Because Kaidan is intended for use as a Pathfinder Compatible D&D product I need to build the variuos player classes in keeping with that rules set. The following are the directions I am currently planning. Suggestions, critiques and comments are welcome!
The two expected classes of any oriental (Japan based setting) are Samurai and Ninja, unique classes that do not fit the standard D&D core classes.
I've used the idea of the Rokugan Oriental Adventures Samurai, which has seven houses each specializing in a different fighting style or other skill focus. In Kaidan there are 15 Samurai Houses, each with their own specific fighting style (ie: 2 weapon defense specialist, 2 weapon attack specialists, mounted archer, all purpose cavalry, etc.) Also use of Ancestral Weapon feat, which grants a samurai the capability at spaced interval rise in levels to donate a part of their experience points, along with a prayer vigil that results in a Magic Weapon bonus granted. Thus they don't have to buy, steal, or take from a dead monster treasure weapons. The ancestral weapon of a samurai begins at masterwork and can become a +5 weapon with available other arcane powers.
Ninja is at experimental stages at this point. I'm attempting to use D&D Psionics as a form of enhanced Ki powers in limited doses divided between five ninja clans. Each clan specializes in a particular Ninja weapon, fighting technique, infiltration technique, skill sets, and limited access to psionics, similar to a 1e D&D wild psionicist. Start with a D&D Rogue, lessen his thievely skills, but augment a speciality with a single weapon/weapon group, altered special skills. One Clan focuses on Physical Movement, so Body Equillibrium, Levitation, Walk on Wall for better Jumps, resist gravity to get around opponents. Another Clan focues on Infiltration with Shadow Form, Dimension Door, Temporal Slide. A female Ninja Clan (Kunoichi) specialize in mind-affecting psionics with Suggestion, Read Thoughts, perhaps lesser kind of domination. One specializes in Divination with Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, etc.
Samurai are of the Samurai Caste, but what of Fighters of the Commoner Caste? I am looking at the Ashigaru which is a Peasant Soldier conscripted by the Shogun or Provincial Lords in time of war, given some martial and unit training, given light armor and limited weapons. The Ashigaru will be a variant straight class Fighter of Kaidan. With use of Yari (long spear), Yumi (long bow) and the Katana. Rather than an ancestral weapon, an Ashigaru's katana is a Kaza-Uchi or mass produced sword of inferior quality to samurai katana. When not a war an Ashigaru, might be a farmer/fisherman, Nobushi (Bandit), or a hired guard to either the Rice Guild or the Yakuza.
I'm using the Onmyoji Court Wizard - a Taoist base wizard (but otherwise straight class wizard) with focus on Necromancy, Divination, Protection and Conjuration/Summoning magic. One task familiars that can be called on daily, called Shikigami (oni-imps) serve the Onmyoji as short term servants, who sometimes defy their masters. These are never good, but not necessarily evil.
Jugondo Sorcerers are Taoist trained, Nature or Divine Spirit blooded and serve as "onmyoji" of the Commoners - as a diviner, healer, and monster slayer (especially undead and demon-spirits.)
Yamabushi are five element priest monks, who focus on an element with an opposition element, and access to divine spells and use of Naginata and other martial weapons. Ascetic mountain monks.
Yakuza are basically straight class Rogues of Kaidan. Though as members of the larger organization, I'm borrowing ideas posted in my other "unread" thread (Real Yakuza as Inspiration).
Finally, I've indicated a barbarian race of Kaidan, that I will now associate with Emishi, a predecessor race to Japan's Ainu populations in Hokkaido. Among them are a type of group hunter that worships at sacred trees near their villages, called the Matagi, that could best represent the "Rangers of Kaidan." They were skilled in mounted archery using the longbow, and a type of sword similar to wakizashi and fought using guerilla tactics, rather than open battlefield warfare. They were hunters and mountain trackers, who performed rites to allow the animal spirits they consumed to properly return to the animal kami realm, sounds like a Ranger to me.
Also among them could be priest-chiefs that otherwise resemble D&D druids.
Also rethinking Pathfinder Monks and Kaidan Sohei. At first I thought of Sohei as a type of monk similar to Pathfinder Monks, however, because of their use of armor and weapons (light armor comparable to that used by Ashigaru peasant soldiers and weapons: primarily the Naginata glaive) with access to lesser divine spells starting at 4th level and no higher than sixth level priest spells.
As an afterthought, I see Sohei as more a variant Paladin, than a monk.
