Sahasra: The Land of 1,000 Cities

[jdrakeh]

The latest release in Dog Soul's Folkloric series, I read and reviewed this product today and was very impressed with the setting elements. I've been looking forward to a setting (not a game) with heavy Indian influences for quite some time and Sahasra fills this void quite well... but...

It contains no specialized classes that reflect the Eastern cultural ideals present in the setting, nor does it contain rules for mechanical easing the core D&D classes into the setting so that they make sense int he context of said setting... they're just kind of 'dropped' into the setting. Same deal with spells. So, while the setting gets me all hot and bothered, I'm somewhat disappointed with the lack of setting-appropriate PC classes or magic. Which brings me to my question...

Where would I need to look for 3e classes or spells more befitting of a setting largely culled from ancient Indian mythology? I'm aware of Al Qadim - and, indeed, this might be a place to look for some influence (but technically, Al Qadim is an Arabian-inspired setting). So, are there any other D&D settings inspired by Indian mythology, or am I stuck having to cook up my own setting-appropriate core class variants and spells?

I suspect that cooking that stuff up on my own wouldn't be too difficult, but if somebody has already done the work for me, I'd just assume use their stuff to fill in the holes.

 

[mosaic]

I downloaded something called "Mahasarpa" a while back from the WotC site. It was an Indian-inspired setting for use with Oriental Adventures. It had a few countries and magic items, and a couple of monsters. I don't remember anything about classes. I'm sure you can find it if go back through their archieves.

 

[jdrakeh]

I downloaded something called "Mahasarpa" a while back from the WotC site. It was an Indian-inspired setting for use with Oriental Adventures. It had a few countries and magic items, and a couple of monsters. I don't remember anything about classes. I'm sure you can find it if go back through their archieves.

Any spells? Sahasra has magic items, PC naming conventions, monsters, adventure seeds, and a ton of other really cool stuff - just no setting-appropriate classes or spells. Magic Missiles, Feather Fall, Clerics analogous to Crusaders of the 11th and 12th centuires, and Paladins analogous to Arthurian Knights just seem horribly out of place in a setting based on mythic India for some reason.

 

[Tuerny]

Just out of curiosity, how much of the content is devoted to setting and how much is devoted to other stuff? If I bought it I would probably be using it with one of the myriad of d20 alternatives out there and any D&D content it has would be a waste. This will probably determine whether I buy it or not.

 

[jdrakeh]

Just out of curiosity, how much of the content is devoted to setting and how much is devoted to other stuff? If I bought it I would probably be using it with one of the myriad of d20 alternatives out there and any D&D content it has would be a waste. This will probably determine whether I buy it or not.

There is very little mechanical info in the document outside of the stat blocks for NPCs and stats for magic items (the eight siddhis). I'd say that Sahasra is roughly 98% setting and 02% rules. Normally, this would score big points with me, but... given that no other d20 product covers characters classes or spells appropriate to the Sahasra setting, it means that I have to cook up all of that on my own. I think that's a pretty big product pitfall. If your product is the first of its kind, I think it appropriate to cover things such as setting-appropriate classes, spells, etc.

All of that said, the quality of the setting material itself made it impossible for me to call Sahasra a bad product. It reminded me of a girl that I once had a thing for - fundamentally flawed in places, but drenched in so much sexy that I'm willing to overlook its flaws for the promise of a brief but passionate affair. Even without setting-appropriate PC classes and spells, Sahasra still has a lot of good to offer and I'm really looking forward to using it in actual play - but before I can do that, I have to find and/or create some classes and spells that don't shatter the suspension of disbelief for me.

 

[Turanil]

So, are there any other D&D settings inspired by Indian mythology, or am I stuck having to cook up my own setting-appropriate core class variants and spells?

Mindshadows by Green Ronin Publishing is a fantasy setting supplement inspired by ancient India. However, where classes are concerned, it focuses on psionics.

 

[Waylander the Slayer]

Being Indian and all i will add my.01 to this. From what i remember, the old deities and demigods had actual indian gods converted. For a Start the main gods would be the following:
The trinity being:
Vishnu (the overgod) portfolio: (preservation, protection)
Shiva (destruction, rebirth)
Brahma (Creation)

There are many minor gods- the following link should highlight that. Note that Krishna, Rama etc. are mortal avatars of Vishu, and others are aspects of other gods.godesses. The following site should be helpful (other than the Buddha part).
http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm

Classes- Since indian society at the time was caste based, oriental adventures might be the best way to go (as with the mahasarpa campaign, run by wayne reynolds?). Dharma and Karma always being key. Indian Myth does have spell casters but their power is derived from evil. Clerics are the heighest class and considered powerful- even though their combat abilities would be minor. I can see bards and rogues easily fitting in, but not paladins(as all wariiors a expected to live by their code).

