WotC Dungeons & Dragons Fans Seek Removal of Oriental Adventures From Online Marketplace

[Fenris-77]

And some people like alignment tracking mechanics. Different tastes in what you want to track.

Yeah, and I really don't like alignment mechanics. One of those YMMV things for sure.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I love the honor system after some hacking, but I don't use it for anything even remotely 'Eastern'. I mostly use it to help represent cultures like Victorian England where public adherence to a strict behavioral code was of primary importance to a certain segment of society. Sometimes it's useful to have a stat to represent the "do you know who I am" kind of thing. It's not useful in a lot of D&D campaigns and settings, for sure, but when its useful its really useful. The way I use it it's probably better described as reputation than honor though.

@Libramarian - 20 seconds on Google isn't a big ask is it?

Yeah, and there is nothing wrong with that, it makes perfect sense. But the system is always presented as being for this "strange new land" and it is just icky.

 

[Bohandas]

Just rename it

 

[Bohandas]

The term, as used in English-language discourse, has a lot to do with British colonialism and attitudes derived from it’s worldview. So I’m not really surprised if it doesn’t have nearly as much meaning to someone with a different background and with a different native language.

How on earth is british colonialism still considered relevant to anything!? The sun set on their empire ages ago!

 

[Fenris-77]

Yeah, and there is nothing wrong with that, it makes perfect sense. But the system is always presented as being for this "strange new land" and it is just icky.

I might use a similar system if I wanted to get a mechanic for the idea of 'Face', theoretically speaking, but I probably wouldn't, because icky. Strong behavioral motivations stemming from public-facing honor and shame are not by any means unique to Asian cultures, so it's unfortunate it's been cast like that.

 

[Bohandas]

The real problem with Oriental Adventures is the vaguely segregationist attitude that underlies the whole thing. There's no reason why it shoukd be necessary to invent fantasy asia just because you want to add martial arts, ninjas, and katanas to your setting and there's certainly no reason why they all need to be packaged together and come from the same place in-world. That's just lazy unimaginative world building.

 

[Stormonu]

This year, make it go away please.

OA 1E was my introduction to Far East culture beyond some subtitled Godzilla and Hong Kong(?) martial art films (mostly Bruce Lee). It was the stepping stone that led to me attempting to learn more about the Far East, and eventually trying to learn Japanese to watch many of my favorite movies in their native languages.

WoTC may stop acknowledging the existance of this book if they choose, but they can't make me give up my copy - physical or electronic.

 

[Helldritch]

Good lord! Are we really down to that? Book burning, denial of the past and rewritting of history? This was seen at the beginning of the last century and we know who did these.

This year, make it go away please.

OA 1E was my introduction to Far East culture beyond some subtitled Godzilla and Hong Kong(?) martial art films (mostly Bruce Lee). It was the stepping stone that led to me attempting to learn more about the Far East, and eventually trying to learn Japanese to watch many of my favorite movies in their native languages.

WoTC may stop acknowledging the existance of this book if they choose, but they can't make me give up my copy - physical or electronic.

I can only agree with this. This is my exact sentiment. But don't forget Ultraman...

 

[Mirtek]

The real problem with Oriental Adventures is the vaguely segregationist attitude that underlies the whole thing. There's no reason why it shoukd be necessary to invent fantasy asia just because you want to add martial arts, ninjas, and katanas to your setting and there's certainly no reason why they all need to be packaged together and come from the same place in-world. That's just lazy unimaginative world building.

Because then you'll find another subset of people complaining about whitewashing

 

[Khelon Testudo]

How on earth is british colonialism still considered relevant to anything!? The sun set on their empire ages ago!

Um, there are people still living who's lives were affected by British colonialism. Hong Kong is only the most obvious example.