Oriental Adventures for 5th Edition [P.E.A.C.H.]

[Rogue Shadows]

The first D&D campaign I ever DM'd for was an Oriential Adventures campaign for 3.X, so the general feel has a special place in my heart. What with me beginning to transition into 5th Edition, I think I might try my hand at updating some of the stuff from the 3.X Oriental Adventures for 5th Edition. This will update sporadically, but it will update. Also comments and suggestions are always appreciated.


http://www.ravenmimura.com/images/full/OrientalAdventures.jpg

Table of Contents

Races
- Hengeyokai (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388398-Oriental-Adventures-for-5th-Edition-P-E-A-C-H&p=18595575#post18595575)
- Koro-pok-guru (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388398-Oriental-Adventures-for-5th-Edition-P-E-A-C-H&p=18564256#post18564256)
- Nezumi
- Spirit Folk (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388398-Oriental-Adventures-for-5th-Edition-P-E-A-C-H&p=18599070#post18599070)
- Vanara

New Class: Shugenja

Class Archetypes
- Barbarian: Bear Warrior
- Druid: Circle of the Spirit (Shaman)
- Fighter: Kensai, Samurai (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388398-Oriental-Adventures-for-5th-Edition-P-E-A-C-H&p=18588093#post18588093)
- Monk: Inkyo, Sohei, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388398-Oriental-Adventures-for-5th-Edition-P-E-A-C-H&p=18588120#post18588120) Tattooed Monk
- Paladin: Oath of the Witch Hunter
- Rogue: Ninja, Yakuza
- Sorcerer: Tainted Heritage
- Warlock: Pact of the Emperor
- Wizard: Tradition of Wu Jen

New System: Taint

Sample Adventure: The Magnificent Seven. Will be designed for seven 7th-level characters, and will work best if all seven are Samurai. Wink. Wink.

[Ralcos]

This looks frickin' awesome! Will bookmark.

[Inchoroi]

--snip--

This is almost identical to the one I came up with for my current game, but its also a lot more detailed. Its awesome.



New Class
- Shugenja

Class Archetypes
- Fighter: Blade Dancer, Samurai, Weapon Master
- Monk: Inkyo, Sohei, Tattooed Monk
- Wizard: Wu Jen

I am also very interested in the above. Synopses?

[Rogue Shadows]

This is almost identical to the one I came up with for my current game, but its also a lot more detailed. Its awesome.

The vast majority of the fluff on hengeyokai in general comes directly from the 3rd Edition Oriental Adventures, while most of the stuff on the individual subraces I pulled from either stuff on the Chinese Zodiac or stuff on "what animal are you" quizzes.


I am also very interested in the above. Synopses?

Just what it says on the tin: 5e conversions for 3rd Edition Oriental Adventures stuff. Most of the classes and prestige classes from that book work best as archetypes/wizard traditions/druid circles/whatever rather than full-fledged classes*. The exception is the shugenja, which I think is different enough from a cleric in style that it should be a class unto itself, rather than a subclass of the cleric.

Right now all I know about it is that it's going to be a Charisma-based spellcaster with five subclasses - Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Void.

----------------
*For that matter as much applies to some of them in 3rd Edition as well. The Inkyo was basically a monk without class features.

[Inchoroi]

The vast majority of the fluff on hengeyokai in general comes directly from the 3rd Edition Oriental Adventures, while most of the stuff on the individual subraces I pulled from either stuff on the Chinese Zodiac or stuff on "what animal are you" quizzes.



Just what it says on the tin: 5e conversions for 3rd Edition Oriental Adventures stuff. Most of the classes and prestige classes from that book work best as archetypes/wizard traditions/druid circles/whatever rather than full-fledged classes*. The exception is the shugenja, which I think is different enough from a cleric in style that it should be a class unto itself, rather than a subclass of the cleric.

Right now all I know about it is that it's going to be a Charisma-based spellcaster with five subclasses - Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Void.

----------------
*For that matter as much applies to some of them in 3rd Edition as well. The Inkyo was basically a monk without class features.

Well, color me intrigued. You have earned yourself a fan, sir.

...I need to dig out my D&D boxes.

[Rogue Shadows]

Our next update: the korobokuru. Only now they're called the koro-pok-guru. See, the koro-pok-guru are inspired by stories of little people from the mythoi of the Ainu people (natives of Hokkaido and Russia's Kuril islands, and both ethnically and linguistically distinct from the Yamato, the race to which something like 95% of the Japanese belong), and being so inspired I feel it's better to refer to them by a more Ainu variation of their name. Other renditions include koro-pok-kuru and (for a very Japanese version) korobokkuru (three K's; actually I think only D&D uses a two-k version).

I used a few Ainu words to flesh out their names, too, while retaining the monosyllabic, I'm-pretty-sure-were-made-up names from Oriental Adventures as well.

Koro-pok-guru
Living in barren wilderness areas where they seldom come into contact with humans, the koro-pok-guru avoid contact or involvement in the affairs of the world outside of their terraced farms and small ranches, although occasional individuals driven by wanderlust or inspired by some contact with human civilization find their way into human lands.

http://th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/300/c/d/fairy_of_the_forest_korobokkuru_by_le_xiang-d5j2y90.jpg

The Little People
Koro-pok-guru stand about 4 feet tall, with arms and legs that are slightly longer in proportion to their bodies than those of a human. They have big, bright eyes, usually blue, green, or brown. Their ears are small and somewhat pointed, while their noses are round with flaring nostrils, and their lips are wide and full. Thick hair, usually light brown or blond, covers their arms and legs and grows in wild tangles from their heads. Most adult males have sparse beards, and even a few women have short whiskers.

The koro-pok-guru look wild and unkempt. They favor simple clothing, such as cotton shirts and trousers, or a kimono tied at the waist with a rope sash. Their clothing is often loose or oversized, wrinkled but clean. They shun bright colors in favor of earth tones, and avoid gaudy jewelry in favor of colorful stones on leather straps around their necks, as well as occasionally decorating their hair with flowers.

http://www.lomion.de/cmm/img/koroboku.gif

Standing Apart, Standing Tall
Most other races find koro-pok-guru to be primitive and inferior, and rarely embrace them as equals. In return, the koro-pok-guru become insular and don’t seek interaction with outsiders. Members of other races need to earn their trust.

Koro-pok-guru dwell in remote sites of great natural beauty, such as lush mountain valleys, sprawling tropical forests, snowy wooded mountainsides, remote and isolated coastlines, and creater lakes in ancient volcanoes. They live in simple villages or camps, erecting crude buildings with thatched roofs and walls formed of mud, sticks, and rocks. A typical koro-pok-guru village consists of a single extended family.

As individuals, koro-pok-guru are often stereotyped as being rude, belligerent, boastful, and somewhat comical. In practice this rarely turns out to be far from the truth. They have simple tastes, enjoying community life in their small villages, telling wildly fanciful stories around a fire, simple arts, and collecting treasure. They consider it poor taste to display their wealth.

