Chinese RPG Reviews

Published by

Isaac

August 21, 2023

I’ve been listening to these Chinese history podcasts and it’s got me on the hunt for a good Chinese RPG system. Roleplaying games seem to have not penetrated into the Chinese market for whatever reason. There’s no locally made ones that I was able to find with a few hours of Googling. Additionally, few translations are made into Chinese of RPGs produced outside of the country. It seems like “pen-and-paper” RPGs are an exclusively Western phenomenon.

So there’s no authentic Chinese RPG system, but what about inauthentic? What have my white, culturally appropriating brothers and sisters made for roleplaying in games inspired by Chinese culture and myths?

Well, I’ve made a list of what’s available and I’m going to investigate what’s out there.

For existing systems with Chinese inspired settings there are:
Pathfinder’s Jade Regent Adventure Path
Palladium’s Mystic China
GURPS’s China
D&D 1st Edition’s Oriental Adventures
D&D 3rd Edition’s Oriental Adventures
World of Darkness’s Blood and Silk
2d20 Conan’s Khitai
Rifts’ China World Book 24 and Book 25

For systems designed with a Chinese flavor we have:
Legends of Wulin
Qin, the Warring States
Weapons of the Gods
Flying Swordsmen
Righteous Blood, Ruthless Blades
Jadeclaw
Feng Shui 2
Swords of the Middle Kingdom

There are a couple things I’m looking for in a system. I want it to have good integration of the five element system of China (Earth, Fire, Metal, Water, Wood). I want it to have some Zodiac stuff. If the system doesn’t fully incorporate Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism, I’d at least appreciate the cultural aspects of the three ways being respected. Finally, I want it to be fun.

I’ll be reading these rule sets and posting my thoughts here. Who knows? If I don’t find the right system for me, maybe I’ll make another one myself!

9 responses to “Chinese RPG Reviews”

Jade Regent PF1E Adventure Path Review Part 1 – GoCorral

December 23, 2024

[…] preface this review by stating that I have only read the Jade Regent adventure path as research for my China RPG endeavor. I have NOT played through the adventure path as a DM or as a […]

Reply
Jade Regent PF1E Adventure Path Review Part 2 – GoCorral

December 30, 2024

[…] preface this review by stating that I have only read the Jade Regent adventure path as research for my China RPG endeavor. I have NOT played through the adventure path as a DM or as a player. If you’re interested in […]

Reply
Jade Regent PF1E Adventure Path Review Part 3 – GoCorral

January 6, 2025

[…] preface this review by stating that I have only read the Jade Regent adventure path as research for my China RPG endeavor. I have NOT played through the adventure path as a DM or as a player. If you’re interested in […]

Reply
Jade Regent PF1E Adventure Path Review Part 4 – GoCorral

January 13, 2025

[…] preface this review by stating that I have only read the Jade Regent adventure path as research for my China RPG endeavor. I have NOT played through the adventure path as a DM or as a player. If you’re interested in […]

Reply
Jade Regent PF1E Adventure Path Review Part 5 – GoCorral

January 20, 2025

[…] preface this review by stating that I have only read the Jade Regent adventure path as research for my China RPG endeavor. I have NOT played through the adventure path as a DM or as a player. If you’re interested in […]

Reply
Jade Regent PF1E Adventure Path Review Part 6 – GoCorral

January 27, 2025

[…] preface this review by stating that I have only read the Jade Regent adventure path as research for my China RPG endeavor. I have NOT played through the adventure path as a DM or as a player. If you’re interested in […]

Reply
Ruby Phoenix PF1E Adventure Review – GoCorral

February 3, 2025

[…] preface this by stating that I have only read The Ruby Phoenix Tournament module as research for my China RPG endeavor. I have NOT played through the adventure as a DM or as a player. If you’re interested in […]

Reply
Anonymous

June 15, 2025

I am a Chinese person living in China and have read all the China/Eastern-themed articles on your blog.

First of all, even within China’s domestic TRPG scene, the design of the Five Elements system remains incomplete, and absolutely no one recognizes the use of Five Elements as core attributes.

Secondly, my friends and I often use the Wushu supplement for GURPS to run campaigns set in ancient China (not GURPS China—Chinese players don’t really need that).

Additionally, I quite enjoy Book of Jade, the Tianxia supplement for Fate Core System, Righteous Blood Ruthless Blades, Weapon of the Gods, and Wandering Blades.

What Chinese players typically focus on isn’t the Five Elements, but rather combat mechanics that balance complexity and narrative flexibility.

Reply
1. Isaac
  
  June 17, 2025
  
  Thank you for telling me about your experience! I’ll take a look at the Book of Jade for Fate. I didn’t know they’d released a China supplement.
  
  I can understand why the Five Elements wouldn’t be a focus for Chinese players. The four elements within Western philosophy aren’t a central focus for many games in the West. The new Avatar Legends game and Legend of the Five Rings, but those are both more expansions of Japan’s elemental system instead of a real exploration of the West’s conception of the four elements.
  
  I’ve started writing my own RPG that focuses on the Five Elements. It should have complex combat with narrative flexibility just like you mentioned. I hope you’ll give it a try once I’m further along on it!
  
  Reply

I’m Isaac

Welcome to the GoCorral website! I’m Isaac Shaker and this is a place for me to write about D&D and occasionally other topics. I host a podcast called Setting the Stage that interviews different DMs about their campaigns. I’m currently focused on completing the Cimmeria campaign setting and turning it into a book.

Setting the Stage Podcast

77 – KPop DnD Hunters (Dan and Idols of the Neon Dark) – Setting the Stage, Campaigns for D&D and Other RPGs

Dan talked with me about his Kickstarter campaign, Idols of the Neon Dark. It's a D&D 5e supplement that tries to bring the fun and atmosphere of K-pop to Dungeons and Dragons. The media frenzy around KPop Demon Hunters inspired Dan to create a product based on the musical genre that his young daughters could enjoy with him.Idols of the Neon Dark contains an Idol character class to represent the teamwork and coordination of K-pop groups. Alongside the Idol class there's a setting called Lumenica City. The city is an undeground haven of neon lights, skyscrapers, and music. There's campaign for levels 1-6 and a bunch of side adventures as well to place within Lumenica City or your setting of choice.You can support Idols of the Neon Dark on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrenegade-dan/k-pop-5e-hunters-shadows-of-the-neon-darkIdols of the Neon Dark Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/SREMffsEGWIdols of the Neon Dark Playtest Materials: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CqyORb1gD6blKjSvRlPFzO-n9cj6QI68?usp=drive_linkPAX East Playtest Schedule. BOOK NOW! These are in March! https://www.projecthedron.com/events/697b8b2a040ec653b52091b6/sessions?search=name_li_Idols__nd__associatedEventId_eq_697b8b2a040ec653b52091b6&advSearch=true&page=1UKGE Playtest Schedule: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/ukge-idols-of-the-neon-dark-free-play-test-4817224Dan also runs a marketing business for Kickstarters that you should check out if you're thinking of launching your own crowdfunding campaign. Look at how well it worked for Idols of the Neon Dark! https://wrenegadecrowdfunding.com/Our website: https://gocorral.com/stsWant to be on the show? Fill out this survey: https://forms.gle/U11TbxtAReHFKbiVAJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/Nngc2pQV6CSupport the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SettingtheStage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.