Race adaptions for Japanese Campaign

[Regitnui]

I'm going to be running a short adventure for some friends during a Japanese holiday. While the equipment and classes can largely just be renamed (don't look at me like that, Kara-Tur fans), the race selection is a little more tricky for me. So I've decided to ask the Playground for advice. Here's the races I've decided on so far;

The ever-present humans
Dwarves, from Kara-Tur's korobokuru
Gnomes, inspired by the nurarihyon youkai
Shifters, as the Oriental Adventures Hengeyokai. I would especially like advice on how to use the animal forms of the hengeyokai.
Goliaths, as civilized oni. (Yes, I know they're in the Monster Manual but shush)
Changelings being refluffed as "Inari" or spirit foxes, who have to take the form of a human(oid) to affect the Material Plane. Would giving them an ability to resume fox form and scout ahead on the Ethereal Plane be balanced if they could not take anything or anyone with them?
Kenku, taking inspiration from the tengu (this refluff will give them the ability to speak)


PEACH.

[Vaz]

There is a Heroes of the Orient Homebrew that's very well put together, just ignore the homebrew feats, which has those rules. I don't have it to hand to check for it though.

[Malifice]

I'm going to be running a short adventure for some friends during a Japanese holiday. While the equipment and classes can largely just be renamed (don't look at me like that, Kara-Tur fans), the race selection is a little more tricky for me. So I've decided to ask the Playground for advice. Here's the races I've decided on so far;

The ever-present humans
Dwarves, from Kara-Tur's korobokuru
Gnomes, inspired by the nurarihyon youkai
Shifters, as the Oriental Adventures Hengeyokai. I would especially like advice on how to use the animal forms of the hengeyokai.
Goliaths, as civilized oni. (Yes, I know they're in the Monster Manual but shush)
Changelings being refluffed as "Inari" or spirit foxes, who have to take the form of a human(oid) to affect the Material Plane. Would giving them an ability to resume fox form and scout ahead on the Ethereal Plane be balanced if they could not take anything or anyone with them?
Kenku, taking inspiration from the tengu (this refluff will give them the ability to speak)


PEACH.

Elves as 'Spirit Folk'. See OA 1E.

Re animal forms of Hengeyokai, make it a ribbon ability with some utlity. (1/ long rest you may turn into a [specific CR 1/8 or lower beast like fox, dog, cat, carp, crane etc]. This otherwise functions as a Druids wildshape ability).

[RedMage125]

The Heroes of the Orient pdf from DMs Guild is very good, and has all of what you are looking for. Including Nezumi and Varana races.

It also has some new subclasses, and a new class that has some of that L5R feel that the 3e Oriental Adventures/Rokugan gave us.

[Regitnui]

The Heroes of the Orient pdf from DMs Guild is very good, and has all of what you are looking for. Including Nezumi and Varana races.

It also has some new subclasses, and a new class that has some of that L5R feel that the 3e Oriental Adventures/Rokugan gave us.

I don't have 10 dollars to spend this time of the year, but thanks for steering me there.


Elves as 'Spirit Folk'. See OA 1E.

Re animal forms of Hengeyokai, make it a ribbon ability with some utlity. (1/ long rest you may turn into a [specific CR 1/8 or lower beast like fox, dog, cat, carp, crane etc]. This otherwise functions as a Druids wildshape ability).

I exercise my right to include races I like over others. :tongue:

This is an elegant solution. I'll use it unless I come up with a better idea in the next two weeks.

[Nettlekid]

I recommend using エルフ,ドワーフ, and ノーム.

[Regitnui]

I recommend using エルフ,ドワーフ, and ノーム.

I'm already using ドワーフ and ノーム. Did you just type that without reading the OP, or are you trying to be "smart"?

[Vaz]

I'm already using ドワーフ and ノーム. Did you just type that without reading the OP, or are you trying to be "smart"?

Do you struggle with the concept of humour?

[Regitnui]

Do you struggle with the concept of humour?

I don't find it funny. Living in a multilingual country makes translation matter-of-fact in my life.

[Willie the Duck]

I don't find it funny. Living in a multilingual country makes translation matter-of-fact in my life.

Well, if they are in fact trying to be "smart" (by which I assume you mean 'impress us with their rudimentary ability to come up with Japanese words'), they are about 25-30 years too late. The Saturday Night Live sketches poking fun at nerd who think they are impressive for tangential Japanese reflected glory are already a half-decade out-of-date (and were cliché enough for a late Saturday night broadcast audience by when it was conceived).
*"J-Pop America Funtime Now"

Can we just assume they were having fun with google translate and move on? As to Inari scout ahead on the Ethereal Plane, I feel that this is one of those things that isn't overly powerful normally, but has the ability to completely invalidate some challenges the DM sets up (especially during low-level play). Much like the debates we had with Aarakocra, there's a real "well, the main challenge was a <impassible pit/secret behind a wall/etc.>, so I guess I'll rewrite this dungeon/adventure" potential. I would say don't give this race any powers (at a given level, if you are okay with granting a scaling racial power) that a moon druid or wizard with appropriate spell could not do.

