Hello Everyone -

Bryan Kowalski from Blue Kabuto here. After receiving a somewhat lukewarm playtesting response (Beuler? Beuler?) for our new game Cookie Fu, I thought I'd post the basic rules on the forge to see if I might solicate a response from anyone... someone... God - I feel like I am at an Aztec Jade concert here :( Take a look at this and see if any of it makes sense. I'd appreciate feedback from at least "one" person! :(

Here's a qick refresher:

Let me give you a breakdown of what cookie fu is (and isn't). Cookie Fu is
the first in our series of Fight Dice mini-games. Each game comes with 3
battle dice with different icons on them used to illustrate a warrior's
fighting moves. The game will also include a "initiative" dice which is
very similar to rock, paper, scissors. The game will also come with a
fortune cookie (I need to check out the fda standards first).

Being a mini- game is just that, normal play time runs about 15-20 min
topps. It's campy, quirky and meant to be fun. Is it a time killer? I
suppose - but aren't all games? Cookie Fu will be released in your
standard zip lock pack so popular with indie game designers (aka Cheapass
games, etc). Each fight dice pack will be compatible with others in the
series, so if you wanted to battle against the other types of warriors,
you can. The game will also be somewhat expandable by buying additional
fight packs to make a more powerful fighter. Basically, we're providing a
rough copy of the rules (which fit on about the size of 2 magic cards) and
icons for the dice. We ask that you grab a friend and play it a bit. Let
us know how it works (or if it doesn't) and let us know how it can be
improved. Rule suggestions, change the Fu move names, etc. We have a great
artist doing the look and feel to this game - his name is Niko Geyer and
you can check out his work at www.nikogeyer.com

Remember, this is not rocket science here. It's not meant to be an rpg or
have a huge amount of complexity, just a quick, fun, and neat little game.
Any feedback you have would be appreciated. Additionally, the game will be
written (tweaked) to "sound" like a fortune cookie, as if someone with
bad "engrish" is talking - to further add to the fortune cookie concept.


And now, the basic rules....


Cookie Fu
Rules of Play:

Each player gets three fu dice. Each dice has the same icons on them: Strike, Kick, Grab, Throw, Block, and Chi - these are called fight icons. Each player also gets a fortune die – this die is like rock, paper, scissors, but has fortune cookies on it. Each player starts with 10 hit points. If ever your hit point reduced to 0, you are defeated. Not so lucky!

Order of play:

1) Each player rolls all his or her dice each turn.
2) Compare fortune dice. Winner goes first.
3) Compare attack/defend results & use Chi powers/moves.
3) For each unblocked hit, opponent takes 1 HP of damage.
4) Repeat until defeated. Winner eats opponent's cookie.


Fortune Dice:

A Whole Cookie is better than a Crushed Cookie.
The Fortune always beats a Whole Cookie.
A Crushed Cookie will always ruin a Fortune.


Fu Dice:

Strike & Kick - a hit on your opponent.

Grab – Can be used for attack & defending. To defend: blocks strike, kick, & grab/throw combo. To attack: used w/throws in combo. Example - grab/grab/throw combo.

Throw - Can be used only with grabs. No grabs? No good. Each throw w/grab = a hit. Example - grab/throw/throw = 2 HP damage.

Block – Blocks strike, kick and grab/throw combos.

Chi - Gives one Chi point to use for cookie fu powers/healing/etc.

Grab/Throw combos - A grab/throw combo can only be blocked with a grab/block combo, the stronger the grab, the harder it is to block. I.e. grab/grab/throw can only be blocked by a grab/grab/block, but a grab/throw/throw can still be blocked by a grab/block.



Chi Powers:

Chi points cannot be saved and must be spent right away. Chi” points may be used in any of the following ways:

Healing Chi – Heal yourself for one HP per Chi point spent.
Chi Blast – Attack opponent with Chi Blast, damage = 1 HP per Chi point spent.
Chi Block – Blocks a Chi Blast. One point per point spent.
Cookie Fu Moves – Pick one from each type (basic/expert/master) before battle.

Your Cookie Fu powers work best when shouted and with a dramatic stance.

Basic Cookie Fu Moves:
Light Crispy Strike = 1 strike, countered only by a block.
Baked Cookie Evasion = 1 block. Re-roll 1 chi dice, keep blocks.
350 Degree Kick = 1 kick result + if not countered, 1 more kick.
Crunchy Treat Grasp = 2 grabs for a grab/throw combo only.
Ancient Golden Throw = 1 grab/throw. Add any grabs/throws.

Expert Cookie Fu Moves:
Twice Folded Slam = 2 strikes, + if not countered, 1 more strike.
Dodge of Good Fortune = 2 blocks + 1 block if opponent had one.
Sweet Flaky Kick = 1 kick, Re-roll 2 chi dice, count kicks.
Lucky Inside Grip = 1 grab + opponent is - 1 dice next turn.
Tasty Snack Toss = 1 grab + Re-roll 2 chi dice, strikes/kicks = throws.

