TEXT: written by steve long • artwork by eris dornaus 
  Ah so, noble guest. You do my shop great honor with your 
  august presence. What's that you say, gwei/.o? You don't want any 
  of my fine herbs and powders? Then why are you here? 
  Hexagrams! What you say, hexagrams? Ancient Chinese secrer.s! 
  I know nothing of such things! Hmmm, that is a very large bag of 
  money, honored guest. Perhaps 1 do know something of what you 
  seek ... 
  ancient chinese secrets 
  We Chinese have always known about magic. For many 
  thousands of years, we have practiced arcane arts such as 
  reading the I Ching, or Book of Changes, to tell fortunes; 
  arranging the feng shui of a building to bring luck and 
  prosperity to those who live there; and ming sun, the art of 
  reading the future in the stars. Chinese wizards - fang-shih, in 
  our tongue - were using potent magic when your honored 
  ancestors were wearing furs and living in caves. 
  But our magic, like Western magic, was a chancy thing. 
  Sometimes it worked perfectly, but more often, it did not; 
  until 1863. In that year, sorcerers all over China began to 
  notice that their powers worked correctly, most of the time. 
  The first to take advantage of this were the wizards aiding 
  the Taiping Rebellion, in which my countrymen were 
  attempting to cast off the yoke of the cursed Qing Dynasty 
  and restore the true Chinese emperor to the throne. The 
  Rebellion had nearly been crushed by the Qing army when 
  the newly-awakened powers of the fang-shih breathed new life 
  into the struggle. But the fang-shih of the Qing (may dogs sleep 
  on their graves!) learned quickly. By 1868 they had ended the 
  Rebellion once and for all. Many of us who fought in the 
  rebellion fled here, to the great Mountain of Gold, in search 
  of fortune and refuge. 
  All fang-shih gained much knowledge from the battles of 
  the Taiping. We learned how to throw the I Ching to do more 
  than just tell fortunes. In truth, our honored ancestors were 
  wiser than we knew, for within the Book of Changes and 
  otl1er ancient texts were instructions for casting many 
  powerful spells. Slowly, surely, we have learned much of their 
  wisdom, but undoubtedly more remains. We call our powers 
  volume vii • number iv 
  "hexagrams,'' after the hexagrams of the I Ching. 
  Teach them to )'Ou! I cannot just snap my fingers and poof! 
  you are fang-shih! It takes years of learning - and more 
  enlightenment about the ways of the world than a Westerner such 
  as you will ever possess. 
  Oh, all right, if you insist. .. 
  learnin ' hexagrams 
  In order to learn hexagrams, a Deadlands character must 
  take the following steps. 
  • First, he's got to find a teacher. Most fang-shih will only 
  teach other Chinese, so if you're a round-eyes, good luck. 
  Contrariwise, fang-shih need special teachers (and arcane 
  background: huckster) to learn ordinary hexes, if they ever 
  deign to use them at all. 
  • Second, the character must take the Edge, arcane 
  background: fang-shih, and the Aptitude, academia: Chinese 
  occult lore. Without this Edge and Aptitude, he can't learn 
  the deep mysteries of Chinese sorcery. 
  • Third, the character must take the Edge, enlightened, 
  which is described on page 9 of the Field Report #325 
  booklet in the The Great Maze boxed set. Under the rules 
  there, only a character with martial arts training can buy 
  that Edge, but characters with arcane backgroimd: fang-shih 
  should also be allowed to buy it. 
  • Fourth, the character must buy the Ch'i Aptitude 
  (FR325, page 15). fang-shih characters use all rules from 
  FR325 to determine how many Ch'i Points they have and 
  how they are regained. 
  The cost for hexagrams is the same as that for hexes - one 
  point per level of skill, just like Aptitudes (though of course 
  they cost more when bought with Bounty Points). 
  Got all that? Then you're set! 
  castin ' hexagrams 
  Hexagrams aren't cast with playing cards like ordinary 
  hexes are. That wouldn't be very Chinese, now would it? 
  Instead they're more like Ch'i powers from The Great Maze. 
  A fang-shih draws the power he needs to cast his spells directly 
  23 
  
  from the Hunting Grounds by means of intense physical and 
  mental discipline. His powers are more akin to those of a 
  martial artist or blessed than a huckster or black magician -
  in fact, fang-shih are often considered to be "holy men" and 
  may be devourly religious. 
