D&D 5E World of Farland Now Embraces Asian, African, and Indian Cultures

The World of Farland has been online thoughout various iterations of D&D for as long as I've been running this website. So, about 20 years. It's a dark D&D setting, ruled by evil lords based on the Seven Deadly Sins, with an tmosphere a bit like if Lord of the Rings had gone the other way. The new Realms Under Shadow hardcover supplement introduces new locations which are not dependent on European mythology. I've been sent a few previews to share!

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The World of Farland, conquered by evil and ruled by the Lords of Sin, has been online for nearly 20 years. It's a best-seller here at DTRPG. But the setting has focused on European-style fantasy up to this point. That changes now...

The evil Wintervale has conquered the continent of Farland. But other lands lie south and east of the Wintervale. Some of these exotic realms are allied with the Shadow and some resist it, but either way, they have been affected by it. These are the Realms Under Shadow...

The Realms Under Shadow are fantastic places reminiscent of the medieval cultures of Asia, Africa (including egypt), and India. This campaign supplement allows you to play a game that is not in the vein of the traditional European style fantasy. Adventure in diverse and amazing places. Battle characters and monsters that are a far cry from your usual RPG experience. This book is compatible with the 5th edition of the World's most popular RPG and is a supplement to The World of Farland Campaign Setting, although it can certainly be used on its own.

This 235 page campaign supplement includes:

• Detailed write-ups on many unique and diverse cultures
• 14 new PC races
• New player options, including 15 new class archetypes and paths; feats; and equipment
• Calendars and gods
• New Languages
• Tons of adventure hooks
• Important NPCs and locations
• Seventeen new monsters
• A full length adventure set in the Realms Under Shadow
• Much more!
• All exclusive new content that will never appear on the website.

This book comes with two maps of the geography, and it is now available in standard color hardcover and gorgeous premium color hardcover!

 

[Tonguez]

Ye

I was trying to explain D&D to a Maori in the 90s as it's heavily based on European myth and legend.

A Dragon article had Polynesian weapons in it for D&D and he thought it was great. YMMV of course.

Polynesian themes were also in the Barbarians Handbook, not sure how people would feel about that but I'm not a fan of the berzerker thing they borrowed from the Vikings.

ah back in 3e Mongoose did a Sahuagin guide in which they used a Maori character the Tohunga who explained about ‘ponaturi’. I thought that was neat too but bezerker Maori sounds bad....

 

[Zardnaar]

Ye

ah back in 3e Mongoose did a Sahuagin guide in which they used a Maori character the Tohunga who explained about ‘ponaturi’. I thought that was neat too but bezerker Maori sounds bad....

2E Barbarians weren't rangers, one if them was.

It was a South Seas type kit.

2E was the last time I liked the Barbarian class.

It's an Islander kit. You get some skills, no penalty for fighting in water and you can shapechange like a Druid. You can also get a mana weapon which is an invisible +2 weapon.

You don't get fast movement.

In 5E tend probably a totem variant trading rage and fast movement for Druid (aquatic) wildshape, advantage in athletics: swim, and something like the Bladelocks magic weapon.

 

[Sadras]

Or in other words, what do you do if you are a Native American in Germany who discovers that there is this LARPing community of Germans dressing up in the trappings of your culture and pretending to be "Red Indians".

People play historical war games on PC, playstation and xbox, but LARPing is the step too far.

I see much of this as a powerful educational tool whether one is PC gaming, LARPing, playing D&D or making a costume for Halloween or dress-up parties. I have wiki'd much due to the historically set PC games I have played.

I'm currently running an adventure with a berbalang for the first time - never knew about this creature a month ago. So I did a little bit of googling to see where it originates from - turns out it it a mythical creature in the Filipino culture and learned a little about its origins. Personally I think it is pretty cool D&D has incorporated something from Filipino mythology. I will more than likely inform my players about its mythos at the end of the adventure.

I'm sure a few of these LARPing Germans have done their fair share of research on the Native American history. And they discuss what they have learned at water-cooler fountain and other social gatherings passing on the lore.

I have a niece and nephew (both under 10) in Greece - in their school they were learning about various Asian cultures. The children all had a day where they dressed up as Asians with the makeup on the eyes and everything. I know, this is not done in many of the English speaking nations. But the kids, as well as the parents - did some research about various dress codes and the like. Nothing was done with the intention of being mean-spirited.

Now certain people may view take issue with some or all of the above, casting it in a negative light - and that's who they are. For me there is no gray cloud, only the silver lining.

 

[Sadras]

At the end of the day it comes down to authority, both in terms of source of authority and respect for that authority.

as a NZ “Maori” I see examples of the haka being performed all over the world, most recently by Japanese school children, but previously by American football players, Italian models, Belgian hipsters and drunken Englishmen.

Disagree. When the NZ sports team decided to incorporate the haka (their version being the Ka Mate) into their pre- rugby game ritual, I'm sorry, but that opens access for your drunken Englishmen, your South Africans, your Australians and anyone else who follows rugby to make playful mockery of it (whether they are a comedian or not). This is what happens in sport, people get competitive and if your team is out their "intimidating" the other teams with a haka - you're going to get teased, especially if you lose!

And that is not an attack on Maori culture - in fact furthest from it. The same could happen if the South Africans incorporated a Zulu war-dance for instance as a pre-game ritual.

 

[Zardnaar]

Disagree. When the NZ sports team decided to incorporate the haka (their version being the Ka Mate) into their pre- rugby game ritual, I'm sorry, but that opens access for your drunken Englishmen, your South Africans, your Australians and anyone else who follows rugby to make playful mockery of it (whether they are a comedian or not). This is what happens in sport, people get competitive and if your team is out their "intimidating" the other teams with a haka - you're going to get teased, especially if you lose!

And that is not an attack on Maori culture - in fact furthest from it. The same could happen if the South Africans incorporated a Zulu war-dance for instance as a pre-game ritual.

There's pretty much always Maori in the all blacks.

You don't really do the haka here. I've done it drunk but I was hanging out with Maori and they lead it. It's not something you tend to do just because.

Women are also not supposed to do it. It doesn't really offend most Maori when the All Blacks do it they in effect have permission.

In New Zealand we also go to maraes and learn what's appropriate or not. We also learn how to pronounce the language or at least make an honest effort, some words are hard.

It's the equivalent of singing someone else national anthem and butchering it I suppose.

I think being respectful helps,most Polynesians I've met seem to like Moana even if it's not strictly accurate.