My group was adamant about going to Japan and Fighting some Jade Courts. I obliged. I created Jade Court Vampires as a Viable PC template, and based them of of White-Wolves Kindred of the east.
Kuei-jin:Kuei-jin were once mortals who died with the burden of unfulfilled duties, or other strong binds similar to popular fiction Ghost anchors. Tortured in Yomi for their inadequacies in life, their souls successfully escaped and returned to their bodies. Now half-alive and half-dead, Kuei-jin must live by stealing qi from mortal victims to sustain themselves while trying to fulfill their duties. The most convenient form qi can be stolen in is blood, leading to their vampiric tendencies, but they cannot create new vampires
Kuei-jin are beings torn by inner conflict, and the themes of the game relate to this heavily. Unlike Western vampires, Kuei-jin are revenants and thus spiritual beings in nature.
Yin vs. Yang
The classic opposition of yin and yang are important to Kuei-jin not only for philosophical reasons, but because this dichotomy also delineates the two forms of chi they can potentially ingest. An imbalance of yin or yang chi in their system can lead to dire consequences. Yin-imbalanced Kuei-jin become corpselike zombies suffering from a lack of emotion. At its worst, yin-imbalance reduces a kuei-jin to a Hopping corpse. Yang-imbalanced Kuei-jin suffer wild mood swings and impulsive lusts for food, sex, and other forms of stimulation. Possibly the strangest consequence of yang-imbalance is the ability to have or sire children. Such children are called dhampyrs, and are mortal half-vampires.
Hun vs. P'o
A Kuei-jin's stint in the hells of Yomi divides the mind into two Hun and po parts: The Hun, or high mind, that is the seat of rational thought, and the P'o, or demon mind, that exists to satisfy its own base urges (usually at the expense of the Hun). Kuei-jin who stifle and contain their P'o utterly become cold, calculating individuals who lack any ideological spark; such stagnancy can be devastating when the weight of karma (spiritual consequences of actions) is on one's shoulders
Kuei-jin who give into their P'o end up crazed, unable to think of things beyond their base desires and have a difficult time balancing themselves
Mortal vs. Spirit
The Kuei-jin stand between the mortal world (which they can never fully return to) and the spirit world (which they cannot fully embrace). Many Kuei-jin struggle to find a balance between these two worlds that suits the precise nature of their Dharma.
Kuei-jin who fight off their spiritual nature end up unable to access their higher knowledge and a lot of the their supernatural powers, whilst those who give into them, end up lost within the spirit realm and possible the consequence of the loss of their place upon earth,
A Kuei-jin's existence is a quest for enlightenment. In their search for karmic resolution, different Kuei-jin follow different paths to ease their karmic discomfort. The Dharmas, five philosophies accepted by the greater Kuei-jin community as potential paths, each emphasize a particular aspect of Kuei-jin existence:
The Howl of the Devil Tiger: The Dharma embracing the P'o.
The Way of the Resplendent Crane: The Dharma embracing the Hun.
The Song of the Shadow: The Dharma embracing Yin.
The Path of a Thousand Whispers: The Dharma embracing balance.
The Dance of the Thrashing Dragon: The Dharma embracing Yang.
In addition to these primary dharmas, a number of Heretical Dharmas have also come into existence. Not accepted in Kuei-jin society, these paths nevertheless find some followers:
The Face of the Gods: A Dharma embracing both Hun and P'o.
The Flame of the Rising Phoenix: A Dharma embracing both Hun and Yang.
The Spirit of the Living Earth: A Dharma embracing both Yin and Yang.
The Tempest of Inner Focus: A Dharma embracing balance.
(you can explain the Dharma's further on your own)
To much YIN and your character become a hopping black-court. To much Yang you become a Raith like White court. To Much HUN your character becomes a high-ranking cold calculating chess master who has trouble understand emotions and base desires. To Much P'o and your character cannot understand why anyone doesn't just do whatever they feel like. To little spirit balance, possibility of your more powerful spiritual abilities being locked, to little mortality and you can lose your human body. MUSTS:
You must have a high-concept that states your Existence as a Kuei-Jin and your Dharma
(Dharma=See above list)
In addition you must have the following powers:
Qi Drinker[-1]
Feeding Dependency [+1]
At least one of: Inhuman recovery [-2]
Inhuman speed [-2]
inhuman strength [-2]
inhuman toughness [-2]
You must also take these:
Living dead [-1] Same as the rules in the book, However, it only comes into effect if you Yin is nearly maxed out (Within two boxes)
Hopping corpse
- When your YIN is fully maxed you cannot move your limbs beyond jumping with your amrs outstretched and must get to some yang food before you can return to normal
Emotional Vampire [-1] Same as the rules in the book, However, it only comes into effect if you Yang is nearly maxed out (Within two boxes)
Beast of Desire
- When your Yang is fully maxed out you give into your base desires and do whatever you want (Rape, murder, etc) just happen until you feed on some Yin balanced Qi.
If at any time a Jade Court takes to much Mortal, or Spiritual Stress and cannot be reduced (Ie, an attack against your Mortal Mind succeeds and deals massive damage and your consequence slots are filled up) You become a spirit again and are must take the Ghost form power if you do not have the refresh you become an NPCFor the Recovery and Toughness abilities, it's unclear how far the Catch goes. it often involves sunlight, fire, or holy stuff. This produces a Catch value from zero to +3 depending on the extent of the abilities and the breadth of the catch
Options:
You may take 1 skill related to the spiritual world (never Never powers, Ghost speak Etc) at a reduced discount of (Ie, ghost speak would be free, but WorldWalker would be -1 instead of -2) Provided your DM allows it, Your keeping it in line with your character and you have the refresh
This may only be accessed when your Mortal and Spiritual are in balance or close to normal (No more than 2 boxes from balanced towards mortal Ie, if you have 10 Mortal/Spirit tokens, and you use more than 2 Mortal tokens, Spirit is locked until you spend time to recover or do an action to fix it.)
You may also take 1 mortal stunt or creature feature (claws/fangs, similar things, no breath powers) power at a discount of -1 so long as your DM allows it it keeps inline with your high concept and you have the refresh
This may only be accessed when your Mortal and Spiritual are in balance or close to normal Unless it is a Mortal Stunt (No more than 2 boxes from balanced towards spiritual Ie, if you have 10 Mortal/Spirit tokens, and you use more than 2 spirit tokens, Mortal is locked until you spend time to recover or do an action to fix it.)
Important Skills: Fists, Discipline, Conviction, Presence,
Minimum Refresh cost [-5]
