Mist Robed Gate
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Your life's work, uniting warring kingdoms under a banner of peace and prosperity. Your one true love, a blind musician whose entire family was slaughtered by mercenaries. Your integrity, healing your name from the blood and bruises of a violent, reckless youth. Your freedom, forbidden to you by your iron-clad place in a privileged, insulated world.
You can never have both.
-Back cover text
Mist Robed Gate is a 2008 tabletop roleplaying game written by Shreyas Sampat which emulates emotionally difficult kung-fu action, such as Wuxia and some more Melodrama-inspired anime. Mist Robed Gate games almost always swing between Tear Jerker and Kill'Em All. And, of course, Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting in every game.
The unique selling point, and central mechanic of the game is the "Knife Ritual", wherein a knife is uncovered, unsheathed, plunged into character sheets, and eventually held against players skin as hostilities in the game escalate. The game is wholly roleplay driven, with each character having one or more "Loyalties" and a "Quirk" that helps determine their actions. Each character also has a designated "Color" and "Weather", for aesthetic purposes.
The game also has an unusual focus on authentic Asian snacks and drinks to be consumed while playing, and a suggested filmography to study for inspiration.
It is available here.
- Bloodless Carnage: Characters cannot die in fight sequences until a victor is decided, and a killing blow is delivered, so fights can easily descend into this.
- Cherry Blossoms: A popular choice of setting, especially for a character with Pink as their designated color.
- Chewing the Scenery: As the outcome of fights is decided by the opinion of other players, this is a viable strategy.
- Color-Coded Characters: Players select a color to represent their character, and are encouraged to work that color into any scenes in which they appear.
- Cycle of Revenge: A classic plot hook to explain warring clans.
- Dinner and a Show: The sourcebook contains a number of Asian recipes, and references the importance of having snacks on-hand whilst playing, and so anticipates most games to be this.
- Empathic Environment: Each character has an associated Weather. When fighting, it is possible for this weather to be reflected in the environment.
- Feuding Families: When character's Loyalties are to their clans, expect this.
- Food Porn: Large chunks of the sourcebook are dedicated to recipes and tea preparation.
- Honor Before Reason: Characters' Loyalties are something that they are willing to die for.
- Improvised Weapon: Anything and everything in an environment can be used as a weapon.
- Nonverbal Miscommunication: When the knife is "sheathed" players are not able to make direct demands, and must rely on innuendo or facial expression, sometimes resulting in this.
- Off the Table: Much of the game's Knife Ritual involves offers and counter offers. Not accepting an offer earlier could easily result in this occuring.
- Secret Relationship: A possible consequence of conflicting Loyalties.
- She Fu: Female martial artists are likely to display some of these styles.
- Supernatural Martial Arts: The game has an emphasis on "wuxia" style combat that can often break into full-on supernatural.