Asian fantasy: Good, Bad, Impure

[joela]

Has anyone run a full-fantasy Asian campaign ala OA, Lot5R d20? I'm considering running such a campaign for both a different flavor (all the current campaigns I'm in are thinly masked medieval fantasies ), to surprise my primarily Occidental players, and minimize metagaming (e.g., DM: "Your knowledge roll reveals it's some sort of gaki." Meta-gaming player: "'Gaki?' I've memorized all 5 MMs. How's my PC suppose to fight it?" DM: "Does your PC have any other knowledge skills? No, s/he's a combat monster. Sigh. It attacks. This is going to hurt...."

Any other advantages you found running a fantasy Asian campaign? Any pitfalls?

 

[JDJblatherings]

Any other advantages you found running a fantasy Asian campaign? Any pitfalls?

It 's way too easy to overdue samurai and ninja stereotypes. A lot of folks can't seem to grasp the classical samurai/ninja situation is drawn from a moderately small span of history in a pretty small area.
If your campaign doesn't focus on martial arts there is going to be a player that wants to focus on martial arts.

It's easy to over-use Oni.

 

[GreatLemur]

I just need to point out that, much like Oriental Adventures, "Asian fantasy" sounds like porn.

Also, I think if your players have trouble getting their heads around what kind of characters, places, and adventures such a game might be about, there are a hell of a lot of good movies they can watch to help them out (especially if your game does focus on martial arts).

 

[joela]

overdue

It 's way too easy to overdue samurai and ninja stereotypes.

snip

If your campaign doesn't focus on martial arts there is going to be a player that wants to focus on martial arts.

It's easy to over-use Oni.

In what ways? I'm going to borrow from Lot5R and have the PCs start as members of minor families in a Unicorn-esque clan. That way a lot of their idioscyncracies (sp?) (i.e., players adjusting to the setting mindset) can be explained away. And strict marital artists will find many of their abilities either useless (I plan a fair amount of political/exploration type sessions) or countered. (After the Golden Rule of players are to have fun, the DM can always womp their PCs' arses if s/he chooses to do so. For their fun, of couse )

And aren't oni a staple in most such games?

 

[joela]

Porn?

I just need to point out that, much like Oriental Adventures, "Asian fantasy" sounds like porn.

While I do plan to use the Book of Erotic Fantasy, I don't understand the porn connotation to "Asian fantasy". Thus this have to do with the anime/manga "lesbian ninja furry" stuff I read about on many gaming boards?

 

[GreatLemur]

While I do plan to use the Book of Erotic Fantasy, I don't understand the porn connotation to "Asian fantasy". Thus this have to do with the anime/manga "lesbian ninja furry" stuff I read about on many gaming boards?

No, just the tendency of pornography titles and marketing copy to use both the word "fantasy" and various ethnic identifiers ("Asian" especially), often in combination.

 

[Bloosquig]

I've played a bit of Lot5R and it was a blast. Depends on how you play it and who you play it with I suppose like any other game.

 

[joela]

title

No, just the tendency of pornography titles and marketing copy to use both the word "fantasy" and various ethnic identifiers ("Asian" especially), often in combination.

Ah, that explains it. Like "One Night In Paris", "Moby Dick" (implying a white guy with a big shlong), etc. While interesting, here's hoping folks will understand my question's intent and not some sorta xxx innuendo.

 

[blargney the second]

I played in a game of Lot5R, and I had one serious problem. I'm not an oriental history or fantasy buff, so I didn't have a bloody clue about anything. It was not particularly fun.
-blarg

 

[Arkham]

It certainly helps to give the players a brain-dump of the cultural things their characters should know, as well as being forgiving during play about having to remind them.

I'm technically running an 'Asian' fantasy game, though it is based on Vedic myth instead of Japanese or Chinese mythology. It is thematically based on the Ramayana, with the overall BBG being Ravan, father of monsters, but not following the plot. Cause that'd be railroading. ;-)