Master Cookie Fu Moves:
Sugary Nerve Strike = 3 strikes + opponent is - 2 dice next turn.
Snap-Crack Block = 3 blocks, Re-roll 3 Chi dice, count blocks.
Paper Destiny's Sweep = 2 kicks + opponent may only defend next turn.
Brittle Bowed Grab = 3 grabs this turn, 2 next turn, then 1 next.
Hurl of Crumbled Fate = 1 grab/grab/throw/throw/throw combo.




We did get a little feedback from James C. Here's what we discussed:

>A grab negates a kick? I understood that only a block negated a kick,
>and a Grab+Block negated a Grab+Throw

The idea was a grab can be used both offensively and defensively. If used
offensively, you'd need at least a grab/throw combo to make it work
effectively. On the other hand, on the defensive - a grab can "block" or
negate strikes and kicks. I.e grabbing someone's kick/strike as they throw
it at you.

He continues:

>Realistic? Sure. But it throws off your balance. Look at your special
>moves. Who would take blocks when you can have just as many grabs, which
>are FAR more versatile than blocks?

The grab was designed as to be both offensive and defensive, used
defensively - it negates a strike or a kick, and offensively - you need a
grab throw combo to make it do something. To block a grab/throw you need a
grab/block combo. the stronger the grab the stronger it is to block. Hence
a grab/grab/throw needs a grab/grab/block to negate it, but a
grab/throw/throw/throw still would only need a grab/block to negate.

If this seems out of balance, I'd appreciate your thoughts.

And more:

>Also, what
>does "winner goes first" mean if you're comparing dice rolls with each
>throw? I don't see that anyone is "going first", unless the winner is
>combining any grabs first, and the "loser" has the advantage of
>deciding second how s/he will combine dice.


The winner gets to throw the first attack if they want. Players throw
attacks at each other, and can decide how many "dice" in each attack (1 or
more) they want to throw. Players alternate attacks against one another -
and you can certainly "pass" is you have no attacks.

Simple play example.

Here we go - Player A got a Whole Cookie whereas Player B got a Crushed
Cookie. Player A will go first.

Player A - Throws a Kick.
Player B - Uses a Grab (negates it).
PLayer A - Uses a 2 Dice Chi Blast (thus finishing his dice).
Player B - Only got 1 Chi, He uses a Chi Block (negates only 1 pt of it).
PLayer B - Throws a Strike (and finishes using his dice).
PLayer A - Has used his dice and must "take it", suffering 1 pt of damage.

Hope this clarifies a few things for everyone. Please let me know of your
results/findings if you can -

When I was a little girl, my parents and I played lots of games, usually something every evening (backgammon, UNO, monopoly, Miles Bourne, etc.)

One of my favorites besides backgammon was called Pig Mania. Rather than dice, you has 2 or 3 little pigs that got rolled as dice and you were scored according to what position they landed in. One of the positions did sort of look like two pigs humping. I recall it was worth a lot of points :)
Silly game, entertaining like all heck.

The point to this is that I think Cookie Fu could use some kind of external mechanic (gimmick) beyond just comparing dice faces although the dice I've seen on the site are very colorful and appealing. What about offering Chi to people who are able to quote a chinese proverb while rolling the dice- or making it mandatory to quote a proverb while rolling?

If you can't include fortune cookies, you can include a recipe for homemade fortune cookies, easily borrowed from the web.

This could be a great core to a kung-fu chop socky style RPG (complete with swishing bellbotom pants and bad dubing)...throw in some traits to derive the dice stuff from... you might have a really kickass little beast...play it as a tabletop timewaster, or play it as an RPG. Seriously, you might think about it.

Laurel wrote:

The point to this is that I think Cookie Fu could use some kind of external mechanic (gimmick) beyond just comparing dice faces although the dice I've seen on the site are very colorful and appealing. What about offering Chi to people who are able to quote a chinese proverb while rolling the dice- or making it mandatory to quote a proverb while rolling?

If you can't include fortune cookies, you can include a recipe for homemade fortune cookies, easily borrowed from the web.

Bailywolf wrote: This could be a great core to a kung-fu chop socky style RPG (complete with swishing bellbotom pants and bad dubing)...throw in some traits to derive the dice stuff from... you might have a really kickass little beast...play it as a tabletop timewaster, or play it as an RPG. Seriously, you might think about it.

I was thinking about 70's style kung fu movies (of which some of the "best" corssover with blacksploitation films...Soul Brothers of Kung Fu and such). The Shaw Brothers made some of the greatest (Seven Golden Vampires is a combo dracula/kung fu movie !).

Think floppy bushy hair. Think Bruce Lee and Sony Chiba. Ease up on the funny pastey kung fu moves, and let players name their own combos.

Check some of these links out:

http://www.webspawner.com/users/shawbrothers/

http://www.drunkenfist.com/movies/HongKong/1978.shtm

http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/kroyea/chiba.htm


and don't forget the funky 70's samuri movies


http://www.concentric.net/~Budokai/chambara/chambara.htm

(Lone wolf and Cub, Zatoichi, and Lazy Eyes of Death are among the best)

http://www.logophilia.com/WordSpy/wire-fu.asp

(a great definition of chopsocky)

and just read this and try and tell me your game isn't screaming to do this:

http://www.badmovies.org/movies/goldvamps/

Bailywolf wrote: and just read this and try and tell me your game isn't screaming to do this:

http://www.badmovies.org/movies/goldvamps/

I checked out your site- good design, easy access.

