D&D 5E Do you think we will get an Oriental Adventures setting for 5th edition?

[Shasarak]

My wife feels it's negative (she's half-Thai; grew up in Bangkok), so I don't use it.

My wife is Chinese Indonesian and does not know what the term Orient or Oriental means.

 

[Azzy]

"Asian" definitely sets it on Earth; Asia is a region of our world, just like Europe is.

That's why it'll likely come as a Kara-Tur sourcebook—that way they can avoid using "oriental", "Asian", or what not and still deliver the goods.

 

[SkidAce]

Hmmm, this is more complicated than I thought...

So if I'm following, then we have the following concerns:

* The terminology used to described the indigenous cultures of S/E Asia. (IE Oriental, Asian, etc.)
* The monotizing of different cultures into a generic single culture (one that has samurai, ninjas, Shaolin Monks, and Khans all living together; though I guess it doesn't bother others that a cleric of Apollo, a druid, and a paladin can all be in a classic D&D party).
* The fetishizing of certain elements of the culture (katanas can cut a tree in half)
* The poorly researched or nonsensical elements corrected or purged (wu jen, Korobukuru)

That's a fairly tall order, but not insurmountable. I can see though perhaps why WotC isn't quick to undertake it though.

Bullet point two was kinda my point, nobody every talks about that, and its the same issue, from a different view.

 

[Barantor]

Hmmm. I'm not sold on the idea that any reference to a region requires that that treatment be exhaustive.

People will complain about anything lol.

A lot can go into a name, I've yet to see many cultures beyond Europe and the Mediterranean really really done well in a game setting.

 

[Remathilis]

Bullet point two was kinda my point, nobody every talks about that, and its the same issue, from a different view.

True, but as I said, it doesn't seem to bother most gamers to have druids, minotaurs, paladins, frost giants, mummies, and leprechauns all in the same setting. I don't think too many Grecian players cry appropriation to losing medusas, nymphs and satyrs. Kara-Tur has previously dumped all of Asian myth into a giant pot and let it mix much like how the SC dumps most of western myth into a pot. As long as they can just be sensitive enough to avoid loaded language (impossible, but still a worthy goal to strive for) then they can probably get away with mixing myths a bit.

 

[SkidAce]

True, but as I said, it doesn't seem to bother most gamers to have druids, minotaurs, paladins, frost giants, mummies, and leprechauns all in the same setting. I don't think too many Grecian players cry appropriation to losing medusas, nymphs and satyrs. Kara-Tur has previously dumped all of Asian myth into a giant pot and let it mix much like how the SC dumps most of western myth into a pot. As long as they can just be sensitive enough to avoid loaded language (impossible, but still a worthy goal to strive for) then they can probably get away with mixing myths a bit.

Right...I am agreeing that it doesn't seem to bother most people for all those other mishmashups, so IMO, it shouldn't be a problem for eastern fantasy published setting or homebrews either.

Totally on board with what you are saying.

 

[guachi]

Kara-Tur? Al-Qadim? We won't even get Cormyr, Thay, Chult or the Dales. Except maybe in cameos thanks to a portal that lets PCs briefly do something there. The Sword Coast is where D&D will be happening for a while.

A game known for its wonderful settings is reduced not just to one setting but to one section of one setting.

It's pretty sad. It's D&D on life support. Living to service a video game (is sword coast legends good) and a probable movie that I hope is good but will probably be terrible.

How much you want to bet the movie is set on the sword coast?

 

[bedir than]

A game known for its wonderful settings is reduced not just to one setting but to one section of one setting.

It's pretty sad. It's D&D on life support. Living to service a video game (is sword coast legends good) and a probable movie that I hope is good but will probably be terrible.

How much you want to bet the movie is set on the sword coast?

Very few players ever knew the settings. They are for the die-hards. Players play games. Nothing about DnD requires an official setting.

 

[delericho]

I can't remember if the original Oriental Adventures sourcebook was based entirely around Kara-Tur in FR or if it was in general about Asian-themed campaigns.

Most of the book was general, with Kara-tur introduced late in the book in a couple of chapters.

But, more than that... Kara-tur was originally assumed to be in Greyhawk and was later moved to the Realms.

 

[Jessica]

I imagine there is a strong chance a 3PP would do it before WotC would. Of course it will be advertised as "compatible with the 5th edition of the world's original RPG" or something like that to ward off lawyers.