Oriental Adventures?

[Tsyr]

That issue of Dragon has got to be one of my favorite in recent memory.

 

[Psion]

Both.

I have integrated elements into my normal campaign. The shaman class, for example, fits one of my existing cultures perfectly. And martial arts have always been part of my game (albeit I HATE the OA martial arts systems and will be replacing it with a prestige class and feat driven system.)

I am also writing up an Asian-themed continent for my world. I plan on doing a dry-run of the setting soon, running my existing group as visitors. But if it works out well, I may start a new OA campaign set there.

 

[CaptainCalico]

wuxia feel

The Wieghtless Foot PC from the OA issue of Dragon should help get the CTHD feel going.

 

[Rune]

I was woundering if any one has actually started a straight oriental campaign based on OA or if most of you are using as source material to add options to your existing campiagn.

That's kind of a tough question. My first instinct is to say both, but it's probably more of the latter.

I'm using all of the rules in the OA Handbook (I have allowed the PHB races, which may have been a mistake, as the only OA races I've had so far is a Spirit Folk for one session and the humans, but that's another topic) but I don't have a dominating Oriental-inspired theme. I'm playtesting a very exotic world, and I felt that a good way to help ease the players' transition from the fantasy stereotypes would be to add another exotic element: OA. That being the case, I should note that the campaign does not presuppose a particular Oriental culture dominates. Rather, I hoped to establish a non-specific Oriental flavor, which was as much India and Nepal (to name a couple of examples) as China and Japan (to name a couple more).

My campaign is recognizably an OA campaign, but I can assure you, it is different. (If you're interested in disputing me on that, by the way, you can follow the link to the story hour in my sig--not that I'm pimping .)

[edit] I should mention that another element that greatly helped to establish flavor in my campaign was a universal naming convention that I developed to create a flavor that I felt was distinctly Oriental using English words (so that I could avoid having a bunch of nonsense syllables or names that most of my group couldn't pronounce properly). Anyone interested in borrowing the system is perfectly welcome to do so, if they so choose. It is detailed on page one of my story hour.[/edit]

 

[Olive]

i can attest to the fact that rune's story hour is different...

it's also very good, and gave me lots of ideas!

hey psion: isn't the current OA martial arts system feats driven?

 

[jarandus]

I am going to start running a game shortly heavily based on Rokugan. The d20 Rokugan book is highly recommended, even for those who may not want to use the Rokugan setting, it does have an option for ninjas as a starting class rather then a PrC.

I have added a few of the races along with the Sohei into my Rokugan world. the upcoming campaign will feature (on the grand scale) the Mantis clan with the aid from some unlikely allies trying to claim major clan status. Unbeknownst to the Mantis clan, however the allies have plans of their own.

So far in the group there are two characters made (other players are still deciding on what they want to be) a female Akodo-Lion samurai and a Scorpion rogue (in reality a ninja)

 

[mmadsen]

I have integrated elements into my normal campaign. The shaman class, for example, fits one of my existing cultures perfectly.

You have a martial-artist-priest class in your "occidental" campaign world? What's it like?

And martial arts have always been part of my game (albeit I HATE the OA martial arts systems and will be replacing it with a prestige class and feat driven system.)

The Oriental Adventures martial arts system is feat driven though. If anything, I'd just remove the styles' free bonus abilities (if you don't like that mechanic); they're easy enough to replace with Feats with the exact same prereqs.

Why introduce Prestige Classes? Do you want to give different BAB, Hit Dice, Saves, and Skill points?

 

[Psion]

hey psion: isn't the current OA martial arts system feats driven?

Yup. It's feats driven. Not feats and prestige class driven.

I think prestige classes would be a perfect way to represtent masters of a fighting style*. I remember old Chinese martial arts flicks (and heck, some more recent American ones) where some student of the martial arts has a few basic skills (levels of fighter and/or monk, and some feats) but seeks to learn in a specific school/under a specific master but in order to do so they have to meet some rigorous/strange entry requirements.

Tell me that doesn't sound like a prestige class to you.

* - Yes, I am a convert to the Vrylakos school of fighting styles in D&D.

 

[hong]

I think prestige classes would be a perfect way to represtent masters of a fighting style*. I remember old Chinese martial arts flicks (and heck, some more recent American ones) where some student of the martial arts has a few basic skills (levels of fighter and/or monk, and some feats) but seeks to learn in a specific school/under a specific master but in order to do so they have to meet some rigorous/strange entry requirements.

I have some martial artist PrCs on my web page. They're designed with my base martial artist class in mind, but they should still work if you base them off the monk or fighter.

http://www.zipworld.com.au/~hong/dnd/

 

[Psion]

You have a martial-artist-priest class in your "occidental" campaign world? What's it like?

Like I said martial arts have always been part of my setting. That said, they haven't been part of the shamans that I use. For the Shamans of eastern trinalia, I let them substitute other feats for the martial arts feats. It is the shamanistic take on spells and domains that I find productive.

The Oriental Adventures martial arts system is feat driven though.

See my last reply.

If anything, I'd just remove the styles' free bonus abilities (if you don't like that mechanic); they're easy enough to replace with Feats with the exact same prereqs.

Actually, I replace them with prestige classes with similar prereqs.

Why introduce Prestige Classes? Do you want to give different BAB, Hit Dice, Saves, and Skill points?

You betcha.

Soft martial arts might have better will saves where hard martial arts have better attack bonuses and fort saves. Many martial arts teach different skills sets. Some may teach perform with their dance like moves. Others may focus on acrobatics.

Most importantly, there is more room to grow. Under the OA paradigm, you can only add so many martial arts before you discover there are similar feat prereq's for multiple style benefits. You don't have this problem with styles as prestige classes... you actually have to take levels in the class to enjoy the benefits.