The Nature of Things
Koro-pok-guru usually venerate the nature spirits that reside near their communities – spirits of the forests, the rivers, and the mountains. Often, they adopt the greatest spirit of the region as something like a patron deity, naming their clan after that spirit and making offerings to it above all others.

Koro-pok-guru Names
Koro-pok-guru bear names that are bestowed by their clan elder. A koro-pok-guru’s name does not truly belong to him; it belongs to his clan, and a koro-pok-guru who commits a grievous enough crime against his clan can have his name taken from him and be forbidden from using it or another name until they have somehow atoned for their trespass. Koro-pok-guru names tend to be short and simple, and usually devote natural features such as plants, small animals, brooks, or stones.

Male Names: Amam, Bun, Bod, Ceh, Cup, Dath, Erum, Fek, Isepo, Kim, Kisar, Mak, Mog, Ni, Pewrep, Rera, Seta, Sir, Tod, Umma, Uyna, Vun, Yuk

Female Names: Apto, Bin, Cikap, Dim, Eper, Fain, Hemoy, Gim, Kamuy, Kina, Kur, Mem, Mon, Nay, Nissui, Rakko, Sanota, Siatuy, Suma, Tas, Usor, Wakka, Wan

Clan Names: Kuo-ban, Gia-mun, Hua-kag, Jun-tua, Ten-min, Yak-rui

https://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1365/78/1365782913267.jpg

Koro-pok-guru Traits
Koro-bok-guru are a subrace of dwarves, but they rarely have contact with their distant cousins and behave quite differently from most other dwarves.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Alignment. Koro-bok-guru resist hierarchy and authority, leaning strongly towards chaotic alignments. Most of them hate evil creatures and value life and good.

Honor. Despite their tendency towards chaos, koro-bok-guru can be trusted to keep their word and pay at least some lip service to authority. Their strong sense of responsibility, if not necessarily duty, towards family and clan also resonates with human ideas of honor. Koro-bok-guru generally straddle the line between honorable and dishonorable.

Size. Koro-bok-guru stand around 4 feet tall and weigh around 120 pounds. Your size is Small. This replaces the Medium size of standard dwarves.

Lucky. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Nature Born. You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks and on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. This replaces the Stonecunning of standard dwarves.

Languages. The koro-pok-guru dialect of Dwarven is very different from standard Dwarven, to the point where a koro-pok-guru and another dwarf would have great difficulty trying to understand one another (it would take four times as long for one to say something to the other using Dwarven). The Koro-pok-guru have no knowledge of the Dwarven script; Koro-pok-guru who wish to write something in their own language use the Common script.

[Inchoroi]

I'd be quite interested in a conversion of the adventures themselves, personally. I'm not familiar enough with the fluff to really comment much, however.

[Rogue Shadows]

And now, the class update we've all been waiting for. And also the sohei because why not.

Samurai
The Samurai is a new martial archetype for the fighter class. The archetypal Samurai is a noble warrior dedicated to the tenets of Bushido, the way of the warrior and a code of honor, loyalty, and obedience.


http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/318/a/3/pheonix_clan_samurai_by_auspiciouspanda-d4g670i.jpg

What is a Samurai?
The noble samurai warrior, wielding his katana and wakizashi as his favored weapons, with a blade so sharp that it can cut through solid blocks of steel or bisect a man. This samurai is the embodiment of bushido, the Way of the Warrior.

This sort of samurai most likely never really existed. If he did, he was probably shot. Historically speaking, samurai tended to prefer using huge bows from horseback, or fighting with spears and polearms. The katana and wakizashi were backup weapons and symbols of status, and while not bad swords, were also not capable of the magical feats constantly ascribed to them. This is leaving aside the fact that a samurai most likely would not have called himself a samurai, but rather a bushi, buke, or some other term. And, of course, there is the problem that not all samurai were warriors – many were courtiers, landed nobility who rarely picked up a weapon and almost never used one in combat.

Then again, it is equally true that historical druids were members of the educated, professional class amongst the Celts of Gaul, Britain, and Ireland; they were law-speakers, poets, and doctors, and most probably didn’t spend any significant amount of time transformed into a bear.

The phrase samurai has come to mean something a little different from its historical context – not simply in D&D,but in the everyday cultural zeitgeist, both in the East and the West. This martial archetype isn’t historically accurate and isn’t trying to be.

Ancestral Daisho
Unlike most martial archetypes, the Samurai archetype grants a bonus feature at 1st level (and one must choose to enter it at 1st level or not at all; you cannot wait until 3rd level), namely, the Ancestral Daisho – weapons that belonged to the Samurai’s ancestors and have passed to the Samurai. Choose two weapons from amongst the weapons you start with at 1st level; these are your Ancestral Daisho. Most Samurai typically choose melee weapons, and particularly the longsword (katana) and short sword (wakizashi). Protecting these weapons is an important point of honor for you, and damaging or losing them brings tremendous shame down upon both you and your family. More practically, most of the features granted by the Samurai class revolve around using your Ancestral Daisho in combat.

Iaijutsu
At 3rd level, you have progressed Iaijutsu, the art of drawing your sword and striking with blinding speed. At the start of combat, as long as your weapons are not in your hands, you have advantage on Dexterity (Initiative) checks.

In addition, you may pick up or draw (but not sheathe) the weapons that comprise your Ancestral Daisho as part of an attack action rather than as part of a move action.

Finally, if you make the first melee attack out of all participants in a combat encounter (including the surprise round), you deal an amount of additional damage equal to twice your Proficiency bonus.

Daisho Awakening
At 7th level, the latent spirits that reside within the blades of the Samurai’s Daisho awaken to life. The weapon or weapons that comprise your Ancestral Daisho are henceforth considered to be magical for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance or damage immunity. In addition, you may choose to do one of the following:
Both of your weapons gain a common or uncommon magic weapon trait, such as a +1 enhancement bonus.
One of your weapons gains a rare or lesser magic weapon trait, such as flame tongue or a +2 enhancement bonus.
The weapon or weapons of your Ancestral Daisho possess these properties only when you wield them – in the hands of another, they function simply as normal swords. Additionally, you are always considered to be attuned to your Ancestral Daisho, should your chosen weapon traits require a character to be attuned to them.

At 12th level, the latent powers of your Ancestral Daisho awakens further. You may choose one of the following:
Both of your weapons gain a rare or lesser magic weapon trait. This replaces any magic weapon traits already upon them.
One of your weapons gains a very rare or lesser magic weapon trait. This replaces any magic weapon trait already upon it.
Finally, at 17th level, your Ancestral Daisho reaches its full power. You may choose one of the following:
Both of your weapons gain a very rare or lesser magic weapon trait. This replaces any magic weapon traits already upon them.
One of your weapons gains a legendary or lesser magic weapon trait. This replaces any magic weapon trait already upon it.