I really like the system as written- it looks like a trip to play... a goofy little Flash animated game with stick figures kicking each other's ass basedon these mechanics would be fun as hell to. If you know anyone with good Flash design skills, it might make a cool addition to your site.

Games like Hong Kong Action Thater and Feng Shui both cover chopsocky, but tend to the 'higher quality' kung fu movies... hell with that. I think you have a great niche there to tap with an RPG expansion for Cookie Fu- the pure kung fu movie. A play structure which reflects the source material (with the possibilities for a sequle of course) and a tactile die system which makes for a double layer of fun- fun in the gamest rollembones way, and fun in the creative descriptive kung fun madness.

Some design concerns (when it becomes relevent down the road)

> Diferentiating between characters- some guys are going to be better than others at this or that... either more or less dice for certain characters, or "tweaks" which let some guys alter the rolled result (like a fighter with Striking Mantis Style who can convert any rolled kick to a grab manuever as a special ability etc).

> Mob rules- how to easily fight a whole bunch of nameless mooks without bogging down the kickass flow of combat.

> Stunts

> Motivation- how motivated a kung fu fighter is often determines how well he fights... perhaps when defeated, humiliated, or abused characters accumulate Pay Back Points (or some such) which can work like Chi or in some other way tweak the system.



I look forward to seeing more.

>I checked out your site- good design, easy access.

Hey thanks. We're trying.

>I really like the system as written- it looks like a trip to play... a goofy >little Flash animated game with stick figures kicking each other's ass >basedon these mechanics would be fun as hell to. If you know anyone >with good Flash design skills, it might make a cool addition to your site.

LOL - I know some flash, but not enough to do an interactive game sort of thing. :( You're right, that would be a riot!

>Games like Hong Kong Action Thater and Feng Shui both cover >chopsocky, but tend to the 'higher quality' kung fu movies... hell with >that. I think you have a great niche there to tap with an RPG expansion >for Cookie Fu- the pure kung fu movie. A play structure which reflects >the source material (with the possibilities for a sequle of course) and a >tactile die system which makes for a double layer of fun- fun in the >gamest rollembones way, and fun in the creative descriptive kung fun >madness.

Oh sure. Don't think we've not thought of this. It's all a matter of making this work.

>Some design concerns (when it becomes relevent down the road)

> Diferentiating between characters- some guys are going to be better >than others at this or that... either more or less dice for certain >characters, or "tweaks" which let some guys alter the rolled result (like >a fighter with Striking Mantis Style who can convert any rolled kick to a >grab manuever as a special ability etc).

Yup, yup

> Mob rules- how to easily fight a whole bunch of nameless mooks >without bogging down the kickass flow of combat.

Yeah, that's a major issue we are facing - how to make it "multi-player" instead of just duel. Imagine 3 or 4 people playing Cookie Fu around the table. That would be Kung Fu madness indeed.

> Stunts

> Motivation- how motivated a kung fu fighter is often determines how well he fights... perhaps when defeated, humiliated, or abused characters accumulate Pay Back Points (or some such) which can work like Chi or in some other way tweak the system.

Hmm.. possibly. I like it so far.

When will you be likely to have the basic cookie-fu game in the bag and away? I rarely like 'normal' games...but the combo of a fun dice game mixed with role playing is realy exciting... I for one would certainly pay for both the dice game and a seperate rpg expansion.

To keep things tidy, I would say adding more dice might get hairy... but it could make for some real differentiation in characters...masters and major badies and such...also reducing dice for serious puddings might be in order.

You can treat groups of mooks as a single entity- rolling one set of dice for them, with Hit Points (right?) based on how many there are in the group... for a really tough Mob, each member would contribute several hit points...for a weak mob, each member might only contribute one (or less). So you can have the Demon Three (three brothers who are dangerous assassins) or an Angry Peasant Mob (made up of 50 pathetic farmers)... when fighting as a group, they act as a single character.

Hmmm.... for a serious Rumble with more than a one-two-one face off... well, perhaps each character needs some kind of Mastery level... representing the number of seperate individuals you can fight at the same time... you can use your dice once per individual instead of having to split your dice up to attack (or defend against) more than one guy... hmmm... I don't know...

I'm just riffing here, not trying to tell you your buisness- please feel free to disreguard any of the ramblings which I spew...I tend to be a stream-of-consciousness poster on ideas I dig...

Here are a couple of Styles I came up with (and a possible Technique to tweak the dice):

Devious Fox Style (swap one of your dice for the dice of your oponent after they are rolled)

Striking Serpent (on a successful Punch, do no damage, but oponent rolls only two fu die next round)

Ascendant Crane (a successful Grab earns you 1 Chi)

Showlin Shadow Foot (your Kick attack acts as a simultaneous Block to an oponent's kicks)



Hmmmm... Attribute system...

