Kaidan: a Japanese Ghost Story campaign setting

OK, I'm developing my own campaign setting with the intentions of publication (aren't we all!). My first plan is to create a three module mini-campaign arc set in my world to see if there is a market and whether to develop a hard cover manual of the setting or not. I am doing a collaborative publication, where I create maps for other soon to be published modules, in exchange for writers, rules editor, illustrators and editors. Plan to publishi in June as OGL, then republish as Pathfinder compatible in August.

Its a dark, feudal Japan-like setting. using elements borrowed from Buddhist thought with a Ravenloftian twist. The islands and Empire of Kaidan was "cursed into existence" by the current undead Shogun who truly rules this shogunate, at the moment of his "death". It works as both a stand-alone setting, as well as an add-on oriental setting for an existing campaign world.

The issue is I need to add an addendum sheet of rule changes to both Oriental Adventures and Rokugan setting manuals as it applies to the setting of Kaidan. As neither rules set is ideal for Kaidan, but still playable under those rules with changes and additions. Ulitmately, however, I'll have to create my own Oriental setting rules, since its intended for Pathfinder Compatible publication. I don't think WotC Oriental Adventures will be OK'd to published in Pathfinder format. Rokugan is rather different than my world, and I don't plan to get a license from AEG to develop my intended setting.

Lots of OA is appropriate for my setting, just who gets along with whom, changes to spell access for some, elimination of classes and additions to existing classes. I'll need to create a 3.5 compatible rules set that doesn't infringe on WotC IP, that's my main problem. It forces me to tread softly so my system is seen as very much different than OA, and not a tweaked copy.

Anyway, ideas, thoughts?

GP

Differences...

Quick overview of the basic world and the kinds of changes I require.

Kaidan is immersed in their own Cosmic Wheel of Life construct with 6 "planes" of existence: heaven, jealousy realm, human, animal, hungry ghost and hell. Everyone is doomed to move along a cycle of endless reincarnations.

The Hell realm is like the Ethereal Plane, of the six it is the only metaphysical different plane of existence. All other "planes" coexist in Kaidan in the land and society itself.

The Heaven realm consists of the Noble caste.
The Jealousy realm consists of the Samurai caste
The Human realm consists of the Commoner caste - farmers, monks, artisans
The Hungry Ghost realm consists of Eta caste - touchers of dead, entertainers, yakuza, prostitutes and merchants.
The Animal Realm consists of Hengeyokai dominated wilderness tracts.

Movement between realms of the Wheel is through death and reincarnation. Thus reincarnation if hard-wired into Kaidan society. The first big difference in world to most others, is death is final but only the beginning. Ressurection and related spells don't work. If you die in Kaidan, within 7 days you will reincarnate as someone else.

Using a mechanism score called Karma, based on Lawful and Chaotic acts, scores for both are recorded, determines whether you move up, down or stay in the same caste upon reincarnation. The higher your Karma scores also give you "bennies" in spell access, ki powers and modifiers to saves and checks.

Upon reincarnation a PC becomes a new character. However, there are ways for the existing PC party to discover into whom did their dead companion reincarnate, and their are spells that can "awaken" memories of past lives, so a reincarnated PC is now a multi-class character whose past skill sets and spells are remembered, though the new class is the direction that must be taken, until one's next death...

Other changes rules wise:

1. The original samurai of the late 12th century was a master archer, as much as master swordsman. The Daikyu long bow as a recognized samurai weapon in 2e, but disappeared in 3e and Rokugan. I have 12 castletowns held by powerful daimyo, so there exists 12 bushi schools, that don't necessarily correlate to Rokugan's clans and abilities.

2. The shugenja, which are called yamabushi in my setting, are not of the samurai caste, rather the commoner caste. Noble houses don't support shugenja schools like Rokugan. More like Japan, the yamabushi were at odds with the state most of the time. Yamabushi are ascetic monks who dwelled apart from society up into the mountains practicing martial arts and sorcery. Though I intend to keep the divine source of their spells, yamabushi are enemies of most samurai and noble houses.

3. Sohei will have limited access to divine spells, since they were "Buddhists" in Japan, not just ki powered martial artists. My sohei serve the state church of Kaidan, called Zao. Rather than seeking enlightenment, the state prefers to maintain the endless cycle of reincarnations.

4. Yakuza is a core class to represent rogues in Kaidan, not a PrC as in OA. Another biggie, the Tattoo Monk PrC is nolonger a monk PrC, rather a Yakuza PrC. In Japan, the only organization/subculture that emphasized the use of tattoos were the Yakuza. Monks didn't get tattoos. This is also true in Kaidan.

5. Hengeyokai, though not in the caste system are members of the Animal realm in the reincarnation cycle, a step below the Commoners caste. So they are definite players in the setting.

There are many other subtle differences from naming, spell access, new spells, available feats, new feats, monsters with many differences and additional player character races, as well as denial of many from OA.

Final point, there are forces of good in Kaidan, represented by "enlightened" monks who have the Boddhisattva or Inkyo PrC with good sorcery and divinve powers who become "paladin monks" to aid others in finding enlightenment. This would be the ultimate goal of players in Kaidan.

Some of the changes are subtle, but some are cosmic and will require its own rules set.

GP

The question unasked

I guess my real question, which I haven't asked, is: am I crazy to think I can attempt to rebuild the Japanese setting for 3.5/Pathfinder all over again? I expect friction from OA and Rokugan players, since my system is that much different. I'm basing most of my choices on Japanese history not what AEG, OA, or even G.Gygax intended.

GP

(This might be a little late in coming, but I'll still post it.)

I for one think you are not crazy. While I loved the Kara-Tur setting, I think it's excellent that you're releasing some Pathfinder-compatible Oriental Adventures rules. It irks me that WotC never made OA available to the OGL, or I think there would've been much better support for it.

-Nate