Best System for a John Wick Game

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Sep 19, 2021 2:49 pm
A friend of mine, who is a big fan of the John Wick franchise, wants to run an in-person game set in the world of the movies. What system do you all think is best suited to portray a vast criminal underworld, a neo-noir atmosphere, and fast-paced combat of all kinds? And by all kinds, I mean everything - martial arts, gun fu, sword play, improvised weapons, vehicular battle, mounted fighting, tactical K9 combat, etc. The ideal system would support large numbers of fighters and isn’t terribly complicated.
Last edited September 19, 2021 3:10 pm
Sep 19, 2021 2:56 pm
Feng Shui or Feng Shui 2 fits all of that to a tee.

Well, the neo-noir atmosphere isn't baked in.

For example, at the table I'd easily throw 30 mooks at the players and resolve their attacks in less than a minute. And the players would definitely be able to hold their own against such a mob, and be rewarded for interesting kung fu or gun actions.
Sep 19, 2021 3:11 pm
Qralloq says:
Feng Shui or Feng Shui 2 fits all of that to a tee.

Well, the neo-noir atmosphere isn't baked in.

For example, at the table I'd easily throw 30 mooks at the players and resolve their attacks in less than a minute. And the players would definitely be able to hold their own against such a mob, and be rewarded for interesting kung fu or gun actions.
Thank you. I’ve never tried Feng Shui but I’ll have to tell my friend about it.
Sep 19, 2021 3:13 pm
[ +- ] All Outta Bubblegum
Sep 19, 2021 3:34 pm
Goes to buy bubblegum...
Sep 19, 2021 6:32 pm
Very rules heavy and crunchy but Spycraft 2.0 is also a very good option for modern 'blockbuster movie' action.

Seuss
Sep 19, 2021 7:12 pm
I got a really good chuckle out of SURPRISE, FUCKER. Sounds like a blast.
Sep 19, 2021 7:22 pm
Constablebrew says:
I got a really good chuckle out of SURPRISE, FUCKER. Sounds like a blast.
Ditto! I've played All Outta Bubblegum, and that was loads of fun. Would be interesting to compare the two.

Speaking of interesting, I've always been curious about Feng Shui but never had the opportunity to try it. How easy is it to learn?
Sep 19, 2021 8:03 pm
Feng Shui is really simple. The basic mechanic is if you have a, set of base stats/skills each with what is called an Action Value. So if your AV for Martial Arts is 14, you roll 2 d6s (yin and yang), one positive and one negative, and those dice explode.

That result = AV +pos -neg is compared to the defense of your foe, with excess generating additional damage.

That's pretty much it. There is also an interesting shot clock initiative system where you roll initiative each round and faster actors act more often in a round.
Sep 19, 2021 8:56 pm
Qralloq says:
Feng Shui is really simple. The basic mechanic is if you have a, set of base stats/skills each with what is called an Action Value. So if your AV for Martial Arts is 14, you roll 2 d6s (yin and yang), one positive and one negative, and those dice explode.

That result = AV +pos -neg is compared to the defense of your foe, with excess generating additional damage.

That's pretty much it. There is also an interesting shot clock initiative system where you roll initiative each round and faster actors act more often in a round.
It does sound like an interesting game. I’ve been meaning to try it at some point.
Sep 20, 2021 2:34 am
Love the pointer to Surprise, Fucker! -- I'll be trying this one live, I think.

Will second Qralloq's Feng Shui recommendation, though I would temper his claim that it's a simple game just a little. The core of it is indeed sleek, but there's a fair bit going on on the character sheets and feat trees if I remember right, and the Shots initiative system can be a bit fiddly. (Basing my experience on FS1; have FS2 but have never read it.)

Also consider: Hollowpoint (don't know it but like the designer), Fate Accelerated (know it and love it), and maybe Wushu (have not played, have heard good things.). Savage Worlds could also work if tuned the right way, and I bet there is a good Lasers & Feelings hack...
Last edited September 20, 2021 2:35 am
Sep 20, 2021 9:19 am
I would second Feng Shui 2 if you want something mid-crunch.
The core mechanic is very easy and the other stuff has been streamlined from Feng Shui 1, but it's not a narrative system by any means. It is roughly on par with Genesys, or a bare-bones version of D&D 5e.

Character creation is very very easy with a ton of pre-made archetypes that you need only 5 minutes to customize and play

The stunts offered are beautifully in line with the John Wick style.
A stunt that gives you an auto-hit for the first attack after you enter or exit a moving vehicle.
A stunt that lets you get bonuses as long as you change weapon every attack.
A stunt that lets you pull out a bigger gun every time you are disarmed (you NEVER run out of guns).

it is cool and fun, if a bit old-fashioned as a type of system.
Last edited September 20, 2021 9:20 am
Sep 20, 2021 12:59 pm
I mean how meta do you want to be on the John Wick movies? Action Movie World is a PBtA game.

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