Review: "Mystic China"

This is the first review of the research material I've been reading while I work on Daizhong for Tephra. One of my main tasks was finding how China and Chinese culture has already been presented in table-top games so I could find a way to both a) do a faithful steampunk interpretation and b) avoid retreading too much of the same ground as other publishers.

Title: Mystic China
Year: 1995
Author: Erick Wujcik
Publisher: Palladium Books

Background:

The book is a follow-up to Ninjas & Superspies, supplying additional info on Chinese and East Asian culture. It's primary goal is to expand the rules on martial arts, magic, and other features. At 208 pages, it has NPC's, new rules, and setting notes to expand the Ninjas world.

Thoughts:

The source game, Ninjas, is one of action and martial arts adventure. So it's no surprise that Mystic China follows in this theme. As a result, it chooses mainly to focus on Chinese culture relevant to action rather than historical exploration. Despite the limited scope, there's a lot to like about this book.

One, they differentiate between Japan and China. "East Asia" tends to get lumped together in one big soup, so seeing them separated here was refreshing. The differences they cite are correct. The narrator tips on how much Chinese language to use during dialogue is very helpful to GM's. "A little goes a long way" is good advice.

There's a handy glossary of terms that can be useful in character naming as well as a longer general vocabulary list people can use to mix in. I liked the information provided on times, astrology, and five element theory. These little facts were both correct and helpful to someone who wanted to setup a Chinese atmosphere, by giving them basically a crash course on Chinese culture. Many of the enemies and types of opponents used in the book (such as many kinds of immortals) are based firmly in Chinese mythology.

One of the best aspects of the book was the section on Chinese alchemy. Wujcik very clearly did his homework for this piece, as he captures the goals and techniques of Chinese alchemists very well. The quest for the immortality elixir - and, indeed, a general theme of immortality in the book - are very well presented. It's one of the few examples of Chinese science being presented well in a game I have found to date.

There are a few flaws. The exaggerated humility Wujcik recommends for monks was a bit off. His depiction of a Taoist is also inaccurate, leaning more toward the western concept of one than actual Taoist behavior. The available classes are also highly stereotypical: there's a large section of martial artists and masters, with two exceptions (an antiques dealer and a businessman). Scholars, bureaucrats, and other Chinese archetypes are not present. This could be attributed to the theme of the game, however.

While the list of traditional Chinese weapons was nicely detailed, a major oversight is the general lack of Chinese science present. Alchemy gets a very good representation - but that's it. Even in the wuxia movies this game aspires to replicate, demon hunting technology is commonly featured and invented. While Wujcik did more research than others, he still barely scratched the surface.

Takeaways:

Mystic China does a good job of what it sets out to do: create a world of "mysterious magical China" for players to explore. There is nothing wrong with wanting to play a game based on the wuxia genre and this book captures it well. I only wish Wujcik had written games set in China that explored other possible genres, so there could be more contrast.