  To cast a hexagram, che fang-shih rolls an Aptitude check 
  using his level in that hexagram and the die type for the Trait 
  the hexagram uses. Ifhe gets at least one Onerous (7) success, 
  the hexagram works as described (with possible additional 
  effects if raises are rolled); otherwise it fails. If the fang-shih 
  goes bust when rolling his hexagram, he suffers backlash 
  because the energy of the Hunting Grounds disrupts his Ch'i 
  (use the chart in Hucksters & Hexes to determine the effects, 
  but substitute loss of Ch'i for any loss of Wind the fang-shih 
  would suffer). 
  The special effects of the various hexagrams are described 
  below. When hexagrams are cast, the fang-shih's hands may 
  glow, or ghostly Oriental spirits may whirl around his body, or 
  lightning may arc from his hands. The use of hexagrams is 
  usually pretty obvious (even glaringly so) - fang-shih cannot 
  hide their powers. Chinese people are far more accepting of 
  magic than Westerners, so at lease among their own people 
  fang-shih have less need to hide. Outside of the Chinese 
  camps and ghettos, a fang-shih would be well-advised to keep 
  his marvelous powers to himself. Some folks in the Weird 
  West are a bit spooked these days, and using hexagrams just 
  might lead to a necktie party if the f ang-shih is not careful. 
  the hexagrams 
  Here are the hexagrams themselves. The descriptions are 
  the same as those in Deadlands and Hucksr.ers & Hexes, except 
  that "Hand" is replaced by "Cost," meaning the basic cost in 
  Ch'i to cast the hexagram (like the "Activation Cost" ofCh'i 
  Powers). Additional Ch'i can sometimes be spent to increase 
  the duration or effect of the hexagram (similar to the 
  "Maintenance Cost" of Ch'i Powers). 
  beans into men 
  Trait: Knowledge 
  Cost: 6 
  Speed: 2 
  Duration: l round/hexagram level 
  Range: 10 yards/hexagram level 
  Tiny beans can overcome the strongest men. 
  If you don't feel like eatin' your dinner, maybe it can help 
  you in a fight! This hexagram will tum one or more beans 
  (any kind) into men who can fight for the fang-shih. The men 
  are shambling mockeries of life, equivalent to the Watkin' 
  Dead (Deadlands, page 200). If the hexagram succeeds, one 
  bean-man is created. For each raise, an extra bean-man is 
  created. 
  breath of cheng lun 
  Trait: Spirit 
  Cost: 3 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: Instant 
  Range: 20 yards/hexagram level 
  Cheng Lun's breath more powerful than breath of typhoon. 
  Folks are going to think you're a walking lantern when you 
  24 
  dead/ands: hexagrams 
  use chis hexagram, but they're in for a little surprise, since 
  you're more like a cannon! The fang-shih snorts, making a 
  sound like a bell, and projects two deadly beams of light from 
  his nostrils. (Sure, it looks disgusting, but it works.) Thefang-
  shih must use his hexagram skill and Trait die type and roll to 
  hit like a gunshot against a Fair (5) TN, with no range 
  modifiers. The Breath does 1d6 damage, + Ld6 damage for 
  each raise. 
  breath of feng-lin 
  Trait: Knowledge 
  Cost: 3 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: 1 round/hexagram level 
  Range: 20 yards/hexagram level 
  Feng-Lin's Breath make fire seem puny. 
  Feng-lin's Breath creates a billowing cloud of thick 
  black smoke that keeps anyone within it from 
  seeing or smelling anything but smoke. 
  Folks outside the smoke can't see 
  smell anything inside it. The fang-
  shih 
  must 
  use 
  his 
  hexagram skill and 
  Trait die cype and 
  roll to hie like a 
  gunshot against a Fair 
  (5) TN, with no range 
  modifiers. The cloud is 5 
  yards in diameter if the 
  hexagram succeeds, + 1 
  yard in diameter for 
  every raise rolled. The 
  smoke will disperse 
  quickly in wind or 
  rain, so use it wisely. 
  i ching 
  Marshals may wish to ask players to buy a 64-tile sec of the 
  Ching and 
  role play the process of deciphering its 
  revelations, with a lengthy sub-plot of enigma hunting and 
  whimsical interactions. For a cheaper alternative, players 
  might just bring some fortune cookies to the game, and break 
  one open evety time they need some wisdom. 
  Marshals should also be aware that by adding Chinese 
  mysticism to their Deadlands campaigns, chat they are mixing 
  the metaphysics of Eastern philosophies into a world 
  burgeoning co the gills with incongruent magicks. How will 
  the manicou of your world react when summoned by cards, 
  tattoos, holy symbols, and now a fang-shih's I-Ching? 