[Kuulvheysoon]

I’ve been got a player who wanted to play a tiefling from Kara-tur, so we just flavoured her like the daelkyr halfbloods in Eberron- her birth was somehow tainted by the oni, in this case. She’s a feral tiefling with blue skin and red hair, and it works well enough for us fluff-wise.

[Regitnui]

As to Inari scout ahead on the Ethereal Plane, I feel that this is one of those things that isn't overly powerful normally, but has the ability to completely invalidate some challenges the DM sets up (especially during low-level play). Much like the debates we had with Aarakocra, there's a real "well, the main challenge was a <impassible pit/secret behind a wall/etc.>, so I guess I'll rewrite this dungeon/adventure" potential. I would say don't give this race any powers (at a given level, if you are okay with granting a scaling racial power) that a moon druid or wizard with appropriate spell could not do.

Etherealness is a 7th-level spell that pretty much does what I want here, but that's far too powerful. How could I make it so that the Inari ability is appropriate for a race? Essentially I'd like any ability they get to emphasise that they're spirits playing at being human(oid). Perhaps some sort of inverted Misty Step?

[The_Jette]

Question: if they're spirits playing at being humanoid, what happens to them when they die? Do they just revert to being a spirit creature and can reform their body on their own? Do they die completely, because they're essentially making their spirit solid, and thus it's actually their spirit that is dying? Would they be treated like a ghost was in the Ghostwalk book from 3.5, where they walk around unable to manifest in the world until resurrection is cast on them, and then they get away without having the penalty of resurrection (in this case the -4 to everything that slowly goes away)?

[Zonugal]

Etherealness is a 7th-level spell that pretty much does what I want here, but that's far too powerful. How could I make it so that the Inari ability is appropriate for a race? Essentially I'd like any ability they get to emphasise that they're spirits playing at being human(oid). Perhaps some sort of inverted Misty Step?

What about something like this (off the top of my head):

Spiritual Legacy. You know the Mage Hand cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Disguise Self spell as a 2nd-*‐‑level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Misty Step spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Maybe get a better spell instead of Disguise Self (it's early here!)?

[Regitnui]

Question: if they're spirits playing at being humanoid, what happens to them when they die? Do they just revert to being a spirit creature and can reform their body on their own? Do they die completely, because they're essentially making their spirit solid, and thus it's actually their spirit that is dying? Would they be treated like a ghost was in the Ghostwalk book from 3.5, where they walk around unable to manifest in the world until resurrection is cast on them, and then they get away without having the penalty of resurrection (in this case the -4 to everything that slowly goes away)?

Personally, I think they'd discorporate and (if facing something capable of attacking on the Ethereal Plane), have to start making death saving throws (as their 3 "hit points". They'll be able to recorporate after a long rest. If they're not facing something that can kill them on the Ethereal, I'd assume they recover naturally and recorporate after the long rest.


What about something like this (off the top of my head):

Spiritual Legacy. You know the Mage Hand cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Disguise Self spell as a 2nd-*‐‑level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Misty Step spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Maybe get a better spell instead of Disguise Self (it's early here!)?

Perhaps Sanctuary, as they pull more ethereal stuff through to hide themselves? If a 2nd-level spell is safe, alter self may be more appropriate. Speak with Animals is also thematically appropriate.

[Coffee_Dragon]

Can a stray namahage be a half-orc?

[Regitnui]

Can a stray namahage be a half-orc?

Those types of beings are covered by goliaths. But I could certainly allow that as a bound youkai (one player was the summoner and the half-orc's bound to serve them) or a gaijin from a different land.

[Asmotherion]

About the Oni:

I would go a different way about them. Practically, I would make the Half-Orc a Half-Oni Lore Wise, change their colors to red or blue, and call it a day. Make common people unable to tell the differance, and make them the mortal race of "oni" that walks the earth, living in clans. Put an orc or two as clan leaders. Then, the real deal, stuff of legend, is the Monster Manual Oni, and all the rest are decended from one of those, kinda like half-dragons, dragonborn, Dragonic Origin Sorcerer and Actual Dragons.

Just my oppinion of how I would go about it. Hope it was helpful. :)

[Regitnui]

About the Oni:

I would go a different way about them. Practically, I would make the Half-Orc a Half-Oni Lore Wise, change their colors to red or blue, and call it a day. Make common people unable to tell the differance, and make them the mortal race of "oni" that walks the earth, living in clans. Put an orc or two as clan leaders. Then, the real deal, stuff of legend, is the Monster Manual Oni, and all the rest are decended from one of those, kinda like half-dragons, dragonborn, Dragonic Origin Sorcerer and Actual Dragons.

Just my oppinion of how I would go about it. Hope it was helpful. :)

The reason I choose goliaths is because they have the Powerful Build trait; oni are big creatures, and I feel that's the best way to represent them. You'll notice I'm not using any of the half-races here.