Chi: Number of Chi points you can 'store'
Mastery: number of Fu dice you roll
Skills: everything else- select a skill package covering a career: Secret Agent, Hair Dresser, Racecar Driver, Sushi Chef, Maverik Cop, Wandering outlaw... then preface it with "Kung Fu". So you are a "Kung Fu Maveric Cop" or a "Kung Fu Sushi Chef" or a "Kung Fu Supermodel" or whatever. You use your Skills for all non-kung-fu stuff, including stunts and chases, so it isn't entirely usleess.

Start Chi a 0, Mastery at 2 and Skills at 2. Take 3 points and drop them where you want. Select a Style, pick a Chi Power (one for each point of Chi you possess- a 1st level for the 1st point, a 2nd level for the second point, a 3rd level for the 3rd point). Choose your Skills. Give the bloke a name, then go forth and kickass.

ramble ramble ramble

Like so:

Victor Chow
Mojo: Deadly hired assassin with a poet's heart
Chi: 1
Mastery: 3 (Deadly Diamond Finger- punch does 2 damage)
Skills: 3 (Kung Fu Assassin)
Chi Powers:
Stabbing Hand Technique (light crispy strike)





;)

bluekabuto wrote: Hello Everyone -

Let me give you a breakdown of what cookie fu is (and isn't). Cookie Fu is
the first in our series of Fight Dice mini-games. Each game comes with 3
battle dice with different icons on them used to illustrate a warrior's
fighting moves. The game will also include a "initiative" dice which is
very similar to rock, paper, scissors. The game will also come with a
fortune cookie (I need to check out the fda standards first).

RobMuadib wrote:
Kabuto

First, have to say I like the overall trick of the game, I think it would be a very fun pick-up kind of game along the lines of SJG's Munchkin or something.

However, My only point would be to generalize it more. You could still call it Cookie Fu, or whatever. Make the Fortune Cookie or other Food Item optional. That way people can use Skittles or pretzels, or whatever they have on hand. Or they can take a swig of beer along with each point of damage, and the winning guy gets to eat the other guys Pretzel or something.

Another thing you might consider in the special moves/kI moves, is to allow the use of funky Chinese place Menu Items. You know, Purple Combo #5, like this one infamous chinese place near my old college had.

Other than that I think it is a pretty clever game.

I'm sure me and my friends would play it, and it can still be enjoyed while drinking beers :)

Rob

(Who got fairly drunk while playing multi-player magic the other night, an interesting experience.)

RobMuadib wrote: (Who got fairly drunk while playing multi-player magic the other night, an interesting experience.)

Bailywolf Sir: You kick ass!

Just wait till' we start playtesting Ramen Raiders! I think I definately want you on the playtest team for that!

Let's get to those questions/items:

>When will you be likely to have the basic cookie-fu game in the bag and >away?

We're wating on the cover art from the artist yet. Should be real soon, maybe by the end of the week (fingers crossed) His site's at www.nikogeyer.com check im' out. I am shootin' for Gen Con, but we'll see.

>To keep things tidy, I would say adding more dice might get hairy... but >it could make for some real differentiation in characters...masters and >major badies and such...also reducing dice for serious puddings might >be in order.

Well, we were thinking (on the topic of expansion) on how to make the dice game somewhat scalable - If you buy additional packs, you'll get more dice. Say two packs gives you 6 Fu dice - Then your fighter could start with 15 (or20) hp and be able to choose 2 of each Cookie Fu moves(instead of one), thus making him a more powerful fighter. Obviously you would want to keep the battles balanced - i.e. fighting another opponent with 6 dice.

I like the mook idea. I could use a part of the Ramen Raiders mechanic here. Say you're fight a group of mooks (4) each mook would only have 1 dice, but function as a single unit. For "X" amount of damage done to the mook pack - you would remove one of the dice. The more dmage done, the more dice removed.

As for the multiplayer thing. If the fights are balanced, could one 6 dice Fu Fighter (oooh, I like that. Fu Fighters!) battle against two 3 dice fighters? Could be, I need to kick this one around and playtest it a bit.

>I'm just riffing here, not trying to tell you your buisness- please feel free >to disreguard any of the ramblings which I spew...I tend to be a stream->of-consciousness poster on ideas I dig...

Don't worry, I am a bass player - so I don't mind "riffage" Please, keep coming with the ideas. They are helpful.

As for the other ideas on a rpg version - they very cool I must say. I knew from the begining that this concept and dice mechanic would be very cool. I hope it flies though.

Yes, an rpg would be tre cool for Cookie Fu - Ramen Raiders uses a similar mechanic wich has card/board/quest elements as well - except you play a Ramen Raider (Tetsu Jin, yeah!) on the quest for the ultimate bowl of Ramen.

As for you Fu ideas:

>Here are a couple of Styles I came up with (and a possible Technique to >tweak the dice):

>Devious Fox Style (swap one of your dice for the dice of your oponent >after they are rolled)

Actually, this was one of the effects in the first draft version.

>Striking Serpent (on a successful Punch, do no damage, but oponent >rolls only two fu die next round)

as was this.

>Ascendant Crane (a successful Grab earns you 1 Chi)

cool.