Rather than tossing out the Monk from Kaidan, I've decided to utilize the Ryukyu (Okinawa island) kingdom who declared all weapons to be illegal outside of court warriors, which formed the birth of Karate and use of farming implements as weapons (kama, tonfa, etc.) - so martial arts masters teaching in fighting clubs established throughout Kaidan, are in fact, Pathfinder Monks.
Finally among the country folk and older worship of Shinto, are priests that could be considered Shaman, in which Japan featured two one of males and one of females. Male Shaman are called Shoten whose powers involve healing, purification or the removing of taint, the blessing of crops, work places, and weddings. Among the female Shaman, are Miko whose powers involve mediums to the dead, contact with ancestral spirits and fortune telling.
These are all my classes so far - what are your thoughts?
GP
No courtier/emissary type class? I don't know Pathfinder, might be the system is supposed to focus on action and violence?
How significant are the houses/clans specific techniques? Would a more well-rounded samurai be at a major disadvantage to one that's focused heavily on these techniques?
While I forgot to mention the Hatamoto class which is a Samurai, with buffs to social skills, etiquette and courtly intrigue, and the possible pointing to another Splat books Pathfinder Warlord class, Kaidan has an evil, undead Court. Thus Kaidan is not really a Court based adventure game. Kaidan is not Rokugan, nor is emphasis with the court a major part of the setting.
Not every adventure is "hack/slash", but almost no adventures emphasize the Court beyond being antagonistic to it.
At the heart of true Japanese Samurai was the idea of "pen and sword accord" meaning that the pen or the Courtly arts were just as important as the martial skills of a samurai. Many RPG samurai do not accomodate this well, focusing on the more violent side. My Hatamoto were in Japan the Shogun's Samurai, who also worked as the Imperial Palace Guard. Senior hatamoto held lesser bureaucratic positions - head of a police force, district governor of a border state, magistrates and other posts. My provincial House Samurai are the more traditional RPG sword specialists. Thus I have the two kinds of samurai.
In my setting, Hatamoto are part of the Noble Caste, while most Samurai are Samurai caste the one below.
GP
In looking at other Oriental Settings of RPGs you have historical games like Sengoku that has almost no fantasy aspect to it at all. Historically D&D's Oriental Adventures iterations tried to be general and ended up too general. Though much of the mechanics and fluff surrounded Japanese tropes, they incorporated minimal Indian, Chinese and Mongol culture too. Still it was balanced towards Japanese fantasy moreso than those other oriental cultures. By doing so it was not very focused and in the long run due to lack of adventures and campaign, essentially a weak setting.
AEG did remarkable work creating L5R and d20 Rokugan, however their focus was an Imperial Court game. First they moved the Samurai from their own caste and "recast" them as Nobles. Second they needed a spell caster class so they took Shugenja from the Commoner Caste and said they were a branch of the Samurai, which meant they too were noble caste. Essentially Rokugan is a noble caste game, thus the emphasis on Courtiers, House intrigue, Magistrates. Where OA is too general, AEG is too specific.
GP
So trying to develop Kaidan, there are several things to consider. Japan is such a complex monster of a culture, no RPG can truly represent all that is Japan. Each RPG must focus on some aspects to make a viable game setting. While AEG did a good job creating the Imperial Court game, that is not what Kaidan is about. Kaidan focuses on all the castes and the relationship between the castes, as well as the political aspirations of the lower caste societies. Kaidan focuses more also on the mythical aspects of Japanese culture: the conflict of religions, the rise of the Merchant Caste, the fight against demon-spirits and undead, the intrigues of the Commoners working against a brutal Imperial regime, as well as the Kami and nature spirits of folklore. Really the Imperial Court is more an NPC aspect of the setting, not a core gaming environment.
There is talk of developing an Expanded Rules version of Kaidan as a secondary Splat for Pathfinder - here I could introduce aspects of an Imperial Court game, but for the basic rules, that is outside the main setting. So, if and when I make that book, I can expand rules regarding Courtiers. I don't think that game style belongs in the basic game.
Hatamoto will have to be as close to Courtiers as I need them to be.
GP
I like your ideas for the ninja so far, i.e. the different clans having different powers, and the psionic take.
I had some fun with on OA game. Good luck.
The Six Races of Kaidan so far...