 

[William Ronald]

Being Indian and all i will add my.01 to this. From what i remember, the old deities and demigods had actual indian gods converted. For a Start the main gods would be the following:
The trinity being:
Vishnu (the overgod) portfolio: (preservation, protection)
Shiva (destruction, rebirth)
Brahma (Creation)

There are many minor gods- the following link should highlight that. Note that Krishna, Rama etc. are mortal avatars of Vishu, and others are aspects of other gods.godesses. The following site should be helpful (other than the Buddha part).
http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses.htm

Classes- Since indian society at the time was caste based, oriental adventures might be the best way to go (as with the mahasarpa campaign, run by wayne reynolds?). Dharma and Karma always being key. Indian Myth does have spell casters but their power is derived from evil. Clerics are the heighest class and considered powerful- even though their combat abilities would be minor. I can see bards and rogues easily fitting in, but not paladins(as all wariiors a expected to live by their code).

I believe that James Wyatt was behind the Mahasarpa campaign. Also, there was a 2nd Edition adventure created by the RPGA called Star of Kolhapur, written by Michael Selinker. I cannot comment on the accuracy of any of the material, but I can provide some details. It had characters from the following classes and castes: a fighter who was a Brahmin, a cleric who was a Pundit,a Fakir who was also a wizard, a fighter who was made a member of the Singh caste,a monk who was refered to as a yogi, and a ranger who was listed as being of the Shikari caste. Also, I think there was a land of Sind in the Mystara setting.

Possibly the cloistered cleric from WoTC's Unearthed Arcana might be a good alternative to standard clerics. Or some of the classes from Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed might work better than the standard classes.

 

[Tonguez]

Magic Missiles, Feather Fall, Clerics analogous to Crusaders of the 11th and 12th centuires, and Paladins analogous to Arthurian Knights just seem horribly out of place in a setting based on mythic India for some reason.

Except that they aren't really out of place in an India setting (not northern india anyway). Mounted Knighs are a reasonable approximation of the Moghul horsemen. Also Al-Qadim is not Arabian-inspired but 101 Nights inspired and those stories covered the whole of Asia (eg Alladin was chinese). What we tend to forget is that contact between nations around the Indian ocean and along the silk road was going on for centuries and India at its center had a lot of influences from other nations.

Anyway to a give you more specific aid - Mahasarpa is an excellent resource that amongst other things gives notes on the four castes (five with untouchables) and how these relate to class and Indian names for the the oriental and standard classes 'to fit' within an India setting (eg Baladhara = Psychic Warrior, Yavana = Barbarian, Mantrika = Scorcerer). It also has Human (divided by nation (ie Rokugans clans)), Vanara, Sea and River spirit folk, Monkey and Mongoose Hengeyokai and Aasimars as PC races. As to spells it aids two new domains but only one new spell

I played a Baladhara (Psychic Warrior)/Yavana(Barbarian) Weretiger weilding keen Kukri in the Mahasarpa game I played and had lots of fun

 

[Stormborn]

OK, first of all let me be clear that I am a bit biased. Not only have I worked with Dog Soul, and have more things coming in the future, but Donna Fitch is the person that introduced me to gaming.

Having said that, I think jdrakeh is entirelly justified to be somewhat disappointed given what he says he was looking for. My only complaint is that he was looking in the wrong place and therefore did not, of course, find all he wanted. The Folkloric line from Dog Soul, to my understanding, was never intended to produce the kind of setting material, with alternate classes and magic spells etc, that jdrakeh asks for. I am sure that both Cathix (Deborah) and Raef (Donna) are around and can correct me, but all of the settings in that line are supposed to be 100% compatible with core DnD. They are supposed to be lands that your paladins and clerics and sorcerers can wander into and out of without changing who they are and what they are. Any of them could be lands across the sea from Greyhawk or Waterdeed or Sharn as is.

When I taught Public Speaking at a local university I always tried to judge my students based on how well they achieved their stated goals for a speech, they could claim however little or much as they wanted as long as they backed it up. The Folkloric line is intended to give flavor and setting information for strange lands that are compatible with the PHB, not provide an alternative to the PHB. So I would merely suggested that the products be reviewed based on their stated intention.

I do think jdrakeh is right in saying that there is a market for unique fantasy classes, spells, etc. for an Mythic India style setting. I may talk to Donna about that myself.