D&D 5E Oriental Adventures 5e: How would you do it?

[Azzy]

The Philippines especially are so full of myths and legends of strange creatures/monsters, I wish they would be added to D&D as official content (in fact, a forum member made a pretty good effort to create a 5th edition version of one of my favorite Filipino monsters, the Aswang, a while back).

By the way, this may be a dumb question, but why is the name Oriental Adventures offensive?

Here's a discussion about why the term "oriental" is typically considered offensive to many Asian-Americans.

 

[Imaculata]

Here's a discussion about why the term "oriental" is typically considered offensive to many Asian-Americans.

So would it be okay to call it Asian Adventures? Or is that also offensive? I honestly don't know. I never knew oriental was considered an offensive word.

 

[lowkey13]

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[Coroc]

Well now it gets weird. I respect totally that someone is offended by a term because something is associated with it.

But the classical orient was a rich culture with loads of progress some of it world leading during historic periods in mathematics, medicine , astronomy and other sciences. They invented things like paper, gun powder, chess, found the concept of a number 0 etc. The highly developed martial arts coupled with philosophies are in no way negative. Almost every one loves asian food.

So what association of a medieval Orient has got a negative conotation to american asians living today?

I well could understand if they were offended if compared /associated with some of the mess going on in some of the countries which occupy some of these areas in the present time.

But maybe someone can explain to me because living in europe that fact was totally new to me.

 

[Coroc]

Yea now i did read [MENTION=6801286]Imaculata[/MENTION] 's link - People cmon! It is about context!!! I would never call a present person of asian heritage an oriental.
But medieval oriental adventures that is a total different thing.

In fact if we stay with the official product line they took place in Kara Tur not in Orientalistan.

Now that the Name Kara Tur is established you might use it, but still how does someone not familar with that FR sidekick campaign check out that he gets a ninja, samurai and dervish style campaign by the product name?

 

[Chuck Ocenasek]

Follow up question. Why is putting every Asian culture in a blender and taking elements for your setting wrong. Have we not done the same to European cultures with most D&D settings?

 

[Christopher Olson]

Follow up question. Why is putting every Asian culture in a blender and taking elements for your setting wrong. Have we not done the same to European cultures with most D&D settings?

Ya I'm not sure why either. I'm sure that not all the people who have written them were of European decent and quite frankly I dont give a hoot who writes about fantasy settings that resemble historical cultural settings.

 

[lowkey13]

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[TiwazTyrsfist]

Follow up question. Why is putting every Asian culture in a blender and taking elements for your setting wrong. Have we not done the same to European cultures with most D&D settings?

I guess I would have to say, because European culture in the time period we use as a basis for Fantasy Settings is far more homogeneous?

Most of our fantasy settings are based on High Medieval to Early Renaissance. Time periods where most of Europe was unified into one or two empires. The Carolingian empire, The Byzantine and Frankish Empires, the Holy Roman Empire. Nearly everyone shared a religion, They were all Christian, through much of it All Catholic (excepting OF COARSE the Jewish and Muslim minorities). While different areas obviously had their own customs and languages, at the same time they were bound by the same laws, had the same religious doctrines, and generally had to learn at least a little of a common language for trade and legal reasons. The term Lingua Franca comes from this time for a reason. It's why fantasy settings HAVE "Common" as a language.

Even after the empires collapsed and smaller monarchies emerged again, ALL THE NOBLE FAMILIES OF EUROPE WERE BLOOD RELATIVES. The Rulers of all the countries started out as first or second cousins, and since nobility was supposed to marry nobility, the sons and daughters of kings married the sons and daughters of kings from other nations, keeping all the royal families linked. Yea, up unto the modern day. Kaiser Wilhelm was the Nephew of Edward VII (King of England leading up to WWI) and First Cousin of George V (King During the war through the late 30's)

So, while Western Europe, yes, does have some cultural differences, they are on the same scale that Brooklyn, Texas, and San Francisco have Cultural differences.


Also, it's worth noting, The process of Blending and Cherry Picking bits and pieces of all White Western European Christian Cultures to make High Fantasy settings, was done BY White Western European Christians (or people of such descent). E.G. JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, et al.

 

[lowkey13]

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