Kung Fu 2100

Design: B. Dennis Sustare (Bunnies & Burrows, Intruder)
Editing: Steve Jackson, Forrest Johnson
Art: Dennis Loubert
Publisher Steve Jackson Games

1-2 players.

Contents:
112 three color counters
16” x 21” rules sheet
10” x 21” color map
CRTs and record sheets
Ziplock baggie
(No die!?)

Back in the misty Dawn of Time (c. 1980) the publishers of the Space Gamer magazine (Metagaming's house organ) received several unsolicited drawings from artist Mitch O'Connell. One of these drawings depicted a shirtless Kung Fu master engaged in mortal combat inside a sophisticated Sci-Fi laboratory. The drawing didn't really fit any of Metagaming's current games and was nearly rejected. At the last minute it was decided to publish the drawing in issue #27 as part of a contest to describe the drawing in game terms. The winner would receive six issues added to their Space Gamer subscription.

Kung Fu 2100, B. Dennis Sustare's game design was not only good enough to win the magazine contest but was eventually published, first as a nine page magazine game in Space Gamer #30 then later that year as a full fledged boxed microgame by Steve Jackson Games (one of SJG's first three published games following the breakup with Metagaming). As a cost savings measure the counter sheet was uncut cardboard and the rules, map, CRT and record sheets were all printed on a single (large) sheet of glossy paper. Users were required to cut them out before play. Be sure to check out the box cover art depicting the desperate struggle in a high tech villain's futuristic lair, complete with dot matrix printer!

In KF2100's “far future” dystopia, immortal technocrats known as “Clone Masters,” rule with an iron fist. Through their exclusive use of advanced cloning techniques, the Clone Masters have achieved near immortality. Surrounded by hand servants and laboratory technicians in luxurious fortress lairs, the mighty Clone Masters have enslaved the rest of the Earth's population.

In response, the Society of Thanatos rose to combat the Clone Masters' oppression. To bring mortality to their technocrat overlords, the Society has recruited and trained “Terminators,”elite masters of the martial arts. Failed or seduced Terminator candidates (spineless jellies, known commonly as “Jellies”), have become bodyguards to the Clone Masters as well.

Counter mix:
Red counters = Terminators
Black counters = Jellies
Clone Master = armed
Technicians = armed and unarmed
Local Constabulary = armed
Servants = unarmed
Clone banks/Computers

Martial arts techniques include Body of Mist, Monkey Soul, Iron Fist, Lightning Kick, Mountain Heart as well as assorted weapons and throwing spikes. As a matter of honor, Terminators refuse to use any weapons other than their nearly invincible bodies. Terminators start the game with seven levels of abilities. Jellies begin with three or four.

To start play, the Clone Master player arranges his counters face down inside the Clone Master lair. No counter may start placed in a square adjacent (blocking) to an armored door. The Clone Master may start anywhere inside the lair but other units are restricted to specific rooms (per initials in the lower right corner). The Terminator player arranges his Terminators by which means of lair entry he has chosen; through the armored front door, the kitchen disposal or the loo (don't ask).

To enter through the armored front door the adjacent Terminator must use up one of his an attack chits (kick or punch) to break down the door on a roll of 1-2. Terminators may enter the lair normally on the movement phase following a successful door attack.

Waste disposal in 2100 is fairly primitive and requires mighty big pipes. 1-2 Terminators per movement phase may enter the lair through the kitchen disposal pipe and one Terminator per phase may enter through the loo (remember they're fanatics).

Terminators entering a room automatically activate (turn face up) all face down Clone Master units in that room. During the Clone Master move he may activate one each Jelly, Servant and Technician located anywhere in the lair. At any time (even during the Terminator's turn) the Clone Master player may voluntarily activate the Clone Master counter. When first activated (voluntarily or otherwise), the Clone Master counter may make an immediate bonus move of up to four spaces. Movement is orthogonal. There are no zones of control, counters may pass through each other but there is no stacking. Only one counter may occupy a square at the end of the phase.

Crossing the change of elevation in the center of the lair map costs an additional two movement points for any unit except for a Terminator or Jelly with a remaining (undamaged) Monkey Soul attribute (the attribute simply must be undamaged, no chits are expended to move).

Hand to hand combat is orthogonal with a range of one square. Missile combat can be orthogonal or diagonal and is restricted by line of sight. Line of sight (LOS) is measured by map terrain and not by counters. Spikes and armed Technicians have a missile range of two squares orthogonally and one square diagonally. Local Constabulary have unlimited missile range (restricted by LOS).

There may be any number of individual combat rounds in a combat phase (up to the number of surviving Terminators).

