For the fun of it, here are names suggested above for chi-like "inner" sources of power, from a non=East=Asian perspective:
Quote:
Pneuma (Classical Greece)
Baraka (Arabic)
Ruach (Hebrew)
Arete
Numen (early 20th century)
Inner Light (Quakers)
Aether
Odic force
Elan vital
Vril
Prana
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Going back to the OP, a GM could take one of these, define it as chi under a different name, and create cool powers based it, for Euro monks or dervishes or what have you.
(Or create a new power source that isn't chi. I think I'd pass on that myself, though, simply to avoid power source overload: chi, psi, Power Investiture, magery/mana, all the weird variants in
Summoners...)
A couple of thoughts:
1) Here's an interesting (?) setup: A Christian monastic order with the heretical belief that the super-feats of Moses, Samson, Jesus, etc. came from this inner ruach. They may hold that the Divine inspired these heroes, guided them, maybe even granted them Ruach Talent and its associated skills and powers... but the "miracles" themselves were enacted by the practitioners, from that inner strength, not by calling on Divine power.
From there, the GM can create Ruach Abilities like Walk on Water, Strength of Samson, and Heal Disease. (Of course, some reported miracles fit the idea more easily than others. Unleash Plagues is a little hard to envision as a chi-like power.)
2) The (great) book
Slayers grants demon/undead/mage slayers powers similar to those of holy warriors and clerics, but without a divine power source, or any external power source. The abilities stem from internal "force of will" – but it's not chi or psi, and doesn't carry the limitations of those.
But maybe the gameworld philosophers disagree, and posit that the source
is chi/ruach/pneuma/etc. The difference with slayers is that this source appears for reasons of its own (as briefly described in the book), rather than being granted like Power Investiture or developed like chi; thus, no limitations involving vows or special exercises, and no need for a trait like Ruach Talent.
In other words, slayers' powers work just as described in the book, and any connection to a chi-like power source is purely a matter of background color, not mechanics. But it's interesting IMO to imagine that slayers might share this source with martial artists, even if it manifests quite differently.