D&D 5E Oh Hai Katana!

[Steely_Dan]

Interesting aside, the book I'm reading currently includes a samurai currently fighting a European warrior monk, in Europe in an area roughly around Poland, near as I can tell, in or around 1300.

How did he get there? He's an alcoholic ronin, living in Korea when it's overrun by the Mongol Empire. His fighting skills are impressive enough that the Mongols choose to keep him around for gladiatorial style games, which is how he winds up fighting a European warrior monk, who incidently fights the way warrior monks generally fight if they can manage it, in full armor with a sword. Meanwhile other members of the Order are trekking across the steppes of Russia to assassinate the Khan of Khans in order to break the Mongol advance on Europe. Other chapters follow an intrepid young member of the Khan's household.

If you get the chance, I suggest giving the Mongoliad a read. It's fun.

That sounds right up my alley and down my street, thanks, I'll check it out.

The warrior-monk sounds intriguing, sort of like a templar?

 

[Daggerswan]

It is pretty obvious you are not going to find anything I say funny.

So consider yourself not the target audience.

Lighten up. It's just a name in a single line item of a game.

And tell your cousin I said hi.

 

[Salamandyr]

That sounds right up my alley and down my street, thanks, I'll check it out.

The warrior-monk sounds intriguing, sort of like a templar?

Yes, they're basically an order like the Templars, though there are hints that they predate Christianization. I've only read the first book so far, and they're setting up several mysteries.

 

[Steely_Dan]

Yes, they're basically an order like the Templars, though there are hints that they predate Christianization.

Okay, now I'm even more intrigued (just like I love pre-Islam Persian religion/mythology).

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I know this will convince no one, but I suppose I just want to throw out my two coppers.

I want them to have a katana in the phb, because some kid will be flipping through the book somewhere and see the katana, and think, "man I totally want to play this game! Katanas and ninjas and samurai are awesome!" No kids will get so excited about a "curved long sword". And that, to me, makes it worth the infinitesimal hassle of renaming the weapon for a western-themed game.

Well, only if it also includes pirates and dinosaurs.

 

[Lwaxy]

It is pretty obvious you are not going to find anything I say funny.

Maybe because it's not.

Cut out the sexist "jokes."

 

[slobster]

Well, only if it also includes pirates and dinosaurs.

While I think they should include both dinosaurs and pirates, I think there should be the option to call them "privateers" or "gentlemen of fortune", for those games where the term "pirate" would be out of place.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

While I think they should include both dinosaurs and pirates, I think there should be the option to call them "privateers" or "gentlemen of fortune", for those games where the term "pirate" would be out of place.

Then I suppose you need the terms "Thunder Lizard" and "Ancient Bird", too.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Y'know, if NEXT is gonna have core support for every base class in the first PHB of every D&D edition, it's going to have monks. Unarmed, enlightened, kung-fu-movie-style monks.

D&D is big enough to chomp down on a bit of pseudo-asian fantasy. Katanas and monks have as much a role in this game as longswords and paladins.

I'm pretty sure it's going to be a highlight of modularity that, if you don't want 'em in your game, you ain't gotta use 'em.