The Dalai Lama, and She Would Put Her Body Between Him and the Chinese If That’S What It Took
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the Role Playing Game monastic edition Author’s Note: In writing this game, I attempted to reflect the beliefs of the Tibetan people as accurately as possible. The beliefs of all kinds of people, from illiterate peasants to scholastically educated lamas were taken in to account. When I encountered two mutually exclusive beliefs, I chose the belief that had greater possibilities for drama and exciting game play. I have tried not to play “favorites” by casting any people or belief system in a good or bad light About The Monastic Edition The monastic edition is a pared-down version of Tibet the RPG. It contains everything a GM and players need to play Tibet the RPG, but it only contains information necessary to play monastic characters. In the full version of Tibet there is setting information, character creation options and GM information for playing several types of non-monastic Tibet characters, including Aristocrats, Ascetics, Doctors, Foreigners, Gesar Bards, Merchants, Mirror Gazers, Nomads, Oracles, Revenants, Savages, Sorcerers, Treasure Finders, the Unclean, Weather Makers, White Robes and more. The full version of Tibet the RPG also contains an introductory adventure not available in this version. To purchase the full version of Tibet the RPG ask for it at your local game retailer or visit www.TibetRPG.com. TIBET the Role Playing Game is published by Vajra Enterprises, Eureka California ISBN 0-9713095-1-5 Written and Designed by Brian St.Claire-King Cover by Samuel Araya Art by Lorie Albrecht www.albrecht-illo.com, Laura Dubuk, Jason Juta, Britt Martin, Martina Pilcerova. Playtested by Tiffany St.Claire-King, Gary Townsend, Chris Musgrave, Matthew Thompson, Jeffrey W. F. Walker, Candace “Macha” Walker, Eric Nakano, Katie Riley, John LaViolette, Diamond Charlotte, Nick “Eeyore!” Page Game Design Assistance by Tiffany St.Claire-King Editorial Assistance by Tiffany St.Claire-King, Nick Page and Diamond Charlotte Copyright © 2004 by Vajra Enterprises. All rights reserved under the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole without permission from the publisher. VISIT WWW.TIBETRPG.COM …The monk gripped her phurba, a tri-cornered ritual knife. She began to chant a mantra she had learned from ancient books in her monastery library. The deep, powerful tones echoed against the stone walls of the ruins. She could not see the thing, but she knew it was here. She could feel its terrible hatred and pain. She had been on her way to Lhasa. She was to have joined the crowds of refugees surrounding the Potala. She had heard disturbing rumors that the Chinese were preparing to arrest the Dalai Lama, and she would put her body between him and the Chinese if that’s what it took. Yet on her way she had come to a village where the spirit had attacked. Seeing the damage it had done, she decided that visiting Lhasa would have to wait. She had tracked the thing for weeks. She had traveled over freezing mountain passes, she had forged raging rivers, she had hidden from Chinese patrols. She had followed the trail of destruction and misery. When she lost the trail she had consulted village oracles and astrologers. She learned that this was once a simple spirit of the earth, before a Chinese mining operation drove it insane. Suddenly she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. The thing hurled a huge piece of the temple wall at her. She dodged, rolling and coming up in a crouch. She did not dare to let the mantra waver. Then she could feel the thing on her, its touch like a draft against her body. It looked for some weak spot where it could enter her and destroy her from the inside. The young monk continued the mantra and tried to concentrate on compassion. She tried to concentrate on the lifetimes of suffering the demon was earning. She tried to think of how much suffering she could prevent by ending this current incarnation. She lashed out with the phurba. She felt it lurch in her hand as it pieced the creature’s heart… Introduction Chapter Two: Character Creation ..051 Skills and Time ...............114 Warning......................................001 Women in Tibet......................051 Working Together............114 Table of Contents .......................003 Character Concept..................052 Books ..............................114 Tibet in Brief..............................004 Attributes................................053 Combat Skills..................115 Character Class ......................055 Magic Skills ....................115 Chapter One: Tibet.........................006 Dobdob...........................056 Non-Skills .......................115 History of Tibet..........................006 Kagyupa Monk...............057 Fighting..................................115 Origins....................................006 Nyingmapa Monk ..........058 In Brief............................115 Kingdoms and Empires..........006 Sakyapa Monk ...............058 Initiative ..........................115 Spread of Buddhism...............006 Yellow Hat Monk...........059 A Combat Round ............116 Dark Ages...............................006 Skills ...................................060 Mongol Rule ..........................007 Combat...........................061 Range ..............................116 Age of Imperialism ................007 Crafts..............................062 Resolving Combat...........116 Chinese Threat .......................007 Divination ......................063 Noncombat Actions.........117 Tibetan People...........................009 Exorcism ........................064 Modifiers.........................117 Ways of Life...........................009 Folk Knowledge.............066 Combat Actions...............118 Dress ......................................009 Medicine ........................067 Reactions.........................120 Customs .................................011 Scholarship.....................067 Projectile Weapons..........121 Transportation ........................012 Sorcery ...........................069 Fighting Non-Humans ....121 Martial Arts ............................013 Tantra .............................071 Weapon Specific Difficulties 121 Magic and Religion....................014 Travel .............................074 Improvised Weapons.......121 Cosmology .............................014 Weathermaking ..............075 After Combat...................122 Metaphysical Beings..............015 Money and Equipment........075 Combat Example.............122 Protection ...............................021 Animals..........................076 Enlightenment........................125 Reincarnation .........................023 Books .............................077 Medicine ................................024 Clothing .........................078 Chapter Four: Adventures..............127 Astrology................................024 Craft Tools......................079 PC Parties...............................127 Divination ..............................025 Food ...............................079 Holy Objects ..................080 Political Adventures...............128 Oracles ...................................025 Ceremonial Adventures..........130 Bön.........................................027 Magical Components .....082 Medicine ........................084 Mystical Adventures ..............132 Buddhism ...............................027 Magical Dangers ....................134 Tantra .....................................032 Miscellaneous ................086 Government & Law ...................035 Services..........................087 Creating NPCs .......................148 Geography..................................037 Weapons.........................088 Introductory Adventures ........151 General...................................037 Personality...........................090 Struggle Session.............151 Lhasa......................................037 Physical Attachments.....090 Central Tibet ..........................040 Self Attachments ............091 Glossary of Tibetan Terms .............156 Chang Tang ............................043 Universe Attachments ....092 Glossary of Game Terms................157 Eastern Tibet ..........................043 Bonus Characteristics..........093 Random Wilderness Encounter......159 Northeastern Tibet..................044 Advantages.....................094 Selected Bibliography....................160 Western Tibet .........................044 Disadvantages ................097 Tibetan Vs. American Cultures......161 Ecology ..................................045 Character Advancement......099 Quick Reference Sheet...................162 Chinese Threat ...........................047 Chapter Three: Rules .....................103 Character Sheet ..............................164 Chinese Communism.............047 Basic Mechanics ....................103 Map ................................................166 Invasion..................................047 Using Attributes .....................104 Chinese Presence ...................048 Health Attributes .............109 Resistance ..............................049 Armor ..............................110 The Dalai Lama......................050 Drugs, Disease and Poison.....111 The Coming Storm.................050 Skills ......................................114 Basic Skill Use................114 003 table of contents TIBET IN BRIEF Game Tone- The game takes place in 1959, a time of Geography- Tibet is a landlocked country in Asia, 1 great crisis for Tibet.