Chi (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

Chi embodies the inner power of living creatures, which can be channeled through disciplined practice. It focuses on self-improvement, the manipulation of inner energy, and harmony with your surroundings.

A Chi-user strives to become a paragon of virtue, embodying principles like compassion, justice, and courage. Through rigorous training, they learn to harmonize their body, mind, and spirit, using their inner energy to achieve physical and spiritual feats. They believe that mastery of Chi comes not just from strength, but from understanding one’s place in the natural and social order.

At the same time, a Chi-user aspires to transcend worldly concerns, achieving a state of effortless action and balance. By cultivating humility and detachment, they align themselves with the flow of the universe, using their powers to restore order and protect the innocent without succumbing to ego or ambition.

Chi-users and Ninja are opposite sides of the same coin, with Chi embodying the Yang to the Ninja's Yin. Both traditions emphasize self-mastery but differ greatly in their philosophies and codes of honor. Chi exemplifies ideals, acting openly within society with honor and clarity, while Ninja conceal their intentions, embracing subtlety and inner harmony.

Touchstones: Wang Chi (Big Trouble in Little China, 1986), Wong Fei-hung (Once Upon a Time in China, 1991), Li Mu Bai (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000), Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender, 2005–2008).

Trauma Condition—Inner Peace

Chi is the vital life energy that flows through all living beings, mastered by only a select few through discipline and practice. To utilize chi effectively, one must maintain inner peace and freedom of movement. Powers that affect only you or creatures you touch, including enemies you attack with your bare body, gain improved position. Powers used while carrying a medium or heavy load and powers used at a distance longer than five times your tier in meters suffer reduced effect.

Special Abilities

1. Armed Might (Harmony of the Forge): A melee weapon attack channels your chi through the weapon, as though you touched the target directly. You do not suffer reduced effect when wearing a medium or heavy load. This improves Trauma Condition—Inner Peace (see above).
2. Challenge (Heaven’s Mandate): When you confidently challenge a specific opponent, there is a brief lull in the battle. Select one: conversation is possible—there is a pause while you duel—everyone else has time to run away.
3. Champion (The Stone Stands): You may expend your Special Armor to resist consequences of an enemy attack or to push physical actions.
4. Chi Healing (Breath of Life): Through your disciplined training, you recover from harm faster. Permanently fill in two of your healing clock segments. You can spend 2 stress to instantly make a healing roll using your Skirmish, with no other bonuses.
5. Daredevil (Tiger’s Leap): When you roll a desperate action, you get +1d to your roll.
6. Flash of Experience (Echoes of the Master): Spend 1 Stress to draw on your teachings to gain Assistance (+1d) in a flashback. Make a gather information roll as part of this flashback.
7. Limit Break (Transcendent Body): You can push yourself to do one of the following: perform a physical feat that transcends normal human limits—engage a gang at your scale (p 211) on equal footing—deliver an unarmed attack that is potent and bypasses armor and abilities that reduce harm.
8. Powers: Air, Animal, Barrier, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, and Water.

Challengers

˄ ˅ Daiyu, a martial artist.

˄ ˅ Jian, the wandering healer.

˄ ˅ Kazuo, the shadow.

˄ ˅ Lin, master of flowing chi.

˄ ˅ Yun Wei, heir to power.

Inventory

☐ or ☐☐ Potent melee weapon.

◯ Medicine Bag.

☐ Light Camping Gear.

☐ Scroll.

• Potent Weapon ☐ or ☐☐: A Peach wood sword or other spiritual weapon imbued with spiritual energy, potent against the supernatural. Certain creatures take less or even no damage from mundane weapons. This can be either a hand ☐ or heavy ☐☐ melee weapon.
• Light Camping Gear ☐ Personalized bedroll, cooking pot, tarpaulin, fishing line, snares. Allows one downtime action when roughing it. No effective rest without camp gear. Playbook
• Medicine Bag ◯: A bag of medicinal herbs, giving +1d on healing rolls to anyone you use it on. Playbook.
• Scroll ☐: A scroll showing a secret martial arts technique. Allows a single use of a power available to your playbook but not known to you. Consumable, Playbook.

XP

• Every time you roll a desperate action, mark xp in that action's attribute.

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 xp (in your playbook or an attribute) or 2 xp if that item occurred multiple times.

• You addressed a challenge with prowess or harmony.
• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
• You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

Starting Actions

Prowl 1

Skirmish 2

4 points by choice, no higher than 2 in any one.