Staredown
At 10th level, as a bonus action, you may make a Charisma (Intimidate) check against a single creature. The creature must make a Charisma save or become frightened for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. If you have either weapon of your Ancestral Daisho drawn when making an Intimidate check, you double your proficiency bonus with the skill check.

You may use this ability once before needing to recharge it with a long rest. You can use it an additional time between rests at 13th and 19th levels.

Kiai Smite
At 15th level, with a mighty shout, you can land a blow on an opponent that leaves him badly wounded. Damage rolls with your Ancestral Daisho deal an amount of additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

Strike Without Thought
At 18th level, you have reached the pinnacle of Samurai ability. When combat begins, you may as a reaction draw a weapon of your Ancestral Daisho (if one is not already drawn) and make an attack against an adjacent opponent. If you do not begin combat adjacent to an opponent, you may move up to your walking speed towards the nearest opponent and make an attack. This movement and attack both comprise a single reaction, not a bonus action, nor your action. They happen outside of your turn, and otherwise you must roll Initiative normally. This reaction may even happen during the Surprise round, rolling Initiative to determine when the reaction takes place during the Surprise round. You are otherwise still surprised, however. You may use this ability once per long rest.

Note that this ability will function with your Iaijutsu feature, provided your attack is the first melee attack made in the encounter.

Tenets of Bushido
A Samurai is more than simply a martial archetype for the Fighter class – it is a way of life, of thought, and of being. Samurai ascribe to the code of Bushido, and must strive to live by its seven tenets. No Samurai is perfect, and there may arise situations wherein a Samurai must compromise Bushido. As long as these actions are undertaken towards some greater cause, this is fine. A Samurai who regularly violates the tenets of Bushido, however, or even flaunts them outright, is no true Samurai. At the DM’s discretion, such a Samurai might be forced to abandon the Samurai martial archetype, taking up a new archetype in its place. A Samurai who does so does not lose the physical blades that comprise his Ancestral Daisho, but if they had awakened, they instead fall silent and function as nothing more than normal swords.

The seven tenets of Bushido are as follows:

Gi (Honesty): Truth must be your way of life. Adhering to the truth may be the most difficult part of your life.

Yu (Courage): You must place your life on the line for your lord, and must be willing to take risks that could lead to the downfall of your house and family. Fear may touch your heart, but you must be able to stand above such emotion.

Jin (Compassion): A truly wise person tempers the power he holds over others with compassion for them. The wisest Samurai are those wo understand that mercy is a fundamental principle of the Celestial Order.

Rei (Courtesy): What separates thinking beings from lesser beasts is our ability to create culture and act civilized. Respect is important, as it keeps us in line with the traditions of our ancestors.

Meiyo (Honor): All dealings a Samurai undertakes should be undertaken with honor. It is the binding force that keeps society together, and allows him to focus his mind properly. Those with no concept of honor are barbaric, and those who openly mock it are beneath contempt.

Makoto (Sincerity): A Samurai who says something is bound to his word. Sincerity is different from truth, because someone can mean something that is not true. It is then your duty to make it true. Sincerity is also absolute belief in what you say.

Chugo (Duty): Everything in the world serves something, and it is against everything the Heavens have dictated if something should refuse to accept its duty, and its place, in the Celestial Order.

Variant: Katanas are Underpowered in 5th Edition (http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Katanas_are_Underpowered_in_d20)
Some players may be dissatisfied with a mere longsword being used to represent the katana, the archetypal blade of the samurai. Those that are may, at the DM’s discretion, use the following statistics to represent a katana instead.

Katana
This single-edged sword has a slight but notable curve to it. Katana blades typically measure between 23 and 28 inches in length. The process of making a true katana in sacred and heavily ritualized in Japanese culture. The katana, along with the shorter but similar wakizashi, are the most typical components of the Ancestral Daisho of a Samurai character.

Katanas are almost never mass-produced or available for sale in a store; they must be specially commissioned from dedicated swordsmiths.

Cost: 300 gp (this reflects the cost of the rituals and commissioning of the weapon more than the raw materials of the weapon itself, which otherwise would cost 35 gp); Damage: 1d10 slashing; Weight: 2.5 pounds; Properties: Versatile (1d12).

[Rogue Shadows]

Sohei
The Sohei is a new monastic tradition for the Monk class. They are warrior monks, religious soldiers who protect large monasteries. They are more militant than holy, defending their monastery against attacks with martial training and spell power, and advancing its political claims in the outside world.


http://homepage.ntlworld.com/neil_james.bruce/Bakemono-&-Sohei.jpg

Sohei Weapon Proficiencies
In addition to the standard weapons of a Monk, upon reaching 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the glaive, halberd, and maul.

Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, you learn how to cast a number of spells, supplementing your martial ability with magical prowess.

http://i58.tinypic.com/rcsbqs.png

Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Cleric spell list. You learn an additional Cleric cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots. The Sohei Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know three 1st-level Cleric spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the divination and transmutation spells on the Cleric list.

The Spells Known column of the Sohei Spellcasting table shows when you learn more Cleric spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an abjuration or evocation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the Cleric spells you know with another spell of your choice from the Cleric spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be a divination or transmutation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 8th, 14th, or 20th level.

Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Cleric spells, since you gain your spells through a divine connection. You use your Wisdom modifier whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Cleric spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Ki Frenzy
At 3rd level, the Sohei can spend two Ki points as a bonus action to enter a Ki Frenzy. While in a Ki Frenzy, you gain the following benefits:

You have advantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws.
When you make a melee weapon attack using Dexterity, you gain +2 bonus on the damage roll. This bonus increases to +3 at 9th level, and +4 at 16th level.
You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
You can’t cast or concentrate on spells while in a Ki Frenzy.

Your Ki Frenzy lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your Ki Frenzy on your turn as a bonus action.

Remain Conscious
At 6th level, when reduced to 0 hit points or fewer, you may remain conscious and continue to act provided you are not killed outright. Doing so requires you to spend a Ki point each turn you remain conscious. Additionally, each round you remain conscious at 0 hit points or less imposes one level of Exhaustion on you.

You must still make Death saving throws each round when at 0 hit points or less, as normal, and three failures on this saving throw will kill you outright.

At any time when at 0 hit points and conscious, you may choose to fall unconscious, allowing you to stop spending Ki points and gaining levels of Exhaustion.

Mettle
At 11th level, choose any one save. You double your Proficiency bonus with that save.

Mind over Matter
At 17th level, choose two from amongst the following conditions: charmed, frightened, paralyzed, or stunned. You gain immunity to the chosen conditions.

[ReturnOfTheKing]

With most races, the parent race gets a +2 to one ability score and the subrace gets a +1 to another. The Hengeyokai seem to break that mould. I guess that way, you can get more variety. Still, there might be a better way to represent their shapeshifting, but I'm not enough of a 5e expert to make suggestions.

