John Carpenter may not be the first filmmaker that comes to mind as the creator of the dystopian future genre, but he came damned close. Films from his golden era set the tone for everything Shadowrun, including the addition of magic. Mr. Black will take you through 6 of his groundbreaking and iconic films, and illustrate what a GM can take from them and add to his or her game.
We are doing 6, in chronological order: We have covered Escape from New York, and The Thing. Now we cover one of Mr. Black’s all-time favorites, the true glory that is Big Trouble in Little China (BTiLC). Spoilers ahead, so grab your Six Demon Bag, and settle in. We have lots to cover…
(But before we do, Mr. Black needs to address an issue of cultural appropriation. There are some who have problems with BTiLC over its use of Asian culture. We will be looking at this movie and its applications through Mr. Black’s eyes, an angry Caucasian grognard. Mr. Black apologizes in advance for any anger and/or hurt he may cause, as that is not his intent. Dear Readers, you have been warned…)
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| “I’m a reasonable guy, but I’ve just experienced some very unreasonable things." — Jack Burton |
BTiLC places magick, specifically, “Chinese Black Magick”, into a mundane world. It is worth thinking about Jack Burton’s slack jaw as he is exposed to the magick. He and the other “Westerners” experience shock, fear, and true awe*. We as gamers are so used to magick in our games and entertainment, that it barely registers. But we need to remember it is rare. Channel Jack, Gracie and Margo’s fear and wonder, and apply it to the mundanes in your games.
Scares the drek out of Mr. Black! This is one of the few “Hollywood” movies that show us magickal martial arts. Embrace this! Adepts do not fight like a cybrawler or a street samurai. Channel Wang Chi at the wedding fight when describing the actions of enemy adepts when they start smacking your crew about. Describe their unnatural grace, their inhuman speed, the preternatural glow their limbs give off when Killing Hands or Elemental strikes are used. Facing a martial adept should be a frightening experience.
He is here to kick ass and chew bubblegum... BTiLC is often praised for the way it portrays Jack Burton and Wang Chi. It appears initially that Jack is our hero, but on rewatching it is Wang Chi who is actually our hero and our protagonist. Reflect on their changing roles, when you give time to let each character shine in your games.
There are 2 “warrior societies”, the Wing Chung and the Chang Sing in BTiLC. They are our stand-ins for the Triads in the trideo. Use them for interesting encounters. The Triads of Shadowrun should be full of low status gangbangers, cybered-up mid level members practicing various martial arts, and high flying masters of martial arts and physical adepts performing trust badassery. If they are just “Asian-looking guys” with guns, why make them Triad members? Use their uniqueness, create a special and memorable encounter for your players.
The Yellow Lotus are here to say hello... We get a good look at a “Chinatown”. We should remember it is more than just pagodas, guardian lions and out-of-place spirit gates. It is a living, breathing place, a home for immigrants. It is full of regular businesses, not just take out places and mahjong parlors. Tell your players about the smells coming from restaurants, the signage in various characters and syllabaries, the sounds of multiple languages (Mandarin, Cantonese, CitySpeak, and likely some sort of pigeon tongue), the bustle, people everywhere, most in Western or semi-Western wear, but some in traditional (more likely “reformed”) Hanfu or Tang style clothing. Use the differences (e.g., in the opening gang fight of BTiLC, one of the gangs wears white, the traditional mourning color of Chinese culture) as a reminder that it is a foreign place, but not alien. And depending on its size, walking tours (or ARo tours) would not be out of place, and great fun for GM’s (a running gun battle sidestepping tourists, people taking selfies with buskers in traditional outfits, gamers chasing special “Tomogatchi-Ko”** icons, hawkers peddling “real” “Peking Duck”, lion dancers, and wedding/funeral parties/parades? Sign Mr. Black up!)
The Three Storms.
What GM worth their salt doesn’t want to throw these 3 at their players? Even though good old Mr. Black’s trench coat is blacker than Vantablack, we still get chills whenever Lightning enters from the Heavens on his preternatural blue bolt. If you ever wanted to unleash the full magickal, mystical force of Shadowrun on your players, these three gentlemen are where to start. Don’t worry too much about stating them out. After all, if you haven’t drunk Egg Shen’s potion you can’t truly hurt them!
Never forget Lo Pan.
He’s never forgotten you! Not the truest face of evil. He is no Noah Cross. But he is a greater personnel threat. Need an ancient terror for your game? He is your man. Need a soulless murderous sociopath with money and local power? Lo Pan is your man. Need a smart dressing smack talking spellcaster capable of shredding your Crew? Lo Pan is your man! And do you need all of the above wrapped in a sympathetic goal, to regain his humanity? Lo Pan is still your man! Better yet, confound your players by blinding them with magick, sicing monsters on them, and condemning them to the Hell of the Upside-Down Corpses, all while doing your best kindly Mr. Ping impression!
And you were not put on this Earth to “get it”! - Egg Shen. Kindly old wizard, or eternal philosopher-sorcerer in the shenguai xiaoshuo*** tradition? You decide. Of all the strange events and beings in BTiLC, he just might be the strangest.
An American Legend And lastly, Mr. Black just wants it on record that James Hong is a Goddess blessed American treasure. Born in Minneapolis, served in the Korean conflict, with 142 films (and counting) and countless TV appearances. He embraces his ethnicity and his country of birth, and always entertains while doing it. In his 90’s, he teaches a new generation of AAPI actors, and doesn’t even have a star on the Walk of Fame. If anyone in the film business deserves an American Medal of Freedom, it is James Hong.
*an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime.
**Tomogatchi-Ko is a AR trideo game similar to Pokémon Go. Special areas of a city (or those willing to pay the designers a fee) have unique “battle gatchi” to capture.
***Shenguai Xiaoshuo is a traditional Chinese literature that roughly translates to “Gods and Demons”. It concerns immortal beings fighting each other. Has Egg Shen been waging his war a lifetime, or since the demon Lo Pan was cursed with “no flesh” centuries before… Mr. Black has more to say about mixing Chinese classics and culture with Shadowrun, but that is for another post.
Nice write up. But have you seen, Lo Pan Style? https://youtu.be/-xiAbDkXDgg
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