Here's a teaser for you, art I've commissioned from two artists, the first two were created by Simon Turnbull, the latter four were created by Mark Hyzer:
(http://www.gamer-printshop.com/kaidan-rpg/images/samurai-human.jpg)
Kaidanese Human
(http://www.gamer-printshop.com/kaidan-rpg/images/hengeyokai.jpg)
Hengeyokai - animal barbarian shape-changers (this one is monkey)
(http://www.gamer-printshop.com/kaidan-rpg/images/spirit-folk1.jpg)
Spirit Folk
(http://www.gamer-printshop.com/kaidan-rpg/images/korobokuru.jpg)
Korobokuru Mountain Dwarf
(http://www.gamer-printshop.com/kaidan-rpg/images/half-oni.jpg)
Half Oni
(http://www.gamer-printshop.com/kaidan-rpg/images/ryujin-dragon-folk.jpg)
Sea Dragon Folk (Ryujin)
Enjoy!
GP
I like the racial concepts a lot. What exactly is a Spirit-folk though? (I don't remember this being touched in the original Kaiden thread, maybe I missed it sorry :P)
The half-Oni and Ryujin look badass.
I agree that the Sohei seems more like a Paladin then a Monk (its what popped into my head reading the description before I seen your snippet)
I like the idea of the Samurai ancestral weapon, however it does kinda stop the character from changing weapons/styles, or seems to anyway. Also, would they be able to apply this to multiple weapons? Samurai often used multiple weapons (I believe anyway)
How does a Samurai compare to an Ashigaru in terms of raw combat skill? In non-combat skills?
The shaman classes seem somewhat bland/specialized to me.
I'm very interested to hear about all those races, especially the Ryujin and half-Oni.
Of the non-human races of Kaidan, it is D&D afterall, so the market has certain expectations. Borrowing both from workable parts of Oriental Adventures and corresponding that with that which follows historical folklore record, I chose the following:
1. Spirit Folk are the children of human and Nature or Divine Spirit who transformed human form. In some cases it was a one night liaison, in others it was a marriage that lasted a lifetime. Children born of spirit folk are very much like elves or half elves. They have an affinity with nature, especially pertaining to their kami parents source of origin: mountains, rivers, bamboo and other tree groves. I've treated them as elves in most of their abilities and weapons choices, its just their language, spirit connection that makes them unique - note the elf ears, just so it coincides better to elves, for those D&D gamers that expect elves in any environment. Though Spirit folk are primarily rangers, sorcerers, shaman and warriors, a single Spirit Folk Samurai House exists with a complete staff of Spirit Folk Samurai (mostly bow specialists).
2. Korobokuru are a diminuitive specie of forest and mountain dwellers. Though I've got them listed as dwarves, I am changing that to gnomes, as they are peace-loving, nature spirited beings whose lifestyle doesn't invoke the idea of fantasy dwarf, I think gnome suits them better. They are cave dwellers who have some communication with Emishi barbarian humans who also dwell in the northern mountains of Kaidan. Korobokuru are skilled craftsmen and stoneworkers. Bards, sorcerers, shaman, yamabushi and warriors are their available classes.
3. Hengeyokai is actually a blanket term to describe a whole slew animal humanoid shape-changers including: Rat, Cat, Dog, Wolf, Crane, Nightengale, Carp, Sea Eagle, perhaps a few more. They are members of the Animal Realm, one of the six reincarnation placements - between the Human/Commoner Caste and the Eta (Hinin) Caste. Hengeyokai dwell in the forest and mountain regions found throughout Kaidan. Bushi, yamabushi, shaman, sorcerers and monk are their available classes.
4. Half-Oni, just as Spirit Folk are the children of humans and transformed human form Nature Spirits, half-oni are the product of humans and demon-spirits. Though many demon-spirits are female, most true oni are male ogres or D&D's ogre magi. These spellcasting monsters are from the Hell realm the lowest on the wheel of life and sometimes enter the prime material plane on missions for either Court Onmyoji or Greater demons of the Hell realm. In some cases marriages with demon-spirits and unsuspecting human males occur, most are Oni rapings of human women that result in the birth of Half-Oni. Half-oni retain certain arcane abilities of their demon parentage, including enhanced strength, and of true oni children great size. In many ways, the half-oni fill the role of half orc. They can be any class though type of parent usually encourages warrior/bushi roles for oni and spell casters for demon-spirit children.
