Shidaiqu

Shidaiqu is a Kung Fu brawler RPG which features an unusual and original combat system specifically designed to model the rhythms and fun of movie Kung Fu, inspired by fight choreographers such as Sammo Hung, The Jackie Chan Stunt Team, Panna Rittikrai, Yuen Woo-Ping and Brad Allen.

A simple system, easy to learn, fun to play, and fast to bring to the table. Uses 3D6.

Welcome to the world of Shidaiqu RPG: the place is China, the era: 1920s...

The police have lost control of the cities, which have been carved up into territories run by organised criminal empires, constantly jostling for control of areas and income streams.

Those they can't win over with intimidation are seduced with bribery – blood-money flows through everything and everyone has an agenda.

Overlaid onto this powder keg are the many rival Kung Fu schools, eager to prove their style is best and preserve their honour. Conflicts are common and enmity runs deep.

The cities are rich environments to explore, with traditional medicine apothecaries, communal baths, laundrettes, tailors, dumpling shops, noodle places, clothes lines everywhere, and steam from outdoor baozi stalls adding to the atmosphere. The sound of erhu, guzheng and bamboo flute never far away, there is an intriguing mixture between traditional Chinese culture, and 1920s Western influence. Hand-painted adverts for health-giving tea and pure wine with smiling beauties in qipao dresses watch over the varied characters who call the cities home.

This is a world where riches are won, legends are born and underdogs overcome great odds to bring justice (or revenge) to themselves and others in the Chinese cities.

Shidaiqu (Chinese: 時代曲) takes its name from a genre of Chinese popular music that is a fusion of Chinese folk, American jazz and Hollywood film music that originated in Shanghai, China in the 1920s.