Breaking Away from the Traditional Setting Cultures

[Hjorimir]

So a friend of mine is starting a new game inspired in large by Conan books. He’s included an Asian part of the world called Lao-Shiang. Not able to resist anything resembling Oriental Adventures, I crafted a character (a ranger) and re-skinned him with pulpy-wuxia flavored awesomeness.

As a part of the process, I renamed all of his exploits as kung-fu style martial arts maneuvers. They are:

• Cry of the Transcendent Feather (Nimble Strike)
• Leaping Phoenix Strike (Hit and Run)
• Touch of the Two Scholars (Twin Strike)
• Kiss of the Plum Blossom (Ruffling Sting)
• Strike of the Yellow Emperor (Off-Hand Strike)
• Iron Sage Assault (Jaws of the Wolf)
• Glorious Shadow Dance (Hunter’s Privilege)

I have to say, I’m pretty darn excited to play this guy (Friday baby) and I think the maneuver names will really sell the character to the other players.

Seeing how well this scheme meshes up with the 4e power structure just emphasizes how great a new 4e Oriental Adventures setting could be. I know in my head that the odds of the new campaign setting being announced is Oriental Adventures is roughly 0%, but in my heart I’m holding on to the slim chance.

Who knows, maybe WotC will take the chance to step out from the constant Eurocentric fantasy we always get and try some other cultures on for a change of pace. I’d love to play in a game that included mythical elements from Japan, to China, to Mongolia, to India, to Persia.

Is there anybody else out there who would like such a product?

 

[Crothian]

It would be neat but I'm not sure how popular it would be.

 

[Jack7]

I admit Hjorimir I had no idea of how you were using the term wuxia until I found out on Google that it has now become a form of popularized cartoons and whatnot.

I've always thought of the term as being more applicable to Chinese "Ronin" type characters than more modern super-hero Kung fu types of the Crouching Tiger run up walls and jump on bamboo stalks type fella. Or gal. (To use an analogy that is - for instance I don't know how Wiki concluded that wuxia equates to Samurai, other than as a very loose assumption that personal code and Bushido code are somehow applicable, though Bushido is a useless code out of cultural and martial context, without an organized martial structure there would be no Samurai, they depend upon an extremely tight, unquestioned chain of command. Samurai are never "lone individuals," that's Ronin and most Samurai would do anything possible to avoid becoming Ronin specifically because they never wanted to operate outside the system as true individuals. There individuality was system and organizationally oriented. Outside the system was considered outsider and most Westerners have no idea how alien that has been traditionally considered in most Oriental cultures. So it's kinda funny to me to see the idea of the loner applied to modern cartoon and film ideas of Oriental hero when most Orientals tend to think and behave in exactly opposite terms, even in modern times. Now religious ascetics and a few others in the East are often loners, comparatively speaking, but most other folks definitely are not.)

Still, if I'm following you correctly then personally I think a Ranger would make a great adaptation type character for the Chinese type hero. As close as you could get anyways, in D&D game equivalency terms. I've always seen the Ranger like that myself, a lone operative, reconnaissance man, scout, frontier's lawman, ambusher, manhunter and mantracker. Far more Texas Ranger or Rogers' Ranger than sheriff or FBI, far more Special Forces than Infantry.

I'm not sure this is what you're looking for but in my setting (which takes place mostly in Constantinople) there are four basic parties. The Eastern Roman One, the Oriental One, the African One, and the Non-Human One.

None are what you can really call the typical Western style party. So a lot of variation is possible as far as I see it. Just depends on what you wanna create and where you wanna locate them, and how, and why.

I think popularity would depend on exposure and familiarity, but in the West I'm not sure a Byzantine, African, or Asian party would be as popular as a Western party to most players. So I agree with Cro on that point.

Still, my players like these parties. A lot. So do I.
They add a great deal of variety and interest to our campaigns and games.

 

[Mallus]

I'd buy a 4e OA full of pulp-wuxia goodness. Heck it might convince me to run another campaign in a converted version of my old 3e World of CITY -- which, all but requires wuxia characters. It's been known to rain ninja over a certain city...

 

[kitsune9]

So a friend of mine is starting a new game inspired in large by Conan books. He’s included an Asian part of the world called Lao-Shiang. Not able to resist anything resembling Oriental Adventures, I crafted a character (a ranger) and re-skinned him with pulpy-wuxia flavored awesomeness.

As a part of the process, I renamed all of his exploits as kung-fu style martial arts maneuvers. They are:

• Cry of the Transcendent Feather (Nimble Strike)
• Leaping Phoenix Strike (Hit and Run)
• Touch of the Two Scholars (Twin Strike)
• Kiss of the Plum Blossom (Ruffling Sting)
• Strike of the Yellow Emperor (Off-Hand Strike)
• Iron Sage Assault (Jaws of the Wolf)
• Glorious Shadow Dance (Hunter’s Privilege)

I have to say, I’m pretty darn excited to play this guy (Friday baby) and I think the maneuver names will really sell the character to the other players.

Seeing how well this scheme meshes up with the 4e power structure just emphasizes how great a new 4e Oriental Adventures setting could be. I know in my head that the odds of the new campaign setting being announced is Oriental Adventures is roughly 0%, but in my heart I’m holding on to the slim chance.

Who knows, maybe WotC will take the chance to step out from the constant Eurocentric fantasy we always get and try some other cultures on for a change of pace. I’d love to play in a game that included mythical elements from Japan, to China, to Mongolia, to India, to Persia.

Is there anybody else out there who would like such a product?

Actually, I like an occasional product that does break away from the traditional settings. Green Ronin put out Mindshadows which was a very India-ish with psionics campaign. Great campaign ideas and really enjoyed the setting.

 

[Rechan]

I can dig it. Although my tastes are mythical China, with small gods/Kami, dash in ninja and samurai, a helping of India, and add a dark, gothic flavor.

If you're looking for other settings, check out Nyambe - African themed setting.

But when it comes to "Non-European Fantasy", my go-to is Exalted. I swear, the setting was a real shot in the arm to me. It was very much "Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire meets Mythical China".

 

[kitsune9]

I can dig it. Although my tastes are mythical China, with small gods/Kami, dash in ninja and samurai, a helping of India, and add a dark, gothic flavor.

If you're looking for other settings, check out Nyambe - African themed setting.

But when it comes to "Non-European Fantasy", my go-to is Exalted. I swear, the setting was a real shot in the arm to me. It was very much "Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire meets Mythical China".

I'll have to give Exalted a look then. Thanks!