D&D 5E Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks Would Like To Explore Kara-Tur

According to Reddit poster bwrusso, who was in a small group investor meeting with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks last week, Hasbro's CEO (who was previously President of Wizards of the Coast before being promoted to his current position) currently plays in a Kara-Tur campaign and would personally like to see that setting explored further.

Kara-Tur is part of the Forgotten Realms, and is inspired by real-world East and Southeast Asia cultures, including China, Japan, Mongolia, and other regions. It was originally published in the 1985 book Oriental Adventures, and has since appeared in other formats including a boxed set in 1988. Eight adventure modules for the setting were published in the late 80s. In 2015's Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Kara-Tur is briefly described.

Cocks also touched on Spanish-language translations of D&D books in Latin America, and indicated that there were distribution issues with former licensing agreements in that region.

 

[pawsplay]

How is Kara-Tur low magic? To me it's the land of wu jen, and guys riding quilin.

 

[Mecheon]

How is Kara-Tur low magic? To me it's the land of wu jen, and guys riding quilin.

Have you read the original OA?

That's low magic and humanocentric in a way FR simply isn't. Its why people say it makes more sense more in Greyhawk. Folks don't ride quilen there, despite that being an easy due to like, the Great Yokai War (produced by the same folks who did Gamera) and wu jen are sidelined. Magic has no impact on the world. There's no great magical kingdoms despite those being a dime a dozen over the other side of the world. Hell, there isn't even an Oni gate or isle of the oni (actual mythological things that every Japanese fantasy story grabs because its an easy grab, just like the Elite Four), because apparently two Japans based on different time periods were more important than, y'know, fantasy, in the fantasy role playing game

Oh, and the three other races they've got around are a racist caricature against the Ainu people, the most boring and bland interpretation of the massively diverse number of shapeshifting animal spirits that they've basically merged the equivilents of elves and dwarves into one species, and half-human half-natural phenonmon which, I can only presume is a weird take on Kaguya. This is in something where through exceedingly famous story Journey to the West alone, you could have at least 3 far more unique offerings just by ripping off the main characters and that's before even getting to the massive cast in that story

 

[Kobold Avenger]

How is Kara-Tur low magic? To me it's the land of wu jen, and guys riding quilin.

I think it was the writeups where they tried to have it more like their historical fantasy books.

 

[pawsplay]

Have you read the original OA?

Why, yes. I happen to have a copy handy right here.

That's low magic and humanocentric in a way FR simply isn't.

I always played a spirit folk samurai, and this is a game where you can play a crab.

Its why people say it makes more sense more in Greyhawk. Folks don't ride quilen there,

Somebody better tell this guy before he gets in trouble:

Oh, and the three other races they've got around are a racist caricature against the Ainu people,

To be fair, it's an authentically Japanese racist caricature of the Ainu people.

 

[Mecheon]

Why, yes. I happen to have a copy handy right here.

Can you honestly say, when you read OA, that you thought "Yup, this is a place that fits in Faerun with no issues and follows similar thematic beats"?

I always played a spirit folk samurai, and this is a game where you can play a crab.

Which the game presents as rare and mystical things despite, in Faerun, spirit folks basically being expected to be common as heck due to Faerun's particulars

Somebody better tell this guy before he gets in trouble:

That is not a quilen. Like, let's firstly not forget, Quilen (which is. Just the Chinese name for what Japan calls the Kirin) are stock D&D creatures and aren't OA locked, they showed up first in Eldritch Wizardry in 1E along with the druid. That's one of the OA dragons or maybe a fu lion, it ain't a quilen given this is their 1E artwork and that is clearly not what is being ridden

To be fair, it's an authentically Japanese racist caricature of the Ainu people.

This is the worst excuse for racism in the game I think I've ever heard.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

actually the asian dwarves are based on this myth.

Korpokkur - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[pawsplay]

Can you honestly say, when you read OA, that you thought "Yup, this is a place that fits in Faerun with no issues and follows similar thematic beats"?

I didn't even think about FR back then.

Which the game presents as rare and mystical things despite, in Faerun, spirit folks basically being expected to be common as heck due to Faerun's particulars

Spirit folk are common as heck. They have low ability score requirements, can be samurai, and live comfortably in human society.

That is not a quilen.

Then why does it have hooves? What do you think it is?

This is the worst excuse for racism in the game I think I've ever heard.

I'm not excusing racism in the game. I'm making an observation about Japanese racism.

The korobokuru come from Ainu myth. Accordingly, the Japanese in popular culture often associate them with stereotypical Ainu traits, like how American people like to depict leprechauns with shockingly racist caricatures of Irish people.