This seems great so far, keep up the good work by all means! Also, if it hasn't already been suggested, panda people for the winz :smallbiggrin:

[Rogue Shadows]

With most races, the parent race gets a +2 to one ability score and the subrace gets a +1 to another. The Hengeyokai seem to break that mold.

Yeah; it just seemed to make more sense to me - a badger-person probably wouldn't have similar adjustments as a sparrow-person who will be different from a carp-person.

Initially I actually did have all hengeyokai simply get +2 Wisdom and then was going to give a +1 physical ability bonus depending on subrace, but I liked the variety better.


This seems great so far, keep up the good work by all means!

Thanks!

[T.G. Oskar]

A few minor quibbles:

The Korobokkuru/Koro-bok-guru seem to be more of a Dwarven subrace than a proper race by itself. They share some common traits (Dwarven Resilience, bonus to Constitution, knowledge of the Dwarven language), mostly replacing tool proficiencies (which you can set apart on the Koro-bok-guru) and skill proficiency (Survival rather than History). Lucky could easily be their unique sub-racial feature, so it could easily be a subrace as long as you can handle the deal with replacing Stonecunning with Nature Born.

The Samurai's 1st level benefit seems a bit tacked on. A la carte shopping can handle the daisho, as well as a custom background that grants the daisho. I know you mentioned it's not meant to be historically accurate, but you could respect the wishes of those who want to play mounted Samurai, or onna bugeisha. I'd propose an alternative: say that, at 3rd level, you treat one of your weapons as your ancestral daisho; that way, you could have a katana/wakizashi combo, or a longbow (aka yumi), or a spear (aka yari). The features that deal with Ancestral Daisho really don't kick in until 10th level, so forcing every Samurai to have a katana + wakizashi rather than have an alternative seems...I dunno, it really doesn't break immersion to have choices, and it's a more elegant solution than forcing a choice at 1st level for an archetype usually chosen at 3rd. Think of it as...I dunno, at 1st and 2nd level, you haven't completed your training, but at 3rd level you fulfill your training and get your genpuku (samurai gift), which could very well be your Ancestral Daisho. The way Daisho Awakening and Kiai Smite work, there's no difference if it's a katana, wakizashi, yari, kanabo (mace? maul?) or naginata (glaive); the difference may be with the yumi, and not by much. Again, I feel that returning Ancestral Daisho to 3rd level and grant the weapons at that level is a bit more practical, and consonous with the feel of these two first levels (which are at best apprentice levels).

Also: Sohei is pretty much dead-on, but...ouch, Ranger-like spellcasting? Also, odd that the Sohei doesn't get proficiency with certain other weapons? As I touched on the Samurai, the naginata (glaive) and kanabo (maul or mace, though I incline towards the former) are traditional Sohei weapons. As well: why no Bear Warrior for Barbarian? Whether Kara-Tur or 3.x!OA's setting, barbarians exist.

Finally, to assist on format:
Class Archetypes
- Druid: Circle of the Spirits (Shaman)
- Fighter: Blade Dancer, Samurai, Weapon Master (Kensai)
- Monk: Way of the Inkyo (?), Way of the Sohei, Way of the Tattooed Monk
- Paladin: Order of the Witch Hunter
- Rogue: Ninja (might also want to add the Courtier and Yakuza, which are old-school OA classes)
- Sorcerer: Tainted Heritage
- Warlock: The Emperor's Eunuch (you have your own Emperor as Patron...awesome!)
- Wizard: School of Wu Jen

[Rogue Shadows]

A few minor quibbles:

The Korobokkuru/Koro-bok-guru seem to be more of a Dwarven subrace than a proper race by itself.

In 3rd's Oriental Adventures they are exactly that; the reason why so much was reprinted wholesale here was for convenience's sake rather than having to flip back-and-forth between two sources for reference (as happened with, for example, the elf subraces from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting).


I dunno, it really doesn't break immersion to have choices, and it's a more elegant solution than forcing a choice at 1st level for an archetype usually chosen at 3rd.

Well, the Daisho's entry itself notes that with DM permission you could have some other weapon or set of weapons as your Daisho, and you'd have to have a pretty hardass DM to say "no" to that as long as you weren't trying to use a mercurial fullblade or something.

Still, I'll change the wording to make it more friendly to alternate options.

The reason why the Daisho is granted at 1st level is because, as these are supposed to be inherited from your ancestors, I don't want to take the risk of the Samurai character starting with any old two weapons, chucking them in favor of something else between 1st and 3rd level, and then at 3rd level picking the random sword or spear or whatever he found in a dungeon one level previously. The point is to designate the 1st level weapons as "special," even if it takes ten levels for how they're special to kick in (actually I was going to make the Daisho the 7th-level ability, but I wasn't certain how kosher it would be to have automatic magic weapons at 7th level in the comparatively magic-light 5th Edition).


Again, I feel that returning Ancestral Daisho to 3rd level and grant the weapons at that level is a bit more practical, and consonous with the feel of these two first levels (which are at best apprentice levels).

I put these up on 4chan's /tg/ and someone there suggested exactly this; my concern is that, unlike in 3rd Edition, in 5th Edition my read is that, as soon as you have enough XP to reach a given level, you are at that level - no downtime required to "spend" the XP and actually gain the level. The issue becomes if you gain that level in the middle of a dungeon or on an adventure. Where is the Daisho coming from? Did your family pay to have it teleported to you?


Also: Sohei is pretty much dead-on, but...ouch, Ranger-like spellcasting?

More Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster. Note that it doesn't get 5th level spells, but does get cantrips, unlike the Ranger.


Also, odd that the Sohei doesn't get proficiency with certain other weapons? As I touched on the Samurai, the naginata (glaive) and kanabo (maul or mace, though I incline towards the former) are traditional Sohei weapons.

Truth. I'll add in that adopting the Sohei archetype grans proficiency in those weapons...though it feels weird to me that they're not proficient from 1st level.


As well: why no Bear Warrior for Barbarian? Whether Kara-Tur or 3.x!OA's setting, barbarians exist.

Right! Forgot about that. I'll add it to The List. I might fold some Singh Rager traits into it as well.


Finally, to assist on format:
Class Archetypes
- Druid: Circle of the Spirits (Shaman)
- Fighter: Blade Dancer, Samurai, Weapon Master (Kensai)
- Monk: Inkyo (?), Sohei, Tattooed Monk
- Paladin: Order of the Witch Hunter
- Rogue: Ninja (might also want to add the Courtier and Yakuza, which are old-school OA classes)
- Sorcerer: Tainted Heritage
- Warlock: The Emperor's Eunuch (you have your own Emperor as Patron...awesome!)
- Wizard: School of Wu Jen

Actually I'm making some edits to that list...Kensai is going to be Blade Dancer and Weapon Master folded into a single archetype. Inkyo (it's from the Rokugan Campaign Setting; it's best described as a 3.0 monk without class features, but I liked its flavor, though now that I think about it the spellcasting Sohei may utterly step on its toes) might be too difficult to pull off but I'll give it a try. Courtier doesn't feel like it would fit in with the 5e Rogue, or anywhere for that matter; I think the Noble background probably does 90% of the work you want with that. Yakuza will go on the List as well, though.

