered due to all the options, but they could also be played in in a light way as well. I also liked that the old Storyteller was a bridge between detailed equipment lists and specialised explanations and the more minimalist systems. I appreciate that some see this as a half measure, or even categorise Storyteller as crunchy due to vast list of powers; well it is, but as always they are optional. People can of course play any as murderhobos … keeping this light 😉
Returning to Cyberpunk in 96 resulted in a very different game. 🙂 The vast lists of equipment were now appreciated for what they added to the setting and an individual’s style. The differences between the various firearms and armour barely mattered.
Not a separate Street Fighter answer today, just to explain this is one reason I love SFRPG, it is very minimalist in regards to equipment, focusing on character and martial arts. For its time it was quite revolutionary, showing how building a focused relationship between ‘Rules-Setting-Goals’ could enhance the game. Some people saw the game as a joke, a few I spoke with saw the minimalist setting as slapstick. The game was not helped by the company handling, the fast turnaround leading to the infamous Players Guide. Still the overall game was solid back in the 90s, just amend Cartwheel Kick many times and its golden; these days the community has hammered the problems out. 🙂
With SFRPG, whilst a few equipment lists exist, for most games they are irrelevant. Interestingly, for the people I have run games for, they have never complained about the depth of the Special Maneuver system, because it is clearly a part of the heart of the game. I was tempted to add a mechanic or maneuver for today, but I’ll keep to the Light prompt and reflect upon what will enhance, not overload.
#rpgaday2020 Day 9 *Light* – another potent concept. Often affiliated with good and righteousness, light is more ambigious than that – you can hide things from those blinded by it. Remember rebelious Lucifer, neferious templars from Assassins Creed and Moby-Dick the white whale.
9) Light #RPGaDay2020 Light vs Dark is obvious, so instead… Light v Heavy. Egyptian Afterlife? Carrying others? Encumberance? There… how do you carry your friends and history through your journey to the afterlife; finding a way to lighten yourself and others on the way.
— Andrew C ➡️ Supanova Sydney Sep 19-20 (@HalflingCaravan) August 9, 2020
– Dead Illumination: pale light soothes and pleases 1d6 unliving, improving reaction towards caster. – I See!: recieve answer to one short (10 words or less) question or problem. – Tiy's Candle: floating orb remains unseen until danger threatens. 4 hrs.#RPGaDay2020
This is a non-exhaustive list; I still have many posts to read today, so I might be adding more links. I’d recommend searching the hashtag and judge those great answers for yourself: #RPGaDay2020, some people use #RPGaDay.
I’ve finished translating another issue of Punho do Guerreiro, a Brazilian fanzine for Street Fighter RPG (SFRPG). This issue tackles one of the big Storyteller system gaps for SFRPG: Merits & Flaws! An interesting look at how to make Social Attributes more important, Social Maneuvers. A look at Dodging Bullets. Using Vampire 5th kits making it quicker to choose Abilities for a particular Concept for SF. Plus the new Manuever Iron Body and Circuit Legend: Bankuu Toshiro.
Another great issue by the Punho do Guerreiro team 😀
I’ve finished translating another issue of Punho do Guerreiro, a Brazilian fanzine for Street Fighter RPG (SFRPG). Issue 1 is here, plus an explanation of why I am doing this.
As normal a big thank you to the team that created the issue. Extra thanks to Eric “Musashi” Souza for helping to clarify a few things for me; as normal his assistance and patience is appreciated. 🙂
A dark issue exploring Vampires, Potence, and revealing the Circuit Legend: Mistress of Pain. How are fights recoded? Check out Judges and Ranking. List of ready-made characters. The Arena base of Tetsujin (Cyber Ninjas) from issue 4. Arena of Secret Pleasures. Items of Power. Last but not least, a way to simplify large dice pools in to a single roll.
There have several interesting Street Fighter RPG posts recently. Firstly, a fun cover by Benjamin Terry fusing the Chicago By Night cover (Vampire: the Masquerade) with a brick border design to give a great street tone; hidden reference to brick destroying bonus rounds? 😉 Chat here.
For some years, this requested picture has been the missing piece of the perfect Street Fighter Fan-Supplement cover… pic.twitter.com/pnXAWBwo7v
Update: A link to the commissioned picture has been added below 🙂
Secondly, an interesting discussion about: “What would you like to see in street fighter second edition?” Sadly there won’t be a 2nd edition due to licensing issues, but still fun to discuss ideas, to read the many interesting responses, as well as see what topics others prioritise; definitely worth a read 🙂 Wonderfully Andrew J Lucas joined in the conversation 🙂 Andrew is the creator of Street Fighter Player’s Guide, as well writing the Spirits of the Forest adventure (Adventures Unlimited), and he is also a contributor to Contenders. Andrew generously offered to look for some old files, which he then shared!
The files are in Word 6.0 format, another reminder of what ancient treasures these are 😉 They proved to be an enjoyable read, thanks again to Andrew for sharing them. Andrew gave an interview in 2016 discussing the old Street Fighter design days, which can be read here.
Lastly, an interesting review that I think nicely summarises SFRPG. The article covers the zany, the bad, but crucially also the effective aspects of the game.
Continuing with RPG Impact. The eighth RPG that has had a big impact on me is Wraith: the Oblivion. I’ve separated this game from the rest of the World of Darkness, because I think Wraith is the one stands alone, not just in concept and focus, but crucially in playstyle.
Apart from a few friends, nearly all the players I know won’t even try Wraith. For a few of them, the idea of playing a ghost was too much for them, never mind playing another character’s Shadow, or participating in a Harrowing. The troupe style play of Wraith had a big impact on me; this is one of the reasons why I suggest Wraith stands out from the World of Darkness.
Sadly, I’ve not run massive Wraith games, like with Vampire or Changeling, but at least the games I’ve played have been small intense fun affairs. One of my long-running World of Darkness chronicles will soon include some Wraith sessions, which I hope to blog about later in the year.
I think Wraith is brilliant, but no sale pitches here, in part because others have summarised the game so well. If you want to hear more about Wraith, here are 2 great links:
1) sameøldji made a great video about Wraith impacting him:
2) Runeslinger also listed Wraith as being a big impact upon him; he also made a great collection of videos about Wraith 20th.
Batjutsu 