  SHADIS fifty-three 
  
  chinese magic in the weird west 
  celestial lotus of invulnerability 
  Trait: Spirit 
  Cost: 5 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: Can last l round for +2 Ch'i 
  Range: Self 
  The tranquility of the lotus surpasses all earthly easementS. 
  Wouldn't think a flower could srop buller.s, would you? 
  Well, this one can. To use it, the fang-shih must have a card 
  up his sleeve so he can interrupt another character's action. 
  He waits until someone tries ro attack him. Then he 
  "interrupts" and uses the hexagram ro cause a magical lotus 
  flower ro grow from his mouth and block the attack! The 
  lotus provides 1 point of Armor against all attacks, + 1 point 
  of Armor for each raise 
  -if rolled. The lotus 
  fades 
  away 
  • instantly unless 
  ~:::::~~::c~~-::!/-=:=~ ---
  ........ t 
  w 
  0 
  --
  ~':'ore 
  --.;:--....._-..::::..-"/___,,-;:::::::,..,,........_ 
  points 
  of 
  L:=:::::;::;::::k>--;;;:::::,,.---"-.::::::::::::::-
  -
  -
  Ch'i are spent 
  "' 
  "-
  to keep it alive 
  ~-
  ~~" 
  for the rest of the 
  row1d (in which case it 
  blocks all attacks made against the fang-shih that round, then 
  fades away). 
  the ears of chang tao-ling 
  Trait: Cognition 
  Cost: 1 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: Concentration 
  Range: 20 yards/hexagram level 
  A wise man does not always speak what he hears. 
  This Hexagram is identical to earshot (Deadlands, page 
  129). 
  ghost arrow 
  Trait: Spirit 
  Cost: 8 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: Instant 
  Range: 50 yards/hexagram level 
  May the spirits of your enemy's ancestors pursue you. 
  According to Chinese legend, arrows fired by angry ghosts 
  will pierce armor and break the target's back! fang-shih can 
  recreate this attack with the ghost arrow Hexagram. The 
  ghost arrow does 2d10 damage, plus another ldlO for every 
  raise rolled. 
  hua ren's mantle of fire 
  Trait: Spirit 
  Cost: 3 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: 1 round/Ch'i 
  Range: Self 
  Tigers and dragons walk through fire unharmed. 
  The Weird West's a mighty flammable place - dry and 
  filled with tinder. This hexagram helps a fang-shih who needs 
  volume vii • number iv 
  to protect himself from the flames. It provides Armor against 
  fire damage - minimum success provides 2 points of Armor 
  (reducing most fire damage to d8 instead of dl2). Every 
  additional Ch'i spenc beyond the base cost provides another 
  point of Armor and extends the duration for another round. 
  The caster must roll the raises for this. 
  hills to plains 
  Trait: Knowledge 
  Cost: 6 + (I/additional hour of effect) 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: 1 hour + 1 hour/raise 
  Range: See below 
  Mountain falls before water. 
  China isn't an easy place to travel in, so an old fang-shih 
  put this hexagram in the l Ching to make trips go a little 
  more smoothly. fang-shih in the Weird West have found it to 
  be of great use in their new homeland, which isn't any easier 
  to travel in. Hills to plains "evens out" the land in front of the 
  caster's current location for 1 hours' worth of travel, with an 
  additional hour for every raise rolled. (The hexagram doesn't 
  actually change the lay of the land at all, just makes it much 
  easier for the fang-shih to travel.) During this time any 
  method of travel the fang-shih uses, from his own feet to a 
  stagecoach (but not a train) can move at double its usual rate 
  because the going is so easy. If others are riding in the same 
  conveyance as the fang-shih, they get the benefit of the 
  hexagram as well, but anyone else travelling the same route 
  by any other means will not. Nor can anyone other than the 
  fang-shih see that the land has been changed in any way 
  (though a huckster using hex sense will be able to tell that 
  magic is being used somehow). However, a huckster using 
  home ground in the affected area can not only tell that magic 
  is being used, but knows the nature of that magic and can 
  take advantage of it (the fang-shih will know that he is doing 
  so). 
  Hills to plains automatically lasr.s for one hour when it is 
  successfully cast and the Ch'i cost is paid. When the fang-shih 
  casts it so well that it lasts for longer than one hour, they must 
  spend an additional point of Ch'i for every extra hour he 
  chooses to maintain the power. This hexagram only works in 
  unsettled wilderness areas; it has no effect in cities or towns. 
  invocation of the ancestors 
  Trait: Spirit 
  Cost: 3 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: lnstanc 
  Range: 20 yards/hexagram level 
  Do not shame your ancestors, for they have long memories. 