>Showlin Shadow Foot (your Kick attack acts as a simultaneous Block to >an oponent's kicks)

Nice. I can see tons of source material already!!

Storing or "banking " chi is a mechanic already present in Ramen Raiders. As for the skills, what would determine success? I am thinking each skill could have a particular icon attached to it. Say you wanted to do a running leap - maybe you would need 3 "kicks" to suceed. Or breaking down a door needs 2 "Strikes", etc, etc. As you get up in Mastery (more dice) you'll get more dice to roll and the difficulties become harder and so on. Oh, I can see the possiblities here. - It's really close to what we're doing in Ramen Raiders, I could always adopt it.

It could be set in different genres as well:

kung-fu chop socky
Wuaixia
Hong Kong Action (modern) Supplement of Gun Fu!
etc,etc,

Now for Adventure "Menus"? I could always borrow from Feng Shui!

bluekabuto wrote: As for the multiplayer thing. If the fights are balanced, could one 6 dice Fu Fighter (oooh, I like that. Fu Fighters!) battle against two 3 dice fighters? Could be, I need to kick this one around and playtest it a bit.

Beware the Fuzzy-Wuzzy fallacy*. It states that multiple men each with a fraction of the power of a single opposing man are often more than a match for him. In the case above, what you'd have to worry about is whether the 6 die guy is actually twice as effective. Can he block both attacks from his opponents? Can he damage them as fast as they can damage him? If not, the reduction of power that the 2 man team will have after losing one member will come too late to save the single man.

OTOH, if the single guy can truely dish out as well as he takes, he'll win nearly every time because of the reduction in power of the 2 man team after one goes down. Not easy to balance these things. Lots of playtesting on this one, I'd think.

Mike

*Comes from the fact that the Fuzzy-Wuzzy tribe armed with spears would often overrun European troops armed with guns. Sure they'd take lots of casualties, but in the end they'd win the battle and destroy their enemy with alarming regularity (the situation in the movie Zulu notwithstanding). Used by grognards to explain similar game situations. As in the game Ogre by Steve Jackson where it was found early on that a team constructed soley of whimpy GEVs could destroy an Ogre of equal point value every time out.

A gun-fu die expansion would be very cool indead.

Hmmm.... gun-fu die sides... gun, 2 guns, dive, magazine, shell casing, eye

Gun- shoot a gun
2 Guns- acts as 2 guns.
Dive- little siluoet of a diving man- evade an attack
Magazine- reload
Shall Casing- out of ammo!
Eye- aim... ignore a Dive when combined with a Gun

something like that...

or just reevaluate the fu-dice (fist=shoot, kick=dodge, grab=load, hold=out of ammo, chi=aim?)


I like the idea of getting an expansion pack that can work on several different levels- as a quick and dirty dice game, as a rpg setting/source expansion and as an adventure menu... That is quite a bit of value in one package. I always quite liked the CheapAss and TWERPS model...there is no reason such quick-and-dirty games need to be pure timewasters though... Your site indicates you wish to do some expansion into online publishing- publishing the role playing expansion for the store-sold Cookie Fu die game would be really cool. Rarely does a product you buy get better after you rip open the package.


As for skill, actualy you hit on exactly what I was thinking. Say your typical Fu Warrior has 3 Skill dice. He has a 1 in 6 shot of getting any one icon. I think a difficulty scale of 1-3 is in order. Diff 1 requires 1 icon to succede...diff 3 requires 3. What if Chi was always a success? Basicly a Lucky Break- jos shines on you through good chi.

So basicly, you get a hit on a 2 out of 6 basis.

Say you are a Kung Fu Getaway Driver (Chi 1, Fu 3, Skill 3) and you are trying to jump a slowly rising drawbridge to escape the cops chaising you. Rev the engine of your supercharged GTO and GO! FM (Fu Master) rules it pretty hard, so he assignes a Diff of 2. Since it it driving, you need your fists on the wheel, so your icon is Fist. Throw your skill dice, and you get a Chi, a Fist, and a Kick. Through a combination of your awesome skills (your Fist die) and your good luck (your Chi die) you succede- describe the coolness with apropriate flair.


Working out the odds for this and basing the skill mechanic on it will be the trick.

Bailywolf wrote: A gun-fu die expansion would be very cool indead.

Hmmm.... gun-fu die sides... gun, 2 guns, dive, magazine, shell casing, eye

Gun- shoot a gun
2 Guns- acts as 2 guns.
Dive- little siluoet of a diving man- evade an attack
Magazine- reload
Shall Casing- out of ammo!
Eye- aim... ignore a Dive when combined with a Gun

something like that...

or just reevaluate the fu-dice (fist=shoot, kick=dodge, grab=load, hold=out of ammo, chi=aim?)


I like the idea of getting an expansion pack that can work on several different levels- as a quick and dirty dice game, as a rpg setting/source expansion and as an adventure menu... That is quite a bit of value in one package. I always quite liked the CheapAss and TWERPS model...there is no reason such quick-and-dirty games need to be pure timewasters though... Your site indicates you wish to do some expansion into online publishing- publishing the role playing expansion for the store-sold Cookie Fu die game would be really cool. Rarely does a product you buy get better after you rip open the package.


