Voadam
Legend
1e Oriental Adventures is mostly an alternative 1e PH for Asian themed fantasy with the majority of it being inspired by feudal samurai movies and based on Japanese myths and history.
However it says in its introductions it also deals with other East Asian cultures.
From Zeb Cook's Introduction on page 4:
It is with great pleasure that I write this.
For one thing, I finally have the chance to introduce new readers and gamers to a long-time fascination of mine—the Orient. The Orient is rich in variety and diversification. Though there are similarities among its many lands, each land has its own unique outlook and style. This is part of what makes the Orient mysterious and exciting—the exploration and discovery of entirely different cultures. Thus, the Oriental Adventures book is broad in scope—it does not restrict itself to a single country or time period. Presented here is material drawn from Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines. The historical periods that provide inspiration are equally broad—Heian, Kamakura, Sengoku, and Tokugawa Japan; Han, T'ang, Sung, and Ming China; ancient Korea; even the Mongol invasions.
The second pleasure in writing this comes from the reading I had to do to prepare. The Oriental Adventures project spurred me to read materials I would otherwise never have seen. Some of it was thrilling and some not.
The variety of topics was huge—legends, folktales, literary epics, genealogical histories, philosophy, religion, poetry, architecture, land management, government, history, martial arts, sociology, anthropology, military affairs, economics, and fiction. The bulk of this material deals with Japan, with China a close second. This is not due to any oversight. Most of the material available deals with Japan, through the choice of various writers.
From the standpoint of gaming, Japan's history and culture provides greater opportunities for adventure and advancement. Although often seen as a rigid society, Japan has had several periods of tumultuous upheavel where a person of any rank could make his name—the Sengoku period or the collapse of the Heian government being only two. Of course anyone who looks carefully at China will find the same occurred there. However, fewer people cared to write about it."
None of the material is explicitly as stated as being from one real world source or another.
What material have you identified as specifically not Japanese in it?
What have you identified as coming from a specific other East Asian source?
However it says in its introductions it also deals with other East Asian cultures.
From Zeb Cook's Introduction on page 4:
It is with great pleasure that I write this.
For one thing, I finally have the chance to introduce new readers and gamers to a long-time fascination of mine—the Orient. The Orient is rich in variety and diversification. Though there are similarities among its many lands, each land has its own unique outlook and style. This is part of what makes the Orient mysterious and exciting—the exploration and discovery of entirely different cultures. Thus, the Oriental Adventures book is broad in scope—it does not restrict itself to a single country or time period. Presented here is material drawn from Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines. The historical periods that provide inspiration are equally broad—Heian, Kamakura, Sengoku, and Tokugawa Japan; Han, T'ang, Sung, and Ming China; ancient Korea; even the Mongol invasions.
The second pleasure in writing this comes from the reading I had to do to prepare. The Oriental Adventures project spurred me to read materials I would otherwise never have seen. Some of it was thrilling and some not.
The variety of topics was huge—legends, folktales, literary epics, genealogical histories, philosophy, religion, poetry, architecture, land management, government, history, martial arts, sociology, anthropology, military affairs, economics, and fiction. The bulk of this material deals with Japan, with China a close second. This is not due to any oversight. Most of the material available deals with Japan, through the choice of various writers.
From the standpoint of gaming, Japan's history and culture provides greater opportunities for adventure and advancement. Although often seen as a rigid society, Japan has had several periods of tumultuous upheavel where a person of any rank could make his name—the Sengoku period or the collapse of the Heian government being only two. Of course anyone who looks carefully at China will find the same occurred there. However, fewer people cared to write about it."
None of the material is explicitly as stated as being from one real world source or another.
What material have you identified as specifically not Japanese in it?
What have you identified as coming from a specific other East Asian source?
