Ok, big BIG fan of Ars, big fan of Atlas, love OTE, think Nyambe's great, I just got Feng Shui. I'm over whelmed. I feel like the first time I read OTE. There's just to much info in the book. In addition to the book, I found three supplements that the previous owner wanted to get rid of cheap and bought those.

I'm just overwhelmed. Robin Laws can write an RPG! But where do I start? I've read the keep it simple opener and I get that, but I feel like a kid in a candy store. I want to toss everything at the PC's all at once. Help?

Chuck

Here's what I've done.

I started my group in 69AD juncture. Right now it's them vs the Lotus (but they aren't aware yet). I've got them going through against only Martial Arts, and will introduce to them the Lotus, Dragon, and Hand factions; magic; creatures; and FS sites one session at a time.

I wholly understand where you're coming with for OTE - I'm there right now, and moving slowly too.

Good Luck with your Fu.
Cheers,
Neil.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll likely mirror your plan.

Chuck

I sorta did the same thing but in modern day Hong Kong. My players are all in a department of the Hong Kong Police where they look into stuff that the cops can't figure out. Almost like X-Files Feng Shui style. Got the idea from the books Blowing Up Hong Kong and Friends of the Dragon. As the game went on I slowly threw in demons, magic, sorcerer and the Netherworld.
It's working out well.

I like this idea as well. I haven't started a game yet, I don't know when I'll find the time. But the more I read, the more I realize is there and it's still overwhelming. I had dinner with a friend recently and I tried to sum up Feng Shui, and I kept going, "Oh, then there's this...."

My friend is a big player of Kult, which at first glace might not seem like a game that could cross over. But the more we spoke about Feng Shui and Laws proposals on to get things started, "Start with a fight, keep the action coming, let the exposition (storytelling) occur as you fight or between fights. All of these elements were things my bud thought his Kult came could benifit from. Rather than spend 10 sessions suggesting something is out there, Bam! Hit them over the head with it!

For simplicities sake, I was going to start things in either 69 or 1999, simply so the characters can understand thier own characters (monks or cops most likely). From there I thought I'd started tossing one group at them at a time. Another thing I've sort of noticed in Feng Shui, is besides the Dragons, there really are no 'good guy' groups. I think this is wonderful. It's really easy to see why from a particular perspective group A is doing "the right thing". You to step back (into the Netherwords?) to take a look at things and then decide if you support a faction or think they are all messed up.

Anyway, my brother just got back from Afganistan so maybe I'll be able to pull together a gaming group and give this game a test drive.

Chuck

Hey, I'm just chiming in to emphasize what the other have said. To keep from being overwhelmed, just pick one juncture, maybe one Faction, and stick to it for a while just running some standard adventures. Then, when you're comfortable with the game mechanics and the player's PC quirks, start tossing in other factions and other junctures.

In my first game for my group, we started off in 1996 Milwuakee. The PCs weren't Dragons, just average guys. They stumbled onto a mugging in a park, and being good citizens, got involved and thwarted the mugging. They discovered that some criminals were trying to steal a newly acquired museum piece from a museum employee. They went to the employee's house, staked it out assuming the thugs would try again, and when the goons showed up that night, they had a firefight in a pleasant downtown residential neighborhood. Then the cops showed up, confiscated the statuette, thanked the PCs for being good citizens (after the museum worker vouched for them), and that was that.

To the players, it seemed like a simple scenario to try out a new game, and some new game mechanics, and fight some bad guys. They knew nothing about factions or time travel or magic or arcanotech or whatever.

Unbeknownst to them, they'd actually interrupted the Lotus' plans in the Contemporary juncture to steal a magic-enhancing idol, and they'd attracted the attention of the Pledged police force by interfering in the Secret War. So, they'd already become involved with two factions (earning the enmity of one of them) without even knowing it. I sprung that info on 'em later.

But just keep it small to start out. I didn't even allow any zany powers or archetypes the first time out. No sorcerers, monsters, ghosts, cyborgs, etc. Just your basic action-adventure hero types. That kept magic and fu schticks to a miniumum until we were all more familiar with the system.

For what it's worth.

Hey, where in Milwaukee? Do you live there? I live in Aurora IL but all my family lives in Milwaukee and I used to have a house on the corner of Oakland and Lafayette. Man do I miss Napoleons!

Chuck

That Sucks! Well BrewCity is fun. Sort of looking for potential players in the Miwaukee/Aurora zone. You think living next to Chicago I could find a group I like, but complimentary personalities is harder to come by than one might imagine.

Oh well, I guess I'll have to keep playing with the same guys I've gamed with for the last 15 years. Really, I shouldn't be complaining at all, they are all great friends. It's just becomeing interesting as we spread across the country and plan weekend vacations to game.

Chuck

Tell me about it. We have players in Boston, Virginia, and Florida, and we play in Pennsylvania. Our D&D group only meets about once a year now, when people come home for Xmas.

Oh, well. At least I play with some really cool people, when I do play.