 

[SkidAce]

I imagine for a lot of younger people, the Last Airbender is probably a big inspiration. Is that culturally sensitive enough? How about Mulan? Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Juno and the Two Strings? Not a rhetorical question. I don’t know and I’d be curious what others think.

Kubo and the Two Strings.

Forgive me, I only correct because it is such a fantastic film. Top tier.

 

[Mecheon]

actually the asian dwarves are based on this myth.

Korpokkur - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I'm very aware of korpokkur, but, y'know, myths where a gnome-like being described as beautiful have a biiiiit of a stretch that they ended up as bow legged, scraggly bearded, noted-in-game-text as looked down on caricture of a race

I didn't even think about FR back then.

Well, we're talking about it coming back as part of FR, so we probably want to consider how something fits in the setting where the award winning game Baldurs Gate 3 is set given, y'know, the sheer impact that game's had, and folks wanting KT back due to it being part of Faerun.

Spirit folk are common as heck. They have low ability score requirements, can be samurai, and live comfortably in human society.

I do not care about player stat regularity on this, I care about them out and about in the world. Given we're, once again, talking about a place in Faerun with its numerous locations where even Thri-kreen have their roaving bands, KT seems absolutely lacking given 'comfortable in human society' needs to be a thing. There should absolutely be non-human societies around given there are tons of non-human societies elsewhere. Humans shouldn't be the only societies. That alone makes the place not feel like its part of FR

Then why does it have hooves? What do you think it is?

Hooves are not the defining feature of a kirin? The whole not being covered in scales alone thing is a clear sign this isn't one. I have a mechanical robot kirin on my desk that turns into a cube and its clearly more kirin than that. That is clearly not a scaled, horned horse-like celestial being in the slightest, Its probably "Apply fu-creature template to horse" or something like that, given the lion mane and slightly horrifying teeth situation

I'm not excusing racism in the game. I'm making an observation about Japanese racism.

Well, maybe we should just. Drop the racism entirely, go back to the original myth, and make 'em a gnome or halfling variant given we don't need to slap "Oh yeah its a dwarf but out east" on things any more like the most dull, bored reskinning ever?

The setting needs changes and given it was done in the 'being narrated by someone from the region' you can easily go "Yeah that person was wrong and lying, here's a better look", which also helps given OA's other many, many issues as brought up by other parties why just keeping it as-is is a terrible idea. The setting needs to be changed, especially in a day and age I can just, send a message to any number of folks in east Asia and get some recommendations on appropriate fantasy in ten seconds

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I'm very aware of korpokkur, but, y'know, myths where a gnome-like being described as beautiful have a biiiiit of a stretch that they ended up as bow legged, scraggly bearded, noted-in-game-text as looked down on caricture of a race


Well, we're talking about it coming back as part of FR, so we probably want to consider how something fits in the setting where the award winning game Baldurs Gate 3 is set given, y'know, the sheer impact that game's had, and folks wanting KT back due to it being part of Faerun.


I do not care about player stat regularity on this, I care about them out and about in the world. Given we're, once again, talking about a place in Faerun with its numerous locations where even Thri-kreen have their roaving bands, KT seems absolutely lacking given 'comfortable in human society' needs to be a thing. There should absolutely be non-human societies around given there are tons of non-human societies elsewhere. Humans shouldn't be the only societies. That alone makes the place not feel like its part of FR


Hooves are not the defining feature of a kirin? The whole not being covered in scales alone thing is a clear sign this isn't one. I have a mechanical robot kirin on my desk that turns into a cube and its clearly more kirin than that. That is clearly not a scaled, horned horse-like celestial being in the slightest, Its probably "Apply fu-creature template to horse" or something like that, given the lion mane and slightly horrifying teeth situation


Well, maybe we should just. Drop the racism entirely, go back to the original myth, and make 'em a gnome or halfling variant given we don't need to slap "Oh yeah its a dwarf but out east" on things any more like the most dull, bored reskinning ever?

The setting needs changes and given it was done in the 'being narrated by someone from the region' you can easily go "Yeah that person was wrong and lying, here's a better look", which also helps given OA's other many, many issues as brought up by other parties why just keeping it as-is is a terrible idea. The setting needs to be changed, especially in a day and age I can just, send a message to any number of folks in east Asia and get some recommendations on appropriate fantasy in ten seconds

You also have over a hundred years the Sundering etc..., as a space to create improvenents and add cool elements.

Could even make korpokkur their own seperate species.

And there is enough empty space in Kara Tur to add none human nations and feycrossing and shadow crossings and add more magic to the continient.