  In China, one's behavior can cause one's ancestors shame 
  in the afterlife. A good Chinese tries to avoid this - but he 
  doesn't always succeed. Most Westerners don't even know 
  they're supposed ro pay attencion to what their dead grand-
  pappies think about 'em. 
  This hexagram summons the spirits of the target's 
  ancestors, who will berate him for his failings, improper 
  conduct, and failure to worship them properly. Only the 
  affected character and the fang-shih can see these spirits; to 
  others, the victim will seem to be staring inco thin air (and 
  25 
  
  maybe talking to it or gesturing at it as well, 
  depending on how he reacts.) Unless the 
  character has led a good and blameless life 
  (not likely in Dead/ands, but possible; 
  Marshal's discretion), he must make an 
  Onerous (7) Guts check (there is a -1 to the 
  roll for every raise the fang-shih rolled). 
  Failure indicates that the character will run 
  away screaming, or break down and bawl like 
  a baby. Blessed with the Protection Miracle 
  may use it to defend against Invocation of the 
  Ancestors. 
  peach blossom star 
  Trait: Smarts 
  Cost: 3 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: Concentration 
  Range: 5 yards/hexagram level 
  Madness blossoms with the Peach Blossom 
  Sr.ar. 
  This hexagram is identical to mind twist 
  (Deadlands, page 130), except that the effect 
  is to lower mental Traits by one die type for a 
  success, plus an additional die type for every 
  raise the f ang-shih rolls, to a maximum of 
  three die types. 
  reach of chang tao-ling 
  Trait: Smarts 
  Cost: 2 
  Speed: 2 
  Duration: 1 round/hexagram level 
  Range: Self 
  Great men have long arms. 
  This hexagram makes the fang-shih's arms 
  suetch out. He can grab things which are far 
  away from him, and has +2 to all dimbin' 
  rolls made while this hexagram is in use. The 
  caster's arms stretch 1 yard if the hexagram 
  succeeds, + l yard for each raise rolled. 
  separating the soul 
  Trait: Spirit 
  Cost: 10 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: Instant 
  Range: 10 yards/hexagram level 
  When the soul is divided, the body cannot 
  survive. 
  This hexagram causes the the target's hun 
  and p'o (superior and inferior souls) to 
  separate, killing him instantly. Of course, this 
  will not work on targets that do not have both hun and p'o, 
  or whose souls are already separated; this would include most 
  undead creatures and certain hell-spawned horrors like Los 
  Diablos. If the fang-shih goes bust when he rolls his hexagram 
  check, he will suffer the fate he means to inflict upon his 
  enemy. Ouch. 
  Using this hexagram isn't exactly good for the fang-shih's 
  soul, either - messing around with peoples' souls isn't really 
  26 
  dead/ands: hexagrams 
  the province of mortals, if you get my drift. Whenever the 
  fang-shih uses it, he must perform rituals of awnemem within 
  24 hours, or risk the wrath of the gods. He also risks that 
  wrath if he uses separating the soul too often (Marshal's 
  discretion as to what amounts to "too often," but more than 
  once a week is definitely pushing it). If the gods decide co 
  punish the fang-shih, he will suffer bad luck (including -1 on 
  all rolls) until they feel he has atoned properly. 
  SHADIS fifty-three 
  
  chinese magic in the weird west 
  spirit of chang tao-ling 
  Trait: Spirit 
  Cost: 4 
  Speed: 2 
  Duration: 1 round/hexagram level + l round/additional 
  Ch'i spent 
  Range: Self 
  Duality is the nature of all things. 
  In addition to teaching himself how to hear through 
  another's cars, the great fang-shih Chang Tao-ling also learned 
  how to "lea\•e his body behind" and end his spirit forth to spy 
  on his enemies. This hexagram duplicates the Harrowed 
  ability soul flight (Book O' The Dead, page 52). The fang-shih 
  may extend the hexagram's duration by spending additional 
  Ch'i. If the fang-shih botches his hexagram roll, he has hurt 
  himself by improperly separating his body and spirit; the 
  backlash must be a type thac causes physical damage. The 
  Marshal should select an appropriate backlash rather than 
  rolling randomly. 
  thousand-weapons cloud 
  Trait: Knowledge 
  Cost: 4 
  Speed: 1 
  Duration: Instant 
  Range: 50 yards/hexagram level 
  Man ivich a thousand weapons can defeat army of a thousand 
  men. 