As for skill, actualy you hit on exactly what I was thinking. Say your typical Fu Warrior has 3 Skill dice. He has a 1 in 6 shot of getting any one icon. I think a difficulty scale of 1-3 is in order. Diff 1 requires 1 icon to succede...diff 3 requires 3. What if Chi was always a success? Basicly a Lucky Break- jos shines on you through good chi.

So basicly, you get a hit on a 2 out of 6 basis.

Say you are a Kung Fu Getaway Driver (Chi 1, Fu 3, Skill 3) and you are trying to jump a slowly rising drawbridge to escape the cops chaising you. Rev the engine of your supercharged GTO and GO! FM (Fu Master) rules it pretty hard, so he assignes a Diff of 2. Since it it driving, you need your fists on the wheel, so your icon is Fist. Throw your skill dice, and you get a Chi, a Fist, and a Kick. Through a combination of your awesome skills (your Fist die) and your good luck (your Chi die) you succede- describe the coolness with apropriate flair.


Working out the odds for this and basing the skill mechanic on it will be the trick.

I'd say that a sliding scale of difficulty might be in order, with 1 being a basic challange (diving through a window without injury) and 3 being super cinematic action (jumping through the window, falling 20 stories, landing in a swimming pool unhurt). Beyond this, you get into Matrix style uber-stunts beyond anything even remotly possible.

For more genera-specific expansions (Wuxia! for example) then you can simply alter the difficulty scale (call it changing the Prices on the Stunt Menu). Handouts like printed cards with the expansions Stunt Menu on the front and some apropriate skill descriptions on the back.... For a more gritty, "realistic" setting, raise the prices on the Stunt Menu.

Some settings may have fairly conservative Stunt Menus, but have certain genera-specific "Specials" which are lower priced than they would otherwise be.

Hell, imagine printing player hand-outs with brief genera descriptions, some references (movies and such), any special rules, the Stunt Menu, and character creation guidelines along with a place to write up a character... and print them all on a tri-fold Chinese-American takeout style menu!

For combat stunts, use Fu dice. For non-combat stunts, use Skill. Perhaps if you spend one of your banked Chi, you get to reroll?

Offer Abort actions. If I'm tearing twords that slowly rising bridge, and all I roll is one Grab, when I need 2... I shouldn't go crashing off into the water unless I don't roll any hits... perhaps instead of crashing, I chicken at the last minute, or see the bridge has gotten too high and I have to do a last ditch fish-tail turn...leaving me pointing directly at my persuers... what do I do? Play chicken!

In this kind of resisted stunt, the Stunt Cost would just be the hits rolled by the oposition- in this case the lead cop. We'll see who's brass is the best polished- his badge or my balls!


I'm telling you- I would PLAY this game.

I think the reason we're thinking along the same lines, is that all this stuff is a natural extension on your really solid core- a potent little die mechanic which also happens to seem fun as hell on its own.

I finally got to see Brotherhood of the Wolf last night... woh damn!

This sort of lush dripping period horror/action could really come to life with a Cookie Fu suplement. The scheme presented in the movie is ready made for a long-term campaign (baring character death, of course)- a small group of diversly trained roustabouts investigating weird and seditions stuff in a roaring swashbuckling 18th century filled with hints of supernatural menace, and all to real human evil. For mood, how about a Rose die instead of a cookie die? Rose Bud, Rose Bloom, Wilted Rose. Bud beats Bloom beats Wilt beats Bud...

Weapons could add damage to certain attack icons or grant bonus blocks (a sword- +1 damage, a staff 1 free block?) with a Disarm being an alternate use for a Grab/Throw combo....

Or even Fencing Dice (for a more Count of Montecristo or The Princess Bride flair)... thrust, parry, slash, feint, bind, reposte... with Witty Banter for each die played...

I can see comnining Fu dice with Fencing (or even Gun dice!) for those mix-o-crazy action scenes where the characters are shooting at each other, then get close tenought to kick each other in the head... of when sword fighters bind up their weapons only to throw a sneaky punch in the ribs- a stunt that doesn't make sense in most RPG combat systems (why punch? why not just go for another stab?) With like three Fencing dice and a Fu die, you could use your Fencing dice for defense, when use that one rolled Fist to nail the other guy in the gut... but damn, that could work SO well...

The more I think about Cookie Fu, the more I think it can be more than just a somewhat funny table game- it could be the core mechanic for a series of inexpensive, fun, and creative action-adventure role playing games. I'm sold.

I think Cookie Fu is a pretty cool idea. I'd be tempted to buy it if I saw it in the store just for the name.

One problem I see is including a fortune cookie. If you intend to put everything in a ziplock bag I guarantee the cookies will eventually break or be broken before the game is purchased.

Stores may buy a few at first, but once the first cookie breaks they will likely consider it too much of a risk. Now, it seems that the cookie itself is irrelivant to the function of the game, but the store owner and customer don't necessarily know that and may think the game itself is unsellable.

I'd leave the cookie out. It's not like they're hard to come by. I get 6 or 7 for free every time I order chinese.

