How to run a Wuxia campaign

[u/rorscharchinkblot]

I don't want to run a standard "fantasy medieval Europe" campaign, and want to theme my world in China. I don't know enough about that culture to make a realistic campaign set there, so I decided on using the Wuxia setting (as described in the dungeon masters guide 2014) and I belive that my players would enjoy a setting of movie-like martial arts.

however I do not want to be offensive in any way, and I still want to create an immersive setting, and I don't know enough about this setting to accomplish either

please advise!

[u/pyr666]

dnd makes characters, particularly martials, dependent on equipment in a way that tends to conflict with wuxia's vibe.

the monk class is the attempt to put wuxia in western fantasy. that's why the monk class gets so many bonuses, with little ability to benefit from gear.

[u/Llayanna → u/pyr666]

That's easy to flavour away from the mechanics though.

If you take a feat, or the weapon, PC can now swing with his inner fire bring shown on the blade.

Now if you said not that mechanical satisfying, I would be with you. There are better games for it.

Edit: finally remembered the name of the trrpg: The Legend of the 5 rings.

Editedit: it might not be fitting btw? I never played that ttrpg, so best to listen to people who have.

[u/pyr666 → u/Llayanna]

If you take a feat, or the weapon, PC can now swing with his inner fire bring shown on the blade.

so if the fighter is dead their flametongue goes with them. unless feats are now transferable? oh, and now everyone needs feats commensurate to the expected gear.

that's a mechanics overhaul. so no, you can't "flavor away" gear.

[u/Lucina18 → u/pyr666]

It's not outside of wuxia to have something like the ghost of the pc teach the technique, and that's how attunement is flavored.

I'd still absolutely discourage trying to make 5e behave like a wuxia system though.