I might not do the Eunuch (it's kinda...gross, and also more particularly it's gender-exclusive), and might change the Tainted archetype to work as a Warlock patron. We'll see when we get there.

Speaking of which, Honor and Taint are being added to systems I intend to work on; as well, once everything is done I plan to make a sample adventure: The Magnificent Seven, designed for seven 7th-level characters and works best if all seven are Samurai

[T.G. Oskar]

In 3rd's Oriental Adventures they are exactly that; the reason why so much was reprinted wholesale here was for convenience's sake rather than having to flip back-and-forth between two sources for reference (as happened with, for example, the elf subraces from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting).

Ideally, anyone who plays 5e should have at least access to the Basic Rules. Dwarves are on the basic rules, and all you need is really to add the Koro-buk-guru subrace information.


The reason why the Daisho is granted at 1st level is because, as these are supposed to be inherited from your ancestors, I don't want to take the risk of the Samurai character starting with any old two weapons, chucking them in favor of something else between 1st and 3rd level, and then at 3rd level picking the random sword or spear or whatever he found in a dungeon one level previously. The point is to designate the 1st level weapons as "special," even if it takes ten levels for how they're special to kick in (actually I was going to make the Daisho the 7th-level ability, but I wasn't certain how kosher it would be to have automatic magic weapons at 7th level in the comparatively magic-light 5th Edition).

I can understand that, but that's the reason why I went with the idea of the genpuku (which, IIRC, is more the gift a samurai receives to imply adulthood).

That said, by 7th level you probably have a +1 weapon. +1 Weapons are Uncommon, appear as early as Challenge rating 0, and are accessible to characters of 1st level and higher. By 7th level, you should be getting Rare weapons (in fact, getting them from 2 levels ago), so the idea of having a +1 weapon by 7th level is no big deal. 3rd, maybe, but 7th? Nah.


I put these up on 4chan's /tg/ and someone there suggested exactly this; my concern is that, unlike in 3rd Edition, in 5th Edition my read is that, as soon as you have enough XP to reach a given level, you are at that level - no downtime required to "spend" the XP and actually gain the level. The issue becomes if you gain that level in the middle of a dungeon or on an adventure. Where is the Daisho coming from? Did your family pay to have it teleported to you?

You can ensure that you don't get your Daisho until you return to your home, or at least near a city (not really teleported, but you can have your family send it via a messenger). Alternatively, your Ancestral Daisho may have been lost, and may suddenly appear as part of a treasure hoard after you get 3rd level.

Finally, there are rules for Downtime, and one of them implies spending it to gain a new level.


Truth. I'll add in that adopting the Sohei archetype grans proficiency in those weapons...though it feels weird to me that they're not proficient from 1st level.

Same thing as per the Samurai: the Sohei was finishing its training, and fully masters the weapons by 3rd level. That one is easier to explain, though.


Actually I'm making some edits to that list...Kensai is going to be Blade Dancer and Weapon Master folded into a single archetype. Inkyo (it's from the Rokugan Campaign Setting; it's best described as a 3.0 monk without class features, but I liked its flavor, though now that I think about it the spellcasting Sohei may utterly step on its toes) might be too difficult to pull off but I'll give it a try. Courtier doesn't feel like it would fit in with the 5e Rogue, or anywhere for that matter; I think the Noble background probably does 90% of the work you want with that. Yakuza will go on the List as well, though.

I might not do the Eunuch (it's kinda...gross, and also more particularly it's gender-exclusive), and might change the Tainted archetype to work as a Warlock patron. We'll see when we get there.

Courtier/Courtesan works better for a Bard, IMO, but yeah; it can be a variant of the Noble background, since not all Courtiers/Courtesans have to be noble-born.

Too bad for the Eunuch, though. I say it would have been awesome to draw your powers directly from the Emperor, rather than a bonafide supernatural source. Taint works well as a Sorcerous Origin or a Patron, though the latter works better as part of the Fiend patron.


Speaking of which, Honor and Taint are being added to systems I intend to work on[...]

Honor rules are on the DMG. Short and fast; they're basically another ability score, which can lower or raise based on your actions. Not sure about taint, though.

[bloodshed343]

I don't think you should make the katana d10/d12. This would imply it is strictly superior to Longswords, which it wasn't, and that it has the same cutting power as a danish butterfly axe, which it didn't.

Other than that it looks pretty clean except for the cost of Ki Frenzy being too low.

[Rogue Shadows]

Ideally, anyone who plays 5e should have at least access to the Basic Rules. Dwarves are on the basic rules, and all you need is really to add the Koro-buk-guru subrace information.

Fair enough, though it's more than that - korobokuru in Oriental Adventures, and the koro-bok-guru here, were Small, not Medium, unlike standard dwarves. Still, I'll just cut down on the information...


3rd, maybe, but 7th? Nah.

Roger; I'll make it show up earlier...though I'm not sure Staredown is good enough to bump up to 10th level. Kind of want to include something like it, though, to sort of redeem the Complete Warrior Samurai; any suggestions?


You can ensure that you don't get your Daisho until you return to your home, or at least near a city (not really teleported, but you can have your family send it via a messenger). Alternatively, your Ancestral Daisho may have been lost, and may suddenly appear as part of a treasure hoard after you get 3rd level.

Possible, I guess...doesn't really gel with me, though, for some reason.


Too bad for the Eunuch, though. I say it would have been awesome to draw your powers directly from the Emperor, rather than a bonafide supernatural source.

I'll see if I can cook something up that's along that line, I do agree it's a pretty neat idea.


Honor rules are on the DMG. Short and fast; they're basically another ability score, which can lower or raise based on your actions. Not sure about taint, though.

Right; sorry, my copy of the DMG and MM only arrived on Saturday. Let's take a look-see at how they handled Honor...okay, yeah, that basically works the way I probably would have set it up.


I don't think you should make the katana d10/d12. This would imply it is strictly superior to Longswords, which it wasn't, and that it has the same cutting power as a danish butterfly axe, which it didn't.

It is a variant, and as my "What is a Samurai?" aside notes, the Samurai class above (and by extension the variant katana) is not trying to be an accurate representation of a Samurai, any more than a Druid is an accurate representation of the poets, law-speakers, and doctors of the Celts. D&D is not a real life simulator.

Besides, as the title of the variant implies, it's something of a tongue-in cheek reference (http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Katanas_are_Underpowered_in_d20) to a fairly well-known meme.