,Matt

By the way, does anyone know by Baileywolf's last post says it was posted in August?

MattGwinn wrote: By the way, does anyone know by Baileywolf's last post says it was posted in August?

Joined in August of 2001. Posted today.

Bailywolf wrote: I finally got to see Brotherhood of the Wolf last night... woh damn!

This sort of lush dripping period horror/action could really come to life with a Cookie Fu suplement. The scheme presented in the movie is ready made for a long-term campaign (baring character death, of course)- a small group of diversly trained roustabouts investigating weird and seditions stuff in a roaring swashbuckling 18th century filled with hints of supernatural menace, and all to real human evil. For mood, how about a Rose die instead of a cookie die? Rose Bud, Rose Bloom, Wilted Rose. Bud beats Bloom beats Wilt beats Bud...

Weapons could add damage to certain attack icons or grant bonus blocks (a sword- +1 damage, a staff 1 free block?) with a Disarm being an alternate use for a Grab/Throw combo....

Or even Fencing Dice (for a more Count of Montecristo or The Princess Bride flair)... thrust, parry, slash, feint, bind, reposte... with Witty Banter for each die played...

I can see comnining Fu dice with Fencing (or even Gun dice!) for those mix-o-crazy action scenes where the characters are shooting at each other, then get close tenought to kick each other in the head... of when sword fighters bind up their weapons only to throw a sneaky punch in the ribs- a stunt that doesn't make sense in most RPG combat systems (why punch? why not just go for another stab?) With like three Fencing dice and a Fu die, you could use your Fencing dice for defense, when use that one rolled Fist to nail the other guy in the gut... but damn, that could work SO well...

The more I think about Cookie Fu, the more I think it can be more than just a somewhat funny table game- it could be the core mechanic for a series of inexpensive, fun, and creative action-adventure role playing games. I'm sold.

Unfortunatly, I've just been playing against myself with some mockup d6 (using little cut up pieces of name-tag stickers). Adding Fight dice make a really good progression for fighter power... and by reinterpreting what the dice mean, you can get into some really cool and cinematic combat very very quickly and easily- no screwing around, lets rumble.

Packaging a basic set into a take-out box is a brilliant idea- I love it! Easy to carry, with room for more junk down the road. What is your current thoughts on pricing? Also, I'm just a little hazy one one point- are you going to actualy provide the dice themselves, or decals to afix to normal d6-ers? I'm all for the dice myself- my little sticky lables keep peeling off.

I was watching some Zatoichi eariler in the week- one of my fave samuri movie series- and I though of Cookie Fu- for a chambara-style swords-n-yakuza style samuri game.

You could even produce generic Fight Dice (though with your Five Rings/Elements for RR it looks like you already have).

I have to be honest- the only thing I have any reservations thusfar aboutt he system is the overt comic overtones- cookie fu, ramen raiders... will your expansions be more "serious" (excluding knuckknuck the genera embraces itself)?

Star Raiders
Freedom City (Supers)
Tomb Raiders (obviously not the name, but a qausi working title)
Gold and Gore (a fantasy type rpg)

Oh, for Handguns. Drop the Aim (make that a Revolver special thing to ballance the 2 Clicks) and replace it with another Reload. The Wu-Gun masters always reload these things lightning fast... or just ditch them and pull a new one- about the same thing.

I'm assuming that everyone who is interested in this has read and maybe even owns some "Throwing Stones". IF you have not, there are some ideas there that are very pertinent.

Lesse:
------
Handguns (gun, gun, aim, dodge, click, reload)
Revolvers (gun, click, aim, dodge, click, reload)

Hmmm. To balance automatics and revolvers, one of the Gun sides on the automatic should be relabeled "Jam". The main advantage touted about revolvers is that they cannot jam. "Jam" means that instead of needing a reload, that you need a "Gun" to clear it (or something cooler).

For small versions of both types, substitue another dodge for the aim.
------
Submachine guns (gun, gun, gun, dodge, click, reload)
Shotguns (gun, gun, click, dodge, click, reload)

Reverse these two. SMGs are always running out of ammo (due to autofire), and shotguns do more effective damage.

Also, replace one gun on the Shotgun with Spread, and one gun on the SMG with Full Auto. No, I don't know what they do yet. Anyone?

Mike

Bailywolf wrote:

Adding Fight dice make a really good progression for fighter power... and by reinterpreting what the dice mean, you can get into some really cool and cinematic combat very very quickly and easily- no screwing around, lets rumble.

Bailywolf wrote:

Also, I'm just a little hazy one one point- are you going to actualy provide the dice themselves, or decals to afix to normal d6-ers? I'm all for the dice myself- my little sticky lables keep peeling off.

Bailywolf wrote:

I was watching some Zatoichi eariler in the week- one of my fave samuri movie series- and I though of Cookie Fu- for a chambara-style swords-n-yakuza style samuri game.

You could even produce generic Fight Dice (though with your Five Rings/Elements for RR it looks like you already have).

Bailywolf wrote:

I have to be honest- the only thing I have any reservations thusfar aboutt he system is the overt comic overtones- cookie fu, ramen raiders... will your expansions be more "serious" (excluding knuckknuck the genera embraces itself)?

