Looking For Historical Japan D20.........

[Dedthom]

Hey all, I am looking for a D20 setting that is set in fuedal Japan. Semi historical is ok also, but something like FGU's old Bushido would be nice. I have looked at Oriental Adventures and dont think it will fit the bill at all, in my opinion OA should be called L5R D20. I was very disappointed in it. So, if anyone knows of a publisher who has taken on this genre I would like to hear about it.
Thanx

 

[Olive]

Hey all, I am looking for a D20 setting that is set in fuedal Japan. Semi historical is ok also, but something like FGU's old Bushido would be nice. I have looked at Oriental Adventures and dont think it will fit the bill at all, in my opinion OA should be called L5R D20. I was very disappointed in it. So, if anyone knows of a publisher who has taken on this genre I would like to hear about it.
Thanx

No offense dude, but L5R d20 isn't OA... Over a third of the OA book can't be used to run a L5R campaign as it's chinese or indian or malay in origin.

What about OA didn't fit the bill, rules wise?

 

[Nifelhein]

OA is a book of its own that can be introductory to the Rokugan Campaign Setting, a great book by AEG that details the setting deeply.

Avalanche Press made the AJded & Steel: Roleplaying in mythic china, it seems a nice book, haven't bought or read it, anyway...

 

[Wombat]

I think the world is still waiting for a decent D20 historic Japan (as well as historic lots of other areas).

OA has some decent (if not superlative) points, as long as you ignore all the L5R stuff.

(added later: Well, there is Green Ronin's Testament as an example of historical D20 -- best thing going so far. Now if they will just do Greece I would be happy!)

 

[Dedthom]

Well, I feel there is to much L5R in OA, for example in the description of the Samurai it doesn't mention anything about Japan, but references the clans of Rokugan and and the Rokugan setting. This sort of thing runs thru out the book. Don't forget the six pages dedicated to your Asian campain which mentions, breifly, Japan, China, Korea, and India but give Rokugan as an example of a fleshed out campain world. Then there are 26 pages(not including the Shadowland stuff) on Rokugan. You may feel that a third is not dedicated to Rokugan but that means two thirds is which is way to much for a book that is supposed to be dedicated to all things oriental.
I agree with you Wombat, with all the books that are available for D20 you would think that some one would start producing a line of historical campain books dealing with not just Japan but the vikings, Celts, Romans, Ancient Greece. Hopefully they would be more accurate and informative than OA.

 

[Dana_Jorgensen]

Hey all, I am looking for a D20 setting that is set in fuedal Japan. Semi historical is ok also, but something like FGU's old Bushido would be nice. I have looked at Oriental Adventures and dont think it will fit the bill at all, in my opinion OA should be called L5R D20. I was very disappointed in it. So, if anyone knows of a publisher who has taken on this genre I would like to hear about it.
Thanx

It isn't D20, but I would suggest Sengoku from Gold Rush Games. It's available from RPGnow in PDF format for far less than the $30 price on the printed edition (I just checked, and Sengoku is on sale for under $5.00 right now).

Nice thing is Sengoku is based on Fuzion, which is very similar to the GRG house system, Action!. GRG has a free pdf available providing conversion rules for Action! to D20, and the Sengoku book itself has conversion rules for Fuzion to AD&D 2nd edition. So adapting Sengoku to a D20 game shouldn't be all that difficult.

 

[Dedthom]

Yeah, I ran a game using the first edition rules a few years ago and liked the system, but I cant find anyone in my area who has a copy and I hate to order online. I will check out the pdf tho, Dana.
The thing I liked best about Sengoku is the memorial to Akira Kerasowa(sp? I know it is wrong) at the front of the book.

 

[Ranger REG]

Psst! An Unofficial Alternative...

Gold Rush Games published Sengoku: Chanbara Roleplaying in Feudal Japan rulebook. While it uses the Fuzion ruleset, it has a conversion notes for use with AD&D the predecessor to 3rd edition and the d20 System.

I believe that GRG will publish Sengoku Revised using the Action! System Open ruleset and may provide conversion notes for d20 Open ruleset. But don't take my word for it.

Any smart roleplayers of Asian-type campaigns would have this book, even if it is only used as a reference source.

 

[Olive]

Well, I feel there is to much L5R in OA, for example in the description of the Samurai it doesn't mention anything about Japan, but references the clans of Rokugan and and the Rokugan setting. This sort of thing runs thru out the book. Don't forget the six pages dedicated to your Asian campain which mentions, breifly, Japan, China, Korea, and India but give Rokugan as an example of a fleshed out campain world. Then there are 26 pages(not including the Shadowland stuff) on Rokugan. You may feel that a third is not dedicated to Rokugan but that means two thirds is which is way to much for a book that is supposed to be dedicated to all things oriental.

I totally take your point, but just as the core books don't give any kind of idea about medieval europe, let alone specific countries, OA was never going to be a historically based supplement.

I agree with you Wombat, with all the books that are available for D20 you would think that some one would start producing a line of historical campain books dealing with not just Japan but the vikings, Celts, Romans, Ancient Greece. Hopefully they would be more accurate and informative than OA.

Someone has: Avalance. They've definitely done the vikings and the celts, as well as china.

I have no idea what the books are like however.

 

[Dedthom]

Ahhh, but the name "Oriental adventures" suggest some thing in particular while "dungeons and dragons" does not. Also, if OA was as general as DND3e was, then I would be happy as long as they include the proper generic character classes and asian style feats, skills, armor and weapons then you could make it what you want, without all the work that it will take to pick out and discard the Rokugan info.
Avalanche, I think I have heard of there books I wonder if they are any good? Does anyone know the link to there web site?