Differences between Oriental Adventures and regular D&D?

[atemu1234]

I'm not as familiar with OA as I should be, I'm ashamed to say, but I'm DMing a campaign with it. I get a few of the differences

- The taint system, which I'll be updating to the Taint and Depravity from Heroes of Horrorf.
- The classes/items which aren't allowed, though I may still use them when statting something, since I am adding in the Tome of Battle classes.
- The usual things for converting from 3e to 3.5e.

But I need some help with a couple things:
- What are the Shadowlands? Are they actually someplace on the map, or are they another realm, like the Abyss in regular D&D?
- I'm using my own setting, and I'm trying to fit in a few other races that don't typically belong. If you can help, these are them:
* A few different subraces of Elf (Grey Elves and Snow Elves, possibly a homebrewed subrace similar to Drow (but weaker, and OA-shifted).
* A few subraces of dwarf as well, but since there are mountains, they'll probably just live there.
- If I add the shadowlands subtype or whatever to them, is it game-breaking to include other types of demons as oni?

[Kelb_Panthera]

But I need some help with a couple things:
- What are the Shadowlands? Are they actually someplace on the map, or are they another realm, like the Abyss in regular D&D?

It's both. The shadowlands share the southern border of the Jade Empire of Rokugan, along the Crab Clan's holdings. It's also an outer plane. You can get there by simply walking accross the border but you can't teleport or cast spells accross unless they're specifically noted as being able to cross planar boundaries.


- I'm using my own setting, and I'm trying to fit in a few other races that don't typically belong. If you can help, these are them:
* A few different subraces of Elf (Grey Elves and Snow Elves, possibly a homebrewed subrace similar to Drow (but weaker, and OA-shifted).
* A few subraces of dwarf as well, but since there are mountains, they'll probably just live there.

It's your game. Put them where you think they'll fit. Just bear in mind that the Rokugani people are -very- xenophobic and classist. A dwarf will be very poorly recieved unless he's accompanied by a citizen of the empire and even then he's liable to be snubbed unless his escort is good with words.


- If I add the shadowlands subtype or whatever to them, is it game-breaking to include other types of demons as oni?

It's not only fine, it's suggested in OA. It's in the back.

[atemu1234]

It's both. The shadowlands share the southern border of the Jade Empire of Rokugan, along the Crab Clan's holdings. It's also an outer plane. You can get there by simply walking accross the border but you can't teleport or cast spells accross unless they're specifically noted as being able to cross planar boundaries.



It's your game. Put them where you think they'll fit. Just bear in mind that the Rokugani people are -very- xenophobic and classist. A dwarf will be very poorly recieved unless he's accompanied by a citizen of the empire and even then he's liable to be snubbed unless his escort is good with words.



It's not only fine, it's suggested in OA. It's in the back.

Thank you, Kelb.

It's worth noting that this is not actually Rokugan - though the comparison does help, as I am pretty unfamiliar with Rokugan.

It's also good to know I can introduce some variation in the things that show up.

[BWR]

OA =/= Rokugan.

OA is as much a setting as D&D is -it's a bunch of flavored rules, some of which are not compatible with Rokugan. Rokugan is a specific setting, used as the default for 3.x. as far as an adaptation of L5R to d20, OA is lacking and you'd be better off using AEG's 'Rokugan' for that purpose.
You are probably better off making your own setting whole cloth than trying to adapt Rokugan to something it isn't. It can be done but if you don't know a lot about it it's probably just extra work to learn then alter instead of just making your own thing. As for OA-ifying, keep the same stats, just give them a different culture. If you are adding Taint anyway, you may as well go whole hog and take all the Shadowlands beasties you can find (Creatures of Rokugan has some beauties). I prefer to use culture and setting specific creatures, as a general rule. If you are really interested in the SL, look up 'The Writings of Kuni Mokuna: The first Book of the Shadowlands', 'Bearers of Jade: The Second Book of the Shadowlands' (especially this one) and 'Secrets of the Shadowlands'. The first two are RnK only, SotSh is dual stat. They are obviously setting specific but do a good job of portraying the otherworldliness and horror of the Taint and the monsters of the Shadowlands.

Corrections:
Rokugan is the Emerald Empire, not Jade. The Shadowlands are not another plane. they have the Festering Pit of Fu Leng, a hole that leads to Hell and hellish influence spreads out, to the extent there is some 'soft areas' but all in all the SL are squarely in the human world. Teleportation is rare in Rokugan but you could still use it in the SL - just be prepared to get a lot of Taint and have it not work quite how you want.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Corrections:
Rokugan is the Emerald Empire, not Jade. The Shadowlands are not another plane. they have the Festering Pit of Fu Leng, a hole that leads to Hell and hellish influence spreads out, to the extent there is some 'soft areas' but all in all the SL are squarely in the human world. Teleportation is rare in Rokugan but you could still use it in the SL - just be prepared to get a lot of Taint and have it not work quite how you want.

Meh. One green rock is as good as another.

I can't find the quote but I'm 90~ish percent certain about the border of the shadowlands being a planar boundary as well. The festering pit is definitely on the boundary of Jigoku, of that I'm 100% sure.

[BWR]

Meh. One green rock is as good as another.

I can't find the quote but I'm 90~ish percent certain about the border of the shadowlands being a planar boundary as well. The festering pit is definitely on the boundary of Jigoku, of that I'm 100% sure.

Well, as I said, the Pit is a direct (meta)physical hole from Ningen-do to Jigoku and there are some soft areas spreading out from it. The majority of the SL are not actually a different Realm, they are solidly within Ningen-do with strong influence of Jigoku's jealousy.

[TiaC]

I've only ever played Oriental Adventures Oxidentally, but it was not unpleasant even if it was unintended.