I Know Kung-Fu
This FU Hack helps you recreate the amazing action of the film The Matrix. It is assumed that all the characters were born batteries, and have the ability to enter and exit the Matrix. This game is based on The One film - it is a shame there were NO SEQUELS. Like the rest of FU, it is fast and loose and designed to cut to the heart of the genre. A lot of this is inspired by Steve Darlingtons excellent Matrix RPG, There Is No Spoon, which you must check out for a different approach to gaming The Matrix, and some excellent advice. Enjoy.
Creating Characters
All the normal character creation rules apply, with the following exceptions. Descriptors: Characters begin with a Body and Mind descriptor. The other two start as open slots that will be filled in play. These are how the character imagines themself within the world of the Matrix. Gear: A character may start play with 0, 1 or 2 pieces of Gear. A character might want a flip phone so they have instant access to their controller, but dont have to. Open slots will be filled during play. Goals: Characters have two goals, a Deal and a Fate. I took this straight from the brilliant mind of Steve D. A characters Deal is an immediate goal, something they must achieve, what drives them to action. You earn a FU point whenever you make significant gains towards accomplishing your Deal. Deals might be stuff like Finding the One, or Take down the Donald Trump program, or Keep my girlfriend safe. Fate is what the Oracle says is going to happen to the character. It should be general, vague, like something the Oracle might say. Ambiguity is the key, and self fulfilling prophecies are great. There is no guarantee that your Fate will come to pass. Your love will die in your arms, They will call you the betrayer, and You will bring balance to the Force are examples of Fates. When your actions bring you closer to fulfilling this prophecy you earn a FU point. A player might take specific action to cause this to happen, or a GM might set up a scene using a Fate as inspiration. Either way is fine, and earns the character in question a FU point.
Characters will begin play with only a few descriptors and either 1, 2 or no items of gear. Unused descriptors and gear slots can be filled during play. Descriptors: A character can fill an open descriptor slot by taking a short moment to download the skill. The Edge slots (those that begin play open) can only ever be filled with learnt skills or knowledge - Kung-Fu, jet fighter piloting and bomb defusing are fine, but handsome, strong or skinny are not. The Mind and Body descriptors can never be downloaded. Gear: A character can fill an open gear slot with any item of found gear. If they want a motorcycle, they can pull the rider off a passing bike and claim it as an item of Gear, noting fast motorcycle on their character sheet. If they break into the police station and find a shotgun, they can write that down in an empty slot. Less plausible items can be acquired too, but require the character to talk with their controller. They might request guns, helicoptors or forged ID papers and the controller will place them in a nearby or convenient location. Getting to these may be part of an adventure itself. Controllers: A character can contact their controller in order to access specialist gear. Also, filled gear or descriptor slot can be re-opened by contacting the controller. In this case, whatever was filling the slot previously is removed and is no longer available
Defining Descriptors and Gear in Play
to the character. You can speak to a controller to find Option: When a character exits the Matrix, set an out information about your situation and surround- egg timer. They cannot re-enter the Matrix (and probing - such as the location of Agents, or the layout of ably play) until the timer runs out. This represents the a building. Finally, you can contact your controller to vagaries of what is happening on the submersible. escape the Matrix. Contacting a controller requires access to a phone Adversaries - either a cell phone or a land-line and takes an action. To exit the Matrix or re-open a gear or descriptor slot AGenT you just need to use the phone and take the action - the Descriptors: Tough, Strong, Fast, Awareness controllers are pretty savvy and know what you want. Gear: Gun If you want intel on your surrounds, then you have to Conditions: Trapped, Out of Action have a conversaton with the controller. If you are asking for gear, then you need to articulate what you want, notes: Obviously, these guys are tough! Often and the controller will tell you where they are putting many of their descriptors will com into play at once. it - it will never just magically appear in the charac- To really beef them up, give each Agent 1 FU point to be used in the same way as characters. Spend a ters possession. point to jump from bystander to bystander.
Manipulating Reality
FU points allow a character to manipulate reality. All characters begin with 1 point, used in the usual manner. This point is refreshed each time the character re-enters the Matrix. Using FU points for bonus dice is the easiest way to simulate cool physical stunts and awesome Gun-Fu. Characters can also spend FU points on the following stunts. Re-Open Slot: Spend a FU point to instantly reopen any or all descriptor and Gear slots. Bullet Time: Reality slows down, allowing the character to see the situation clearly and take advantage of it. Spend a FU point and describe your cool manouevre. Double the number of Bonus dice you roll for an action. ONLY Bonus dice are doubled, not Penalty dice and not the basic die you always begin with. When a character exits the matrix they return to their physical body, no doubt aboard some type of dingy submarine. This game is not about playing in this world, but if you must, take note of the following: FU points cannot be used Both Edge slots must be filled immediately Gear slots can be filled as is appropriate Descriptor and Gear slots cannot be re-opened When a character exits the Matrix, any physical injuries they may have suffered in the alternate reality are healed almost instantaneously. Mental conditions can be removed when appropriate.
AGenT SmiTh Descriptors: Tough, Strong, Fast, Awareness, Overconfident Gear: Gun Conditions: Trapped, Out of Action notes: 3 FU points. Smith can spend FU points like characters. He can also spend them to jump into the bodies of Coppertops, and to multiply himself (one FU point for each doubling - 2, 4, 8). COppeRTOp Descriptors: Oblivious, and one other Gear: Gun OR knife OR nothing Conditions: Confused, Trapped, Dazed, Out of Action notes: Coppertops are all the unaware minds trapped in the Matrix - the cops, celebreties, drug dealers, bag ladies, farmers, soldiers, guitar heroes and business folk, to name a few.
Exiting the Matrix
Writing: Nathan Russell [Link] Art: from LPJ Design Image Portfolio 1.29 - Random Violence
This work licensed under a Creative Commons, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License This work pays homage to one of my favourite films. I am making no claim to product identity. Please dont sue me!
I know Kung-FU
Name
Body mINd edge edge Deal Fate
CoNCept
Description
gear
relationships
CoNdItIoNs
Angry Scared Tired Trapped Blinded Hungry Dazed Injured Dying
Notes
the odds
ROll ReSulT 6 Yes, and... 4 2 5 3 1 Yes... Yes, but... No, but... No... No, and...
FU
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