5. Ryujin is my invention rather than an actual Japanese being of myth. I call them a Hengeyokai of the Sea, they are the residents and military for Ryuki - the Sea Dragon God's Palace beneath the sea. In natural form they have a sea dragon's tail which allows them high speeds when swimming, but as most hengeyokai, they are mostly found in human form. Ryujin have the power to shape change to a sea turtle or shark at lower levels, but at higher levels they can assume the form of a young sea dragon, with all appropriate powers and abilities. They too fall under the Animal Realm on the Wheel of Life construct - more likely Commoner fisherman who died with negative karma to descend into the animal realm. Like hengeyokai, they tend to be warriors, shaman, yamabushi, monk, sorcerers, rangers, bushi, but never samurai.
GP
Llum, every three levels or so a samurai can invoke his Ancestral Weapon feat, letting him invest his experience points and a prayer vigil to awaken an ancestral power. The idea being that a samurai house is heridary so the spirits of the wielders are bound into their swords, descendants can awaken the spirits within which empower them.
The three weapons that are considered Samurai weapons are Katana (broad sword), Wakizashi (short sword) and Daikyu (long composite bow). However, most martial houses have a closer affinity to one weapaon or another. While can still wield all their weapons - the one bound with ancestral weapon becomes their primary weapon.
I currently consider replacing Ashigaru with the Bushi class. Rather than conscripted soldiers as in Ashigaru, Bushi are really self-made fighters of the Commoner class, more roguish than virtuous as a samurai. They either use quality no-daishi great swords, yumi long bows, tanto daggers, or mass produced wakizashi. They don't get access to katana. Consider Yojimbo and you know what a Bushi is like - more like a straight classed fighter.
I'd agree that the Shaman are somewhat bland at this point perhaps their role to exorcise demons and ghosts - which is a persistent problem in Kaidan, might make them more necessary than bland. Also, however, only the Shoten/Miko shaman are capable of contact kami and ancestor spirits. If a an adventurer needs to contact a forebear for any number of reasons, only a shaman can assist in such a venture, no other spell caster can access that kind of magic.
Also, haven't described the Emishi barbarians who are humans with barbarian lifestyles who fight as guerillas, mounted archers, trackers. Their playable classes are barbarian warrior, shaman, tribal druid, and bard. Weapons include Yuri long bow, Yari long spear, barbarian sword and dagger. Emishi males have long beards and mustaches, while women wear tattoos around their mouths.
Humans who dwell near the Emishi, but are still purely Kaidanese or mix bloods can also be Matagi, which are mountain hunters or ranger.
GP
Thinking about Pathfinder Monks and getting martial arts into the wider population of Kaidan. Strictly speaking players must be single class characters, and may with memory reaquisition be multi-class over multiple reincarnated lives. However, the one exception. Any Commoner caste, and Eta caste yakuza can cross-class with Monk at anytime. They must remain lawfully aligned, but can function as multi-class or dual class Monk and other Commoner Caste class (except for barbarian and shaman - miko/shoten).
Commoner caste classes include: Bard, Bushi, Jugondo Sorcerer, Monk, Ninja, Sohei and Yamabushi.
Thus martial arts proliferates among the Commoner population giving them some defense against their enemies and fuel for peasant revolts not being so one sided.
GP
Just want to put this out there but do you recall the conversation on integrating martial arts into feats and/or skills so that any class could potentially access them (though martial classes would obviously have an easier time accessing them)?
Quote from: Prone To WanderingJust want to put this out there but do you recall the conversation on integrating martial arts into feats and/or skills so that any class could potentially access them (though martial classes would obviously have an easier time accessing them)?
Oh they will be in the feats, the 3 of the 4 (?) martial arts styles will include groups of feats that are focused in each style: karate, aikijitsu and jujitsu ("jitsu" refers to the older version as "do" refers to arts developed in the 20th century, more discipline than true warrior training.) I haven't decided what the fourth is yet.
Monks get bonuses to martial arts feats, so are better to have as an available multi-class, though any class may take martial arts feats, just are less adept at it than Monks.
So new, new ideas:
1. Nobles may freely multi-class as Samurai (Nobles are currently Onmyoji Wizards and Hatamoto)
2. Samurai may freely multi-class as Zao Sohei (variant paladins.)
3. Commoners may freely multi-class as Monk
4. Barbarians may freely multi-class as Rangers
5. Yakuza (rogue) may freely multi-class to Wako (wah-KO) or Kaidanese Pirate
GP
PS: if I create Pirates, then I'll have to create Ship's Movement Rules and available ships.