Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Desdichado" data-source="post: 79949" data-attributes="member: 2205">OK, got it.&nbsp; I'm not too fond, actually, of the idea of clans being monolithic cultures within a culture.&nbsp; The feats are good ideas, but the strong cultural bias just doesn't work for me, unless they are seperate ethnicities or nations within a much broader cultural spectrum.&nbsp; Mixing up Rokugan clans (the mechanics, at least) with the Wheel of Time races might give you more options and make it less obvious that you're stealing from Rokugan more directly.Another interesting socio-political factor is something that I once stole from Egyptian history but is very applicable to an OA type setting because it happened several times in China as well is the concept of an outsider (not in the D&amp;D sense) ruling caste.&nbsp; Barbarians that conquer the nation and rule it, but are eventually so naturalized that they become more Chinese than the Chinese.&nbsp; Like I said, I originally got the idea from the Hyksos (Shepherd Kings) of Egypt, who were eventually ousted by descendents of the Pharoahs who had kinda ruled from exile in the Upper Kingdom.&nbsp; Not that the ruling caste was necessarily bad for the masses: in fact, they often were even better, but their will be factions that are loyal to the original dynasties, and that gives all kinds of opportunities for the PCs to get in the thick of things regardless of which sympathies they have.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Desdichado, post: 79949, member: 2205"] [i][/i] OK, got it. I'm not too fond, actually, of the idea of clans being monolithic cultures within a culture. The feats are good ideas, but the strong cultural bias just doesn't work for me, unless they are seperate ethnicities or nations within a much broader cultural spectrum. Mixing up Rokugan clans (the mechanics, at least) with the Wheel of Time races might give you more options and make it less obvious that you're stealing from Rokugan more directly. Another interesting socio-political factor is something that I once stole from Egyptian history but is very applicable to an OA type setting because it happened several times in China as well is the concept of an outsider (not in the D&D sense) ruling caste. Barbarians that conquer the nation and rule it, but are eventually so naturalized that they become more Chinese than the Chinese. Like I said, I originally got the idea from the Hyksos (Shepherd Kings) of Egypt, who were eventually ousted by descendents of the Pharoahs who had kinda ruled from exile in the Upper Kingdom. Not that the ruling caste was necessarily bad for the masses: in fact, they often were even better, but their will be factions that are loyal to the original dynasties, and that gives all kinds of opportunities for the PCs to get in the thick of things regardless of which sympathies they have. [/QUOTE]

Verification