What is Expected from an Oriental Game Setting?

[GQuail]

Meh. I just want cultural distinction, not historical distinction.

The section you cut from before that in the quote, though, is perhaps the key part to be replying to: is this a rule you'd apply as equally to European-based games? Or is it impossible to really judge it becuase the things we do with our baseline European culture seem so different to when we do them to other cultures?

What's perhaps an important note for my sample data given is that it's for an oriental world that exists alongside a European one: i.e. it's a foreign land to be travelled to, not a base campaign world. I'd probably want something far more traditional if people said "I want to play an oriental campaign", since odds are people specifically mean "I want ninja, kung fu and serpentine dragons". But when it's sitting alongside other D&D material, I don't see any reason to treat Asia different to any of D&Ds other sources.

 

[GQuail]

I disagree. D&D is about the rules. Nothing more. You didn't see Gygax and "Zeb" injecting elves in the original OA.

There's some truth to this - while some change for changes sake doesn't add anything, simply keeping everything the same but adding -ko to the end of some names does not an Oriental campaign make.

Then again, if someone said they wanted to play "an Oriental D&D campaign", I'd note that they didn't ask to play L5R or another such game - they've asked for D&D, and I wouldn't be overly shocked to hear some of them wanting to play traditional races. (In fact, although the 3rd Ed OA book follows in the 1st Ed example of introducing new races, it does briefly give some mention to doing it the Elves & Dwarves way as well.)

The model for WotC campaign setting these days (and, to an extent, the model for anyone who tries to publish one via the GSL because of the way it's worded) is to add, not remove, from the PHB: so if we see a 4th Ed OA, it'll probably be in that model, with Elves & Dwarves not explicitly banned - though likely downplayed or renamed.

 

[Hussar]

My personal hope would be to see a setting that is simply inspired by Oriental sources, rather than trying to emulate any specific culture. That's generally how I view traditional D&D: not as some sort of Europe pastiche, but, as a random hodgepodge of stuff vaguely borrowed from any and every European background, plus lots of other stuff as well.

So, my Oriental Adventures would start with taking a random assortment of various archetypes and stereotypes, add in a large dose of straight up fantasy, and bake for a hour.

 

[Mallus]

I disagree. D&D is about the rules. Nothing more. You didn't see Gygax and "Zeb" injecting elves in the original OA.

Right. Both the Asian-fusion and Occidental-fusion sections of my D&D campaign setting are orc and elf-free.

 

[Ashanderai]

Any chance to get a preview of setting? Just a little bit of art, some article on class or customs or anything deemed representative enough to make us crave for more?

Regards,
Ruemere

As Joe said above...

(By the way, thanks for the kind words, Joe!)

...the links in my sig can lead you to web pages where you can learn more, including the grass roots thread where a simple idea for adapting Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved (called Arcana Unearthed back then) became the patron project that it is today. Want a good back cover type description of the setting - just go to the Rite Publishing link in my sig and you will find it. Want to know more about first PDF for Lands of the Jade Oath, Heroes of the Jade Oath - just go to link for the Lands of the Jade Oath web page at Rite Publishing in my sig. You can also sign up to be a patron on that web page as well as see a view of the cover by Wayne Reynolds. (Which is now in my sig as well, tiny though it is) But, if you want to see a larger version of that painting with better resolution then you can go here at Wayne Reynold's website to see that painting up close in all its awesome, Asian-style, fantastic glory!

If all that is not enough, then I should tell you that I will be doing an interview soon on the Ollamh Lorekeeper blog. Also, as Quilion stated, right now I am writing an article that will address how and why I got started on this project as well as how and why I am approching my writing to this project. But, mainly the article will be a sort of mini-design diary.

 

[Scribble]

Hrmm maybe a different name?

"Oriental" is kind of considered a deragatory term.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Hrmm maybe a different name?

"Oriental" is kind of considered a deragatory term.

Depends a bit on where you're from, I think. In some parts of Canada I found it to be the opposite.

 

[CruelSummerLord]

Right. Both the Asian-fusion and Occidental-fusion sections of my D&D campaign setting are orc and elf-free.

And that's your right as a DM and as a worldbuilder. If I was a player in your game, those would be decisions I'd have to accommodate when designing a character-if you say no orcs or elves, period, then that's that.

All I'm saying, however, is that for it to be a true D&D experience when I'm the one running the show, elves and orcs are spread around the world. For me, the traditional demihuman and humanoid races go beyond simply the European/Occidental-fusion parts of the world-they're intimately tied into the mythology of the game and the setting. If I'm playing in your campaign, you have the final call on what flies and what doesn't...but for me, as a DM and a worldbuilder, orcs and elves are necessary for it to be a D&D setting I would enjoy running and participating in.

Sure, the rules are an important part, but there are going to be other elements that make up part of the quintessential D&D mythos. These aren't universal-you don't hold the demihumans and humanoids as necessary in the same way I do-and if you don't consider the Vancian magic system, for example, to be an important part of the D&D experience, that's your right. I'm just going on what's important to me, and what I expect from the Oriental-fusion part of my ideal setting. I apply the same criteria to the Far East as I do to Europe, and that I would do to the ancient civilizations of the Americas, Africa, or the Middle East, for example. They all abide by the Vancian magic system, and they all have orcs and demihumans among them, because I view these elements as essential. Others will not, and that's just fine-if I'm a player, I have to abide by the DM's choices, since it's his setting, not mine.

 

[Ranger REG]

Then again, if someone said they wanted to play "an Oriental D&D campaign", I'd note that they didn't ask to play L5R or another such game - they've asked for D&D, and I wouldn't be overly shocked to hear some of them wanting to play traditional races. (In fact, although the 3rd Ed OA book follows in the 1st Ed example of introducing new races, it does briefly give some mention to doing it the Elves & Dwarves way as well.)

Who are "they"?

 

[GQuail]

Then again, if someone said they wanted to play "an Oriental D&D campaign", I'd note that they didn't ask to play L5R or another such game - they've asked for D&D, and I wouldn't be overly shocked to hear some of them wanting to play traditional races.

Who are "they"?

Is this a "I don't understand your point" question or a "I think you're point is wrong" question?

I'm not saying it's bad and wrong to play in a game that basically scraps all the races and classes it can to make the game as oriental as possible - just that when there are dedicated oriental games out there, someone who says "let's play oriental D&D" is more likely to be after some of the more D&D specific material out there. I mean, we all know at least one guy who only ever plays Elves who wouldn't be happy with anything else, right?