[ziggy_killroy]

I love my 3e OA, and am just now beginning to convert up to 5e. Long story short, I'm going to be using all of this when I start my new campaign soon. Thanks for doing this.

[Rogue Shadows]

I love my 3e OA, and am just now beginning to convert up to 5e. Long story short, I'm going to be using all of this when I start my new campaign soon. Thanks for doing this.

Hmm. Better speed up my update speed, then.

Hang on, gonna move the Hengeyokai stuff to this post, and then use the OP as a table of contents with linkies.


Hengeyokai

http://www.webvampiro.com/imag/hengeyokai2.gif

Hengeyokai are intelligent, shapechanging animals, able to shift freely between human and animal forms, as well as a bipedal, animalistic form. Several subraces exist, defined by the kind of animal form they can assume. They are typically found on the fringes of human-settled lands, where they can mingle in human form but retreat to solitude when they desire.

Animal Form
In animal form, hengeyokai are almost indistinguishable from normal animals except through magic. Naturally, their behavior often provides proof of their intelligence, so careful observation of a hengeyokai in animal form can reveal that it is not what it appears to be.

Hengeyokai can also assume a bipedal, animalistic (“hybrid”) form. They stand on their hind legs (or similar appendages) to the height of their human form. Their front paws, wings, or fins change into hands, capable of gripping and using normal equipment. The rest of the body retains the general appearance of the animal, including fur, feathers, wings, tail, and other characteristic features, but in the overall shape of a humanoid head and torso.

In human form, hengeyokai look exactly like normal humans, though they often display some feature associated with their animal form, such as a sparrow hengeyokai with a pointed nose, or a rat hengeyokai with beady eyes and a long mustache.

Animal Spirit
Hengeyokai tend to be secretive, reclusive, and solitary, dwelling alone or in small bands. They often display personality traits similar to their animal type – so monkey hengeyokai are curious and inquisitive, hare hengeyokai are peaceful but easily startled, and so on. Hengeyokai usually do not try to fit into human society, knowing that they are different and believing that they are more closely related to the spirit world. Most hengeyokai tend towards spontaneity and individualism. They are wild and value freedom – theirs and other’s – and will fight against those who would deny the value of individual action and worth.

Between Two Worlds
Hengeyokai do not have lands of their own. They live – alone or in small bands – near human communities, usually on the edge of civilization, near regions of unsettled wilderness. Given their strong independent and spontaneous streak, hengeyokai are often on the move, particularly when the advance of civilization turns their wilderness retreats into bustling metropolitan areas.

A Life of Wandering and Adventure
Hengeyokai are often adventurers in one form or another – the sedentary lifestyle of a peasant does not appeal to their free spirits. They are usually motivated by little more than wanderlust or curiosity about the world.

Hengeyokai Names
As they have no unifying culture of their own, and instead tend to live in human lands, hengeyokai names follow human patterns in whatever lands they dwell.


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KJOYUPBIstE/TtkZlL_QkdI/AAAAAAAAAHU/GcflvYXENSc/s1600/Badger-Hengeyokai--Tyler-Jacobson.jpg

Hengeyokai Traits
Your hengeyokai has a variety of options available to him or her.

Age. Hengeyokai can look human, if they choose, but they they are much longer-lived. A hengeyokai reaches maturity at the same age as a human, but they can live up to 500 years.

Alignment. Hengeyokai are spontaneous, individualistic, and rarely care much for the laws and traditions of others. The great majority of them are chaotic. Equally, however, they abhor seeing the freedoms of others oppressed, especially the lower classes of human society. They are often good, and only very rarely evil.

Honor. Hengeyokai tend to care little for human notions of honor and dishonor. It is not that they are necessarily underhanded in their actions, so much as they do what they choose to do based on their own concerns and desires, rather than ascribing to any sort of code or out of any manner of fealty to a lord. As a result, most hengeyokai lack honor.

Size. Hengeyokai in their human form average between five and six feet tall, much like humans. In hybrid form, they tend to be a few inches shorter. In either form, however, your size is Medium.

When in animal form, a hengeyokai is of normal size for whatever their animal form is. Your size depends on your animal form.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet in human or hybrid form, unless specified otherwise by your hengeyokai subrace. Your speed might be different in animal form.

Darkvision. Hengeyokai senses are sharper than that of a human. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, as if it were dim light.

Alternate Form. Hengeyokai can change shape, assuming one of three possible forms: human form, animal form, or hybrid form. You can use this feature once. At 3rd level, you may use it twice, and at 6th level you may use it three times. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. You can stay in human, hybrid, or animal form indefinitely, even if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die (that is, all three forms are your "true" form). The specific animal or hybrid form you assume is determined by your hengeyokai subrace. Otherwise this ability functions just like the druid feature Wild Shape, except where specified by your hengeyokai subrace (such as by allowing you to become an animal of higher CR than your level might otherwise allow)

Languages. Hengeyokai can speak, read, and write Common and Hengeyokai. Hengeyokai is a relatively simple language that individual hengeyokai often pepper with foreign words and phrases, and as they lack a unifying culture no two hengeyokai pronounce the language quite the same, though only rarely is it completely unintelligiable between two hengeyokai. Hengeyokai is written with the Common script - usually poorly.

Subrace. Hengeyokai are split into a number of subraces, based on their animal form. Choose one of these subraces for your character. With your DM's permission, you may be able to create a different hengeyokai subrace.


http://www.johnmsteele.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/AD&D/Settings/OrntlAdvntrs/HengiokiFox.jpg

Badger (Mujina-jin)
Badger hengeyokai tend to be very emotional and aggressive. They walk and talk as if they own the world, confidently entering the territory of others – woe betide anyone who blocks their path.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. Like a normal badger, a badger hengeyokai is an adept digger. While in your hybrid form, you have a burrow speed of 10 feet, and have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks.
Alternate Form. Your animal form is that of a badger (see page 318 of the Monster Manual)

Carp (Koi-jin)
Carp hengeyokai obviously prefer to live near rivers, lakes, and seas. They tend to be somewhat furtive and easily startled, and prefer to go with the flow of events rather than impose their own will on the world.
Ability Score Increase. You Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. Carp hengeyokai are adapted to a life in the water. While in hybrid form, you have a base walking speed of only 10 feet. However, you gain a base swimming speed of 30 feet, and may breathe both on land or underwater. In addition, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Animal Form. Your animal form is that of a carp (see below).

