SWADE Xianxia Setting Rule

[ValhallaGH]

Savage Worlds handles Wuxia adventures quite well. High Trait dice, Edges, and the use of Gifted powers seems to encompass the super-human action of the genre with surprising ease for a game not written for the genre.

But there's the related Xianxia genre, where mortals begin the long path to immortality and godhead through meditation, qi development, and comprehension of tao.

I think the following setting rule would allow Savage Worlds to handle that genre.

The Long Journey
The path to immortality is long and difficult, but open to those that work hard enough.
The key to immortality is qi cultivation, show by the Focus skill of the Arcane Background (Gifted) Edge.
Each die type of Focus raises the maximum die type of all Traits by one step.
Example: A character with Focus d8 increases the maximum of all Traits by three steps.

Thoughts?

[Deskepticon]

Assuming all players have access to Focus, I like this. I think it captures the theme of the genre nicely.

[ValhallaGH]

Yeah, everyone has equal access to AB (Gifted) and Focus. Along with Magic & Miracles and all the crazy martial arts madness.
I'm thinking that the different powers are the techniques that do things that cannot be done, and the effective removal of Trait limits is how character can achieve truly superhuman abilities across the board, without the crazy power jumps of the SPC or an Iconic Framework. Heck, getting Master means the character has to stop Focus advancement for at least one Legendary advance since Professional requires the affected Trait to be at its maximum.

I also like the fact that you can never actually maximize Focus. Perfection is unattainable.

[paladin2019]

Is Professional even necessary with such a setting rule?

[ValhallaGH]

paladin2019 No and yes. It still increases the Trait and it's maximum by one, and is a requirement for Master. Getting a d10 Wild Die is always worthwhile.

[dentris]

Is focus increasing it's own maximum, meaning there is no upper limits to Traits, or do you want to limit it to d12+5. Both would work, honestly.

[ValhallaGH]

Focus is a Trait, so its maximum is also increased. Infinitely.

[Deskepticon]

As others have brought up, there is an issue when it comes to the Professional/Expert Edges. Professional explicitly calls for "the maximum possible" in the Trait. As you (ValhallaGH) mentioned, this would require halting progression in Focus for an Advance or three in order to bring the desired Trait to its max, and then select the Edge. Presumably this then "locks" that Trait from any further Advancement, as it has already reached its "maximum."

Another interesting quirk is that you can never take Professional /Expert /Master for the Focus skill since its maximum is always increasing with each die type invested. It might be more prudent, therefore, to just remove Profession/Expert entirely and alter the requirements of Master to fit better with the Setting Rule. Maybe taking Master can then "lock" a trait from further Advancement.

[ValhallaGH]

Presumably this then "locks" that Trait from any further Advancement, as it has already reached its "maximum."

Odd presumption, and not one I had made.
You can absolutely push a Trait to its maximum.
It is no fault of the skill that the maximum changes, and I don't see why a character couldn't progress to that new maximum as desired.

Another interesting quirk is that you can never take Professional /Expert /Master for the Focus skill since its maximum is always increasing with each die type invested.

I see this as a feature.

It might be more prudent, therefore, to just remove Profession/Expert entirely and alter the requirements of Master to fit better with the Setting Rule. Maybe taking Master can then "lock" a trait from further Advancement.

I'm not sure I see the advantage here. Can you elaborate?

[Deskepticon]

Odd presumption, and not one I had made. You can absolutely push a Trait to its maximum.
It is no fault of the skill that the maximum changes, and I don't see why a character couldn't progress to that new maximum as desired.

Of course not; I made the presumption.
Don't know why you see it as "odd" though. Professional requires a Trait to be at its maximum... if you can later increase the Trait through normal (non-Edge means) then the Edge becomes superfluous and redundant. It's only function would be to try for the Master Edge.

If you simply drop Expert from Master's requirement list and made it something like <Trait> d12+4, then it becomes a bit more intuitive, IMHO.
Alternatively, clarify the mention of "maximum" from Professional's requirement as the Trait's maximum BEFORE any adjustments from Focus.

[ValhallaGH]

Useful suggestions.
I think Professional and Expert are both useful for raising the current and maximum of a given Trait. Even if the current max is d12+8, having a d12+10 Fighting is still useful.

[Deskepticon]

ValhallaGH Ah, I see what you mean now! So in the event the character stops Advancing Focus, then Prof/Expert can still be used to push a Trait further. Now I feel a bit dumb.

Yea, in this case I think adjusting the wording on Professional's requirements to clarify what "maximum" means is all that's needed.

[steelbrok]

I like the idea and it seems an appropriate setting rule.
Given the desire to show the progress towards "enlightenment" would you consider removing the one trait advance per rank limit?
(I'd be minded to increase the rate of character advancement in this setting too to get more quickly to higher power characters.
I crosses my mind that this could be a substitute for using street level Rising Stars from the SPC

[ValhallaGH]

I considered it, but concluded that the current Advancement rules reflect the slow nature of qi development and personal growth pretty well. While certain breakthrough developments can cause a "level up" effect of universal improvement, I tend to view those as expending Advances on Attributes.
By the time the characters reach the upper tiers of power, they'll be deep into Legendary rank.