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Deth Muncher
2008-09-15, 12:11 PM
A little while back, I posted a thread to this effect, but it fell to disrepair, and besides, I wasn't exactly where I needed to be for actually actively making the world. Now, the way it is now is that I'm DMing an Oriental Adventures game, updated to 3.5 (because one of the players was kind enough to give me the update), not specifically set in Rokugan (as I don't own the books for it) but with lots of information included from the OA Book. What I specifically need help with from you, Playgrounders, is what sort of things should be in this world: I mean, how to OA-ify things.

The only definates I have right now are the layout of the world (which, as soon as I can render that in paint and someone can explain to me how I can post images in threads, I'll post here), which basically has the Shadowlands at the northern border of the map, an ocean to the right, mountains to the left (with the northern mountains being lush and verdant, and the southern mountains being more Himalaya-esque), and a large strip of jungle stretching from the Shadowlands around and over to the Himalayan area, with a beach and port towns just outside of that.

Past that? I really don't know. I don't know how things should be rendered, even as low as how the towns should be named, or how NPCs should react to the PCs. The only thing I can think of which kinda sets with the theme of this campaign is Rurouni Kenshin, which I've read and enjoy, and I'll probbably pull information from at some point.

Specifically (so that you all can have something to directly respond to instead of my abstract ramblings):
-Common NPC reactions to members of different races, clans, classes, etc.
-Common items
-Uncommon versions of both of the above
-Names for villiages and such (which, actually, I've had a friend of mine come up with names for the regions, but as for specific provinces or whatnot, I still need help)
-What monsters fit, and which are too rediculous (on this note, the few monsters I've settled on having the PCs battle at some point are Oni, Yak-Folk, Velociraptors, Giant Toads and Yeti, although not all at the same time)
-What experiences you've had while playing an OA-set campaign

Krrth
2008-09-15, 12:17 PM
A little while back, I posted a thread to this effect, but it fell to disrepair, and besides, I wasn't exactly where I needed to be for actually actively making the world. Now, the way it is now is that I'm DMing an Oriental Adventures game, updated to 3.5 (because one of the players was kind enough to give me the update), not specifically set in Rokugan (as I don't own the books for it) but with lots of information included from the OA Book. What I specifically need help with from you, Playgrounders, is what sort of things should be in this world: I mean, how to OA-ify things.

The only definates I have right now are the layout of the world (which, as soon as I can render that in paint and someone can explain to me how I can post images in threads, I'll post here), which basically has the Shadowlands at the northern border of the map, an ocean to the right, mountains to the left (with the northern mountains being lush and verdant, and the southern mountains being more Himalaya-esque), and a large strip of jungle stretching from the Shadowlands around and over to the Himalayan area, with a beach and port towns just outside of that.

Past that? I really don't know. I don't know how things should be rendered, even as low as how the towns should be named, or how NPCs should react to the PCs. The only thing I can think of which kinda sets with the theme of this campaign is Rurouni Kenshin, which I've read and enjoy, and I'll probbably pull information from at some point.

Specifically (so that you all can have something to directly respond to instead of my abstract ramblings):
-Common NPC reactions to members of different races, clans, classes, etc.
-Common items
-Uncommon versions of both of the above
-Names for villiages and such (which, actually, I've had a friend of mine come up with names for the regions, but as for specific provinces or whatnot, I still need help)
-What monsters fit, and which are too rediculous (on this note, the few monsters I've settled on having the PCs battle at some point are Oni, Yak-Folk, Velociraptors, Giant Toads and Yeti, although not all at the same time)
-What experiences you've had while playing an OA-set campaign
The first thing is to determine what type of oriental culture you want. For example, in feudal Japan, commoners were considered scum and Samauri could kill them at will. Touching the dead was taboo., merchants were looked down upon.
If you go that route, any player *not* from a noble family will have issues during court, but might get better reactions from "commoners.
Races that are inherintly magical (such as Spirit Folk, perhaps elves as well) would be considered lesser nobles in terms of rights and courtesy.

Deth Muncher
2008-09-15, 12:30 PM
The first thing is to determine what type of oriental culture you want. For example, in feudal Japan, commoners were considered scum and Samauri could kill them at will. Touching the dead was taboo., merchants were looked down upon.
If you go that route, any player *not* from a noble family will have issues during court, but might get better reactions from "commoners.
Races that are inherintly magical (such as Spirit Folk, perhaps elves as well) would be considered lesser nobles in terms of rights and courtesy.

Which reminds me: We've got Vaanara, Hengyokai, Human and...well, Alphonse Elric, if that player shows up. And possibly Korokoburu, although that player said he'd prefer to go human.

And yes, I was thinking of having it so that any people who were not of a clan would be looked down upon. I'd probbably go against having the "Samurai kill people at will" kind of thing, only because the player who's going to be a samurai would...well, he'd have too much fun with that. And by fun, I mean slaughtering villiages, just because he could.

Krrth
2008-09-15, 12:42 PM
Which reminds me: We've got Vaanara, Hengyokai, Human and...well, Alphonse Elric, if that player shows up. And possibly Korokoburu, although that player said he'd prefer to go human.

And yes, I was thinking of having it so that any people who were not of a clan would be looked down upon. I'd probbably go against having the "Samurai kill people at will" kind of thing, only because the player who's going to be a samurai would...well, he'd have too much fun with that. And by fun, I mean slaughtering villiages, just because he could.
About the Samauri plpayer killing at will....just remember, IRL he would have the right to kill a commoner who "annoyed" him. Whoever that commoner (or village) belongs to would then have the right to hunt down and kill the samurai for loss of valuables. It's a tightrope to walk.
The Vaanara....they'd have some problems with the nobles. If they are lucky, they would be considered a valuable oddity. The more pious would treat him well, though.
The Hengyokai would be treated fairly well, but they nature of that treatment would be highly dependent on the animal. The ones with an "evil" aspect, such as rat, would be feared and destroyed when possible. Dog on the otherhand, would be respected.
The Human is all about clan and status.
As for a War-Forged....they probably wouldn't know what to do about him. They might very well default to "Demon" or "Spirit Entity"
I should note that several main classes are not looked well upon. Professional Entertainers of *any* sort are low status.
Thieves are killed.
Paladins don't exist, neither do clerics.