Cat (Neko-jin)
Cat hengeyokai are, like the animals they can change into, aloof, mysterious, and subtle – except when they’re extraordinarily emotive. They can be quite cruel, but also very affectionate.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. Like their namesake animal, cat hengeyokai have keen senses beyond their sight. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. You also have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.
Animal Form. Your animal form is that of a cat (See page 320 of the Monster Manual)

Crab (Kani-jin)
Unsurprisingly, crab hengeyokai tend to be boorish and short-tempered, easily offended, but also somewhat skittish. They do not easily get along with others.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. Crab hengeyokai in their hybrid form are very well protected by a thick carapace. When not wearing armor, you Armor Class is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You also may breathe both on land or underwater.
Animal Form. Your animal form is that of a crab (See page 320 of the Monster Manual)

Crane (Tsuru-jin)
Crane hengeyokai are supple and flexible in both body and mind, self-assured, austere, haughty, and prideful.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 2, and your Intelligence increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. The hybrid form of a crane hengeyokai allowed for unmatched poise and grace. While in hybrid form, your walking speed is reduced to 20 feet, however you also gain a fly speed of 30 feet. You also have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.
Animal Form. Your animal form is that of a crane (see below).

Dog (Inu-jin)
Dog hengeyokai are emotive, sociable, and loyal by nature, eager to please and finding much wonder in even the simplest things in life.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. The hybrid form of a dog hengeyokai grants increased perceptions. While in hybrid form, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks.
Animal Form. Your animal form is that of a mastiff dog (see page 332 of the Monster Manual).

Fox (Kitsune-jin)
Fox hengeyokai are cunning, wily, and insightful, but also secretive and somewhat duplicitous. They can rarely be trusted to keep their word, but are generally good folk.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. A fox hengeyokai’s hybrid form gives the hengeyokai good senses and furtive ability. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Animal Form. Your animal form is that of a fox (see below).

Hare (Nousagi-jin)
Hare hengeyokai are hopeful and optimistic, as well as gentle, sensitive, and modest. But they are also skittish and easily frightened. They would almost always rather run rather than fight.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 2, and your Wisdom increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. A hare hengeyokai is agile, quick, and difficult to pin down. Your base walking speed increases to 40 feet. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to jump, as well.
Animal Form. Your animal form is that of a hare (see below)

Monkey (Saru-jin)
Monkey hengeyokai are clever, but also erratic. Lively, flexible, and quick-witted, monkey hengeyokai can also be jealous, suspicious, and selfish.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 2, and your Intelligence increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. The hybrid form of a monkey hengeyokai allows for swift climbing. While in hybrid from, you gain a climb speed of 20 feet. You also have advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks.
Animal Form. Your alternate form is that of a monkey (use the statistics for a baboon, on page 318 of the Monster Manual).

Raccoon Dog (Tanuki-jin)
Raccoon dog hengeyokai are boisterous and good-humored, often playful and rarely taking anything seriously. They love music, good food, and good drink.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. The hybrid form of a raccoon dog grants him increased hunting ability and durability. You have advantage on any Constitution checks you make, as well as on Wisdom (Survival) checks.
Animal Form. Your animal form is that of a raccoon dog (use the statistics of a badger; see page 318 of the Monster Manual).

Rat (Nezumi-jin)
Rat hengeyokai are creative, intelligent, and adaptable, but also somewhat timid and tend to lack courage or a sense of stability. They also tend to be blunt and impolite.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. The hybrid form of a rat grants unparalleled stealth. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and may use double your Proficiency bonus whenever you make such checks.
Animal Form. Your alternate form is that of a rat (see page 335 of the Monster Manual).

Sparrow (Suzume-jin)
Sparrow hengeyokai are the most flighty and independent sort of hengeyokai, even considering the natural predilections of the race. They are very active and daring, rarely showing concern for their own safety.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. Sparrow hengeyokai in their hybrid form are agile and quick. Your walking speed is reduced to 20 feet, however you also gain a fly speed of 30 feet, and have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.
Animal Form. Your animal form is that of a sparrow (see below).

Weasel (Itachi-jin)
Weasel hengeyokai have quick minds and tend to be suave and disarmingly charming. They also, however, tend to be quite immature and prone to playing practical jokes on others, and can rarely take a situation seriously.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 2, and your Wisdom increases by 1.
Hybrid Form. While in hybrid form, weasel hengeyokai tend to become even more prone to spontaneous acts of randomness, but luck seems to always be on their side, too. You may elect to have advantage on any one die roll you make once at 1st level, twice at 3rd level, and three times at 6th level. You may recharge this ability by taking a long rest.
Animal Form. Your alternate form is that of a weasel (see below).


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/11689558843_8f87587007.jpg

Hengeyokai Animal Forms
Use the following statistics for animals not described in the Monster Manual. Note that while in animal form, a hengeyokai uses its own alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, as described by the druid's wild shape ability.

Carp
Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 2 (1d6-1)
Speed Swim 30 ft.
Str 3, Dex 14, Con 8, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 4.
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 11
Languages –
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Water Breathing. The carp can breathe only underwater.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit:1 piercing damage.

Crane
Small beast, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 3 (1d6)
Speed 5 ft., fly 60 ft.
Str 4, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 5.
Senses passive perception 11
Languages –
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Keen Sight. The crane has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit:4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Fox
Small beast, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 8 (2d6+2)
Speed 40 ft.
Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 5
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages –
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The fox has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Furtive. The fox has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.

Hare
Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 1 (1d4-2)
Speed 40 ft.
Str 2, Dex 17, Con 7, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 3
Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages –
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Keen Hearing. The hare has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1 piercing damage.

Sparrow
Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 1 (1d4-3)
Speed 5 ft., fly 50 ft.
Str 2, Dex 17, Con 5, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages –
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Keen Sight. The sparrow has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1 piercing damage.

Weasel
Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 2 (1d4)
Speed 40 ft.
Str 4, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 3
Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages –
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Keen Scent and Hearing. The weasel has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or scent.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1 piercing damage.

[bloodshed343]

In response to the Emperor's Eunuchs: 4e had a Sorcerer-king pact, so there's precedent. Maybe call it Pact of the God Emperor, to be in line with other naming traditions.

[Rogue Shadows]

So next up, spirit folk! I always liked spirit folk in concept, but one of the things that annoyed me about them is that there were only three subraces - Bamboo, River, and Sea - and of those three, two of them seemed very thematically similar. Thus, below I make my first major deviation from the originally published Oriental Adventures in that I'm altering the spirit folk subraces. Where once there were three, there's now five - bamboo, grasslands, mountain, river, and sand. Each one of the five is meant to roughly correspond to one of the five elements in Wu Xing - wood, earth, metal, water, and fire, respectively.

Spirit Folk
Spirit folk are the descendants of humans and various spirits of nature. They tie very strongly to the natural world as well as to civilized society.


http://i59.tinypic.com/e9i03m.png

Born of the Spirits
Spirit folk tend to be serene and calm, attuned to their surroundings and at peace with the world. Their spirit ancestry gives them an awareness of the spirit world, and they typically show little desire to manipulate the world through magic. They manifest a love and enjoyment of life that many humans can only envy.