“Any time two or more Terminators can strike the same foe, or be struck by the same foe, they are in one combat together. If the cannot strike the same foe (or be struck by the same foe) they are in different combats.”

Combat resolution is unique. To resolve combats, players chose chits based on the remaining (undamaged) attributes of the involved units – Terminators choose 3 chits each, Jellies 2 chits each. The Terminator player chooses which player goes first in a combat. In turn, a side plays one combat chit responded to by the other. E.G. The Terminator player choses to go first and plays an Iron Fist chit against a nearby Jelly. The Clone Master player may respond with a chit from that Jelly, another Jelly or any other form of attack from any other unit against any unit involved in the combat. The Combat Results Table (CRT) is referenced and attack vs. response (regardless of who responded or to whom) are referenced and a die roll is made. Hits result in the reduction of one ability level of the targeted unit. Terminators reaching zero abilities are considered to be unconscious. Jellies without a Mountain Heart attribute reduced to zero abilities are removed from the game. Any hit on a Servant, Technician, Local Constabulary or piece of vital equipment results in their removal as well (but uses up a precious combat chit). Combats can be rounds of A vs B, B vs A as well as A vs B vs C vs D, etc...

Unarmed servants and technicians may combine to make untrained attacks. An untrained attack is successful (reduces an attribute by one) if the Clone Master player rolls a number equal to or less than the total number of unarmed units adjacent to the targeted Terminator.

Mountain Heart is a special regenerative ability. Each turn, every unit with the Mountain Heart attribute (functioning or otherwise) rolls a die. On a 1-2 that unit recovers one level of Mountain Heart. This may result in a previously unconscious Terminator or Jelly regaining consciousness. Combat attributes are never regained. Conscious Terminators or Jellies with Mountain Heart attributes but no combat attributes remaining are combat ineffective and may only make untrained attacks (or run for the exits!).

Sequence of turn phases:

Terminator move I: move up to 5 squares.
Combat I: all combats created by movement resolved.
Terminator movement II: move up to 5 squares.
Clone Master movement: may release new counters. Any face up counters may move full movement (as shown on counter).
Combat II: all combat created by movement resolved.
Recovery: any injured units with Mountain Heart attribute roll, 1-2 to recover one level of Mountain Heart.
Advance the game turn.

Basic Scenario

10 turns.

Victory conditions:

Clone Master total victory: Clone Master survives, all Terminators killed.
Clone Master victory: Clone Master dies, all Terminators killed, some equipment survives.
Terminator victory: Clone Master killed and all seven pieces of equipment destroyed.

Terminator total victory: Clone Master killed and all seven pieces of equipment destroyed. Plus one or more Terminators escape the lair.

Clone Master counter mix: Clone Master, 2 armed Technicians, 10 unarmed Technicians, 12 Servants and 8 Jellies (exclusive of Jellies #11 and 12).

Terminator counter mix: 3 Terminators (7 levels each).

Advanced scenario

12 turns

Victory conditions:

Clone Master counter mix: Clone Master, 4 armed Technicians, 8 unarmed Technicians, 12 Servants and 8 Jellies. Clone Master reinforcements, 3 Local Constabulary enter the lair on turn 6 and each turn thereafter.

Terminator counter mix: 3 Terminators (7 levels each).

Solo

12 turns

A captured Terminator awakens inside the Clone Master's lair. The Terminator must cause as much damage as possible before escape. The Terminator may only escape when down to either 1-2 abilities, turn 11-12 or the Clone Master is dead and all seven pieces of equipment are smashed. Three Local Constabulary enter the lair on turn 6 and each turn thereafter.

Terminator begins in the far northern square of the servants' work area. The Clone Master begins face up in front of him. A Jelly is face up in the square immediately east of the Clone Master. All other Clone Master units are randomly placed face down, two to a room.

Special solo activation rules: the two face down counters nearest the Terminator are activated. Jellies move directly to the Terminator and will use their attack chits before defensive ones. Servants and unarmed Technicians will mass around vital equipment, protecting it with their bodies. Missile attacks will be made from a "safe" distance (not adjacent).

Victory conditions:

5 points each for killing Clone Master or destroying a piece of equipment. 50 point bonus if the Terminator player succeeds in killing the Clone Master and all seven pieces of equipment. 2 points for each Jelly eliminated. The Clone Master gets 30 points for killing the Terminator and 60 points for recapturing the Terminator (keeping the Terminator inside the lair past turn 12). Most points wins.

Clone Master counter mix: Advanced scenario.

Terminator counter mix: 1 Terminators (7 levels).