Cultural Class names

[Dareoon Dalandrove]

I'm starting a new campaing and have been looking at using cultural names. I'm going to be running an Oriental flavored campaing some of the names and rolls of things don't add up very well. Let me give some examples.

We all know what a DnD monk is. In OA they give the Budoka as the Japanese equivilent. In Inuyasha Miroku is a monk and his title is Houshi. He's got some magical powers and I think that he would be more of a cleric. Admittedly I think more of spiritual power when I think of a monk rather than kick-booty martail arts. So what's the deal?

Also would how would a Miko fit into things? What is the difference between Youkia and Oni?

 

[I'm A Banana]

This deals with all SORTS of issues of wonky religion and such.

Properly, "Monk" is someone who belongs to a monestary and persues a dedicated pattern of learning designed to increase spiritual awareness.

In D&D, it's a supernatural martial artist.

Properly, "Cleric" is a devotee of a deity or force who ministers to the community they are a part of.

In D&D, it's an armor-clad healer.

Also, in many legends and stories you'll hear tales of supernatural spellcasters who might be wizards or sorcerers in game terms given religious titles...Bards, too, with the right cultures, become nearly indistinguishable form wizards and sorcerers and clerics and monks all together.

So I guess if you want to re-name the classes a bit, the important thing to answer is 'what are they in MY campaign?'

If you have a kick-butt supernatural martial artist what would YOUR campaign call them?

It might be Monk. But it might also be Incarnate (his powers coming from being the bodily representation of a god), or Street Fighter (his powers coming from simple toughness and luck on the mean streets) or Black Belt (simply a student of a fighting style) or Martial Sorcerer.

Similarly, what would YOUR campaign call an armor-clad healer/buffer?

It might be Cleric. But it might also be Defender, or Heal-Singer, or Totemist, or Druggist (persrcibing healing and enhancing drugs!).

First, determine what basic abilities make up the class, then extrapolate from there how those abilities function in your setting. For a quick look:

1) "Barbarian"= Wilderness fighters who gain power from an altered mind-set.

2) "Bard"=Jacks-of-all-trades who specialize in enchantment and illusion

3) "Cleric" = Armor-clad healers/buffers

4) "Druid" = Shapeshifting plant/animal/elementalists

5) "Fighter" = Armor-clad weapon users

6) "Monk" = Supernatural martial artist

7) "Paladin" = Fighter/Clerics

8) "Ranger" = Stealthy wilderness warrior/druids

9) "Rogue" = Stealthy dex-monkeys

10) "Sorcerer" = Users of inborn magic (mostly destructive)

11) "Wizard" = Users of studied magic (mostly destructive)

 

[Desdichado]

In my campaigns, the names of the classes are meta-game terminology only, not ingame terminology. Well, with the exception of prestige classes, of course. I try to actually discourage the use of them as much as possible.