Spirit folk typically live as part of human society, and are accepted as equals in human communities, even when their true ancestry is known. They are members of human clans, citizens of human nations, and have blood relations who are entirely human. At the same time, they are part of the spirit world, and never feel completely at home in the mundane life of a human village.

Beautiful and Fair
Spirit folk look human, for the most part. Their eyes are slender and their mouths small, and their eyebrows are typically very thin and complexions pale or golden. They have no facial or body hair, but the hair on their heads is thick and luxurious. They appear in the diversity of humans, nad many come close to the ideal of human beauty in their society.

Spirit folk usually live near regions of untouched wilderness – uncut bamboo groves, pure streams and rivers, and deep ocean waters. Unlike hengeyokai, they are more tightly integrated into human communities, bound by family ties. They do not usually join in communities with other spirit folk.


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Never Quite Right
Unfortunately, the dual nature of spirit folk – being both of the spirit world and of the material one – can make some spirit folk feel their difference from their human neighbors more acutely than others of their kind. Such spirit folk occasionally take up the life of an adventurer in order to find their own away in the world. Of course, their human side can also cause them to be driven by pure wanderlust, curiosity, or a desire to see and experience new things.

Spirit Folk Names
Spirit folk usually have human names typical for whatever region they life in, though their given names often reflect their ancestry.

Spirit Folk Traits
The following traits are common to all three subraces of spirit folk.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Age. Spirit folk age at the same rate as humans, but life much longer. Spirit folk remain in the prime of their life until they are nearly two hundred years old, and can live to be 500 or even older.

Alignment. Perhaps because of their strong ties to the natural world, spirit folk tend to seek balance between extremes. They tend towards neutral alignments.

Honor. While their spirit world heritage gives them a slightly different, sometimes broader view on life than humans, ultimately spirit folk run the gamut from honorable to dishonorable, just as humans do.

Size. Spirit folk typically stand between 5 and 6 feet tall, and weigh between 125 and 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Your spirit heritage grants you superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as though it were bright light, and darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Spirit Subtype. Spirit folk have the spirit subtype, which means that you can be affected by spells and effects that specifically target spirits, such as protection from spirits. Your human ancestry means that you are still a humanoid, however, and therefore vulnerable to spells such as charm person.

Child of Nature. You have advantage on Intelligence (Nature) and Wisdom (Survival) checks.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Spirit Tongue. The Spirit Tongue is a musical, flowing language spoken in the spirit world, as well as occasionally being the language of the nobility amongst civilized material nations.

Subrace. There are five main subraces of spirit folk: bamboo, grasslands, mountain, river, and sand (and each one roughly corresponds to one of the Chinese elements – wood, metal, earth, water, and fire, respectively). They do not differ from one another much in terms of personality, but do each have a set of unique traits. Choose one of these subraces.


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Bamboo Spirit Folk
Bamboo spirit folk tend to grow up in regions near pristine, untouched forests or jungles.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Forestwalker. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made within wooded or forested areas. You may also attempt to hide even when only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

Speak with Small Beasts. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with Small or smaller beasts.

Grasslands Spirit Folk
Grassland spirit folk are often found living near broad expanses of plains, savannah, and the like.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Improved Speed. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.

Plainswalker. You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks when first attempting them on people you just met. Additionally, you can speak, read, and write one additional language of your choice.


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Mountain Spirit Folk
Mountain spirit folk tend to live near or even on mighty mountains, hills, plateaus, and the like.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.

Altitude Adaptation. You have resistance to cold, and are acclimated against the effects of high altitude over 10,000 feet but less than 20,000 feet.

Mountainwalker. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb and jump in mountainous or other rocky terrain, such as in natural caves. Additionally, your carrying capacity is equal to your Strength score multiplied by 20, rather than by 15.

River Spirit Folk
River spirit folk tend towards living along rivers, near lakes and streams, and even along the coastlines.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Aquatic Adaptation. You have a swim speed of 30 feet. You can also breathe in water as easily as you can breathe air.

Waterwalker. While underwater, your Darkvision range doubles: you can see in dim light out to 120 feet as though it were bright light, and the darkness beyond as though it were dim light, as normal. Furthermore, within 30 feet of you while underwater, you can discern color even in dim light. Additionally, you have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to find hidden objects.

Sand Spirit Folk
Sand spirit folk often grow up near or within deserts, dry scrublands, or other areas with little water.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Desert Adaptation. You have resistance to fire. This resistance also allows you to automatically save on saving throws against extreme heat. Finally, you require only a quarter as much water as normal.

Desertwalker. You have advantage on Constitution checks made to march without rest when in hot desert terrain. Additionally, your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.


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[Rogue Shadows]

In other news, I'm gonna try and put together a quick-and-dirty fantasy East Asian region for this 5th Edition Oriental Adventures to take place in. Not much, I don't plan on doing a full-on campaign setting - more like a gazetteer. So far these are the broad outline of regions I want to include:

- Three Kingdoms China: Three largeish states trapped in a three-way cold war with each other.
- North China: Disunited fiefdoms independent from Three Kingdoms China due to three kingdoms shenanigans.
- Japan: Islands off the coast, semi-united under an Emperor but in practical terms lots of infighting.
- Hokkaido/Ainu-land: Distinct from but beset by various North Japanese fiefdoms.
- Mongolia: Horse nomads
- Gobi Desert: It's frickin' hot
- Korea: More united than North China
- Tibet: Martial arts fiefdoms
- Nepal: Mountain folk, less Shaolin, more Sherpa
- Indochina: Disunited kingdoms on jungle border, lots of snakes
- Burma: Strongish empire on the other side of the jungle bordering Indochina. Also lots of snakes.
- India (united empire): Big and strong but far away from most places.
- Indonesia: Islands rich in resources and pirates.
- Philippines: Semi-united piratical kingdoms
- Polynesian Islands: Aloha! Far, far to the east is not-Hawai'i
- Russian Far East: Inuit/Yuit/etc. tribes
- Taiwan: Breakaway kingdom from China due to Three Kingdoms shenanigans
- Hong Kong: Trade city-state, breakaway from China due to Three Kingdoms shenanigans
- Singapore: Trade city-state, hates Hong Kong Kompetition
- "The West": Uncultured barbarians from the far west that smell like onions.

The goal is to create a region just as ready for adventure as the Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk. Large swaths of unexplored regions or fallen lands. Dungeons abound. Etc.

[Wardog]

I might not do the Eunuch (it's kinda...gross, and also more particularly it's gender-exclusive),


My understanding is that one of the main reason for employing eunuchs was that they couldn't have children, and so couldn't establish dynasty of their own, and should be less prone to nepotism. If your setting is sufficiently enlightened to treat men and women the same for purposes of inheritance and office-holding (but still medieval enough to see castration as a reasonable anti-corruption measure), then maybe they could have worked out a surgical or magical way of female sterilization.