Mike Holmes wrote: I'm assuming that everyone who is interested in this has read and maybe even owns some "Throwing Stones". IF you have not, there are some ideas there that are very pertinent.

Lesse:
------
Handguns (gun, gun, aim, dodge, click, reload)
Revolvers (gun, click, aim, dodge, click, reload)

Hmmm. To balance automatics and revolvers, one of the Gun sides on the automatic should be relabeled "Jam". The main advantage touted about revolvers is that they cannot jam. "Jam" means that instead of needing a reload, that you need a "Gun" to clear it (or something cooler).

For small versions of both types, substitue another dodge for the aim.
------
Submachine guns (gun, gun, gun, dodge, click, reload)
Shotguns (gun, gun, click, dodge, click, reload)

Reverse these two. SMGs are always running out of ammo (due to autofire), and shotguns do more effective damage.

Also, replace one gun on the Shotgun with Spread, and one gun on the SMG with Full Auto. No, I don't know what they do yet. Anyone?

Mike

Frankly, good old d6ers are cheep as hell- I have a big ass beer stien full of them on my computer desk- and increasingly thay have become my fave die type. cheep and so so so so available. Perhaps is you could produce sheets of VERY sticky plasticy decalls? I would be entirely happy with something like this if they can hold up to some abuse.

It also allows for more dice customization- you could actualy make those gun dice fit the kind of gun you are using.

On a side note, what if instead of using differing/more/less dice for guns, just allow the kind of gun (or sword or spear) to Tweak the dice you get to roll- this keeps kickass-ness right in the lap of the character, not the weapon. If I have 3 Gun dice and I've got a pair of baretta's cocked and loaded, and I'm facing a goon with only 1 dice using a machinengun, the genera dictates I have the advantage because I'm a 3 die badass and he's a 1 die goon... the weapons are sort of secondary to the mad skillz of the weilder... here are some fairly random thoughts:

Weapons Tweaks

Big Hurt (does +1 damage w/ successful hit)
Extra Defense (free block)
Quick (reroll Initiative die if you loose)
Entangle (oponent looses a die next round)
Break (successful attack does no damage, but breaks enemy's weapon)
Penetrate (ignore 1 level of Armor)

Weapon Drawbacks

Slow (reroll Initiative die if you win)
Cumbersome (only useful every other round)
Dangerous (if oponent blocks all your attacks, you suffer 1 point of backlash)
Ammo (if you roll no strikes, your weapon is out of ammo for the fight)

Weapons offer 1 Tweak for free, but additional Tweaks cause a Drawback.

So:

Dagger (Quick)
Rapier (Quick)
Sia (break)
Whip (Entangle)
Sword (Big Hurt)
Bo Staff (Defense)

Great Sword (Big Hurt x2, Slow)
Barbed Whip (Big Hurt, Entangle, Dangerous)
Polearm (Defense, Big Hurt, Cumbersome)
Net (Entangle x2, Cumbersome)

or


Pistol (big hurt, quick, ammo)
ShotGun (big hurtx2, ammo)



Something like that.

Bailywolf wrote: Frankly, good old d6ers are cheep as hell- I have a big ass beer stien full of them on my computer desk- and increasingly thay have become my fave die type. cheep and so so so so available. Perhaps is you could produce sheets of VERY sticky plasticy decalls? I would be entirely happy with something like this if they can hold up to some abuse.

It also allows for more dice customization- you could actualy make those gun dice fit the kind of gun you are using.

On a side note, what if instead of using differing/more/less dice for guns, just allow the kind of gun (or sword or spear) to Tweak the dice you get to roll- this keeps kickass-ness right in the lap of the character, not the weapon. If I have 3 Gun dice and I've got a pair of baretta's cocked and loaded, and I'm facing a goon with only 1 dice using a machinengun, the genera dictates I have the advantage because I'm a 3 die badass and he's a 1 die goon... the weapons are sort of secondary to the mad skillz of the weilder... here are some fairly random thoughts:

Weapons Tweaks

Big Hurt (does +1 damage w/ successful hit)
Extra Defense (free block)
Quick (reroll Initiative die if you loose)
Entangle (oponent looses a die next round)
Break (successful attack does no damage, but breaks enemy's weapon)
Penetrate (ignore 1 level of Armor)

Weapon Drawbacks

Slow (reroll Initiative die if you win)
Cumbersome (only useful every other round)
Dangerous (if oponent blocks all your attacks, you suffer 1 point of backlash)
Ammo (if you roll no strikes, your weapon is out of ammo for the fight)

Weapons offer 1 Tweak for free, but additional Tweaks cause a Drawback.

So:

Dagger (Quick)
Rapier (Quick)
Sia (break)
Whip (Entangle)
Sword (Big Hurt)
Bo Staff (Defense)

Great Sword (Big Hurt x2, Slow)
Barbed Whip (Big Hurt, Entangle, Dangerous)
Polearm (Defense, Big Hurt, Cumbersome)
Net (Entangle x2, Cumbersome)

or


Pistol (big hurt, quick, ammo)
ShotGun (big hurtx2, ammo)



Something like that.