  This deadly hexagram evokes a Jark stormcloud that rains 
  weapons instead of water! Sword~. knives, spears, axes, and 
  other weapons come raining down over an area equal to 3 
  yards' diamater per level of che hexagram. Anyone within 
  that area takes 3d6 damage. For every raise rolled, the 
  damage's Coordination may be increased by one die, or the 
  area affected can be expanded by 3 yards' diameter (player's 
  choice). The weapons created by this hexagram fade out of 
  existence in the round after they fall. 
  makin 'fang-shih 
  Here are some new Aptitudes for f ang-shih characters. 
  chinese divination (i ching, ming sun) 
  (spirit) 
  Chinese wizards are well-versed in the art of predicting the 
  course of future events. This ApmuJe 1s how they do it. 
  There are no hard and fast rules for foreseeing the furure; the 
  Marshal has to figure out what happens based on the roll. 
  Generally, the more successes and raises the character gets, 
  che further he should be able to sec into the future, and the 
  more accurate his perception should be. 
  There are two Concentrations for this Aptitude. The first 
  is I Ching, which involves interpreting the trigrams and 
  hexagrams in the Book of Changes to predict the future. The 
  fang-shih u cs marked coins or stalb of the yarrow plant to 
  determme what trigrams and hexagrams will govern the 
  question he seeks to have answered or future he wishes to 
  fore ee. The other is ming sun, or Chine~e a~trology. 
  Predicting the future - sounds pretty powerful, doesn't it? 
  Well, it's not all it's cracked up to be, pardner. There are a 
  couple of reasons for this. First, it rakes a long time to get an 
  volume vii • number iv 
  answer - a minimum of one hour for the fang-shih to prepare 
  his hexagrams or charts, consult the proper reference works, 
  and determine the outcome and what it means - and the 
  further he wants to see into the future, or the more important 
  the undertaking he's inquiring about, the longer it takes. 
  During this time he needs to concentrate in an undisturbed 
  place, which isn't always so easy to find in the Weird West. 
  Second, Chinese Divination Joes not provide exact answers 
  to questions. Instead, it is more likely to indicate whether a 
  pamcular activity is propitious, or if good luck will follow, or 
  when's the best time to scan doing something. If a fang-shih 
  were to ask, "Can I use my I Ching to determine if there's 
  anything behind that door?" the answer would be, "No." 
  Chinese Divination just ain't that precise. The best he could 
  do would be to find out whether it would be lucky or unlucky 
  to npen the door, and that can mean a whole lot of things. 
  Third, remember - the future is not immutable; all is change. 
  The character's actions, or those of his friends, can easily 
  change the future he has seen. 
  feng shui (cognition) 
  Feng shui is the Chinese arr of arrangement and 
  placement of buildings and hou e . A fang-shih reads the feng 
  hui (also sometimes known as "dragon lines") to determine 
  the best place to build a hou e or locate a grave, then 
  counsels the owners on how to build and arrange their hou e 
  to best channel luck and prosperity towards them, and keep 
  evil spirits at bay. 
  As with Chinese Divination, the effect of having good 
  fcng shui are left up to the Marshal to determine. On 
  extremely good rolls, anyone in the house or building might 
  have luck o' the irish while they're mside, or any evil spirits 
  who enter the building might suffer penalties to any action 
  the) take. 
  With regard co fang-shih hexagrams, proper use of feng shui 
  may make them easier or harder co cast. In areas where the 
  fcng shui is helpful to the sorcerer, the Chi cost of the 
  hexagram may be reduced by l or more. lf the feng shui is 
  against him, it may be increased by 1 or more. 
  for further reading 
  Readers interested in finding out more about Chinese 
  magic, its "special effects," and the lore behind it, can consult 
  these books. 
  Chmese Mychs and Fantasies, Cyril Birch 
  A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, Wolfram Eberhard 
  Dragons and Dynasties, Yuan Ke 
  Mychs of China and Japan, Donald Mackenzie 
  An Encyclopedia Of Mych And Legend: Chinese Mythology, 
  Derck Walters 
  Mychs And Legends Of China, E. T. C. WernerQ) 
  A\~Ai~ ."'1~~.E · NO\\' 
  ;; 
  -~ i 
  ' ; ; 
  ~.'*'; 
  ' ·' . ;{~-
  . ~h .. ~~,~~ 
  -, · ~a 
  . "' 
  27 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Deadlands [multi]/Deadlands, classic/Deadlands - Classic - Hexagrams - Chinese Magic (Shadis Magazine #53).pdf