Wu Lang Ba Gua Gun ("五郎八卦棍")

The Yang family is a family legendary for producing great generals. Every member, down to the lowest servant and serving girl, was trained to take up arms in times of war. The heads of the household were no exception - indeed, the Yang family is well known for producing female generals, no mean feat in the chauvanistic social structure of ancient China. Of special note was the Yang family's heditary skill with spearwork.

Because of its great military reputation, the Yang family enjoyed tremendous political clout. During a period of particular turmoil, the Yang family was left with only its fifth son still alive from the constant warring in China - Yang Wulang. Envious officials took this momentary weakness to hatch a plot against the Yang Family by turning a young and weak emperor against the Yang family. Eventually, the emperor stood in inaction while the envious officials lead a coup against the family - and almost managed to exterminate it.

Yang Wulang survived the slaughter of his household, but was badly wounded and amnesiac. He escaped to Shaolin where his wounds were tended. The Shaolin monks, not knowing his true identity, took him in and taught him basic Shaolin polework. Wulang, a prodigy in martial arts, and already proficient in the Yang family style of spearwork, developed and improved on the basics of Shaolin polework by incorporating Yang family spearwork and taoist principles of mutability into his new technique - Wu Lang Ba Gua Gun.

Yang Wulang eventually regains his memory, rallies the surviving members of his household and cuts a bloody swath through his enemies with this newly developed technique. Since then, the Yang family has had close relations with Shaolin and both the Yang family and Shaolin have had access to this great skill - though only a few of the most talented disciples on both ends have been able to master this skill.

1st Dot

The user gains a "pool" of dice equal to his rank in this technique. At the beginning of a turn, before initiative is rolled, the user may allocated dice in the "pool" in the following manner:

1 dice = +1 attack or armour
1 dice = +2 initiative, speed or additional effect.

2nd Dot

The user gains 2 pool when the user makes five successes in an attack roll against an opponent, or when an opponent botches against the user, for the next turn only.

3rd Dot

At the beginning of the turn, before intiative is rolled:

The user may give up 3 "pool" dice to make an additional attack at full pool. This attack may be declared against any target.

The user may give up 3 "pool" dice to negate the first success on every attack made against him this turn.

4th Dot

The user gains 1/2 technique rounded up for pool and techique dots in Occult (Zhen Fa).

5th Dot

At the beginning of the turn, before intiative is rollled:

The user may give up 5 "pool" dice to make an attack against every target within a five foot radius around him.

The user may give up 5 "pool" dice to negate 3 successes on the first successful attack against him this turn.