Wandering Blades

Lethal Melodrama in an Old-School Tabletop RPG Package!

Wandering Blades is a roleplaying game of violent, martial arts melodrama for 2-5 players. In this game, players take on the roles of highly skilled martial artists who wander the lands seeking to redress wrongs, help the downtrodden, and free the innocent from oppressive forces. Using a streamlined system inspired by old-school renaissance products, Wandering Blades enables dynamic and lethal combat while empowering players to tell heroic and melodramatic stories inspired by Chinese wuxia media, Hong Kong action cinema, Japanese animation, and action video games.

Gorgeous Tabletop Violence

Daniel Kwan designed Wandering Blades gameplay to emulate the cinematic language and tempo of wuxia action cinema and contemporary action video games, using these guiding principles:

Danger is Everywhere — The world of Wandering Blades is full of danger, and the smallest mistake can be deadly. The weapons and martial arts techniques wielded by player characters are instruments of death, but so are those of their adversaries.
Old-School Principles — The system of Wandering Blades is designed to create a gameplay experience that is open-ended, challenging, and supportive of emergent narratives. Players are encouraged to discover solutions within the game world, not on their character sheet.
Skillful and Dynamic Combat — Fights in Wandering Blades are designed to feel stylish, fast, and compelling. Success in combat relies heavily on skill instead of luck. The martial arts skills of each class are not only narratively unique but are expressed as such through their game mechanics.
Toolbox Experience — The rules in Wandering Blades are written as guidelines for GMs (game masters). They are open to player interpretation, ingenuity, and expansion.

Wandering Blades Features

No skills — characters rely on their attributes to solve problems
3 unique character classes inspired by wuxia character archetypes - youxia (knight errant), outlaw, and scholar
Easy to learn, yet tactical rules for dynamic and lethal martial arts combat
Comprehensive procedures streamlined for ease of use to help emulate the narrative elements of heroic martial arts fiction
Superhuman martial arts strengthened by inner qi
Guidelines to help craft wuxia stories
Sandbox adventures inspired by classic martial arts media

What People Are Saying

“The combat system in Wandering Blades is an absolute blast, combining strategy and seamless action for an electrifying experience! It’s super intuitive for newcomers, yet packed with deep tactical choices for seasoned players. Every fight feels like an epic showdown, with martial arts techniques and dynamic actions that keep you on the edge of your seat. Get ready for fast-paced, skill-driven battles where every move matters and excitement is guaranteed!”

— B. Dave Walters (@BDaveWalters), Lead Developer of Into the Mother Lands

“The game’s experience is driven so powerfully by its mechanics, the feeling of playing a session is distinct in the character of gameplay. With such a strong sense of identity, it is clear Wandering Blades is created and designed with deeply rooted passions. Daniel is executing on an inspired vision, and I could not be more excited watching something come to life.”

— Jesse T. William, professional GM on StartPlaying with over 700 hosted games

“Wandering Blades is a beautifully written system and I’m especially excited for the use of the Keepsake and Reputation in play. For the GM specifically, it’s great to see that character advancement encourages interactions between player characters (making a GM’s job much easier!) Looking forward to seeing Wandering Blades fund soon!”

— Banana Chan (@bananachangames), award-winning game designer and co-creator of Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall

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