*Ways to donate in support of AAPI communities:* nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html *Asian Mental Health Collective:* www.asianmhc.org/ *Save Our Chinatowns:* www.saveourchinatowns.org/ *Welcome to Chinatown:* www.welcometochinatown.com/ *See more of Daniel Kwan's work:* danielhkwan.carrd.co/
This adventure really spoke to me. Being (half) and growing up in Okinawa, studying goju for most of my life, I couldn't wait to play this adventure with my Githzerai Monk/Cleric! Thank you so much for showcasing this, and your insight.
The Book of Inner Alchemy was an enlightening contribution to this book and I'm hopeful this can lead to a potential revisit of Kara-Tur but this time, done properly, and without any "language" that's just the Latin alphabet stylised to look Chinese. I believe it's time to expand to other continents beyond Faerum, especially if it's done to move away from the Sword Coast.
@@WardNightstone Definitely, we could very well see this happen considering that WOTC hired Indian writers for the Indian folklore themed Dread Domain in the upcoming Ravenloft book.
Yeah, I think they just shoved it under the rug since it only appeared in Trails Map and rest was only mentioned as Draconic script (Lung-Chromatic-Metallic network?). Even ignoring that the book seems rather too mundane and lazy even for "Historical analogue", plus too many Japanese-focus even on non-Japanese (though Cook admitted that it was a bad idea since he was banking on samurai and ninja craze)...plus you can't larp Tanjiro or Naruto much with it.
@@powerist209 All the more reason to reboot the setting, it's terrible portrayal in 2e should not be it's indefinite legacy and by extension, an ugly blemish on the Forgotten Realms. I can think of a few ideas that could contribute to making Kara-Tur a cool and interesting setting, like Artificers being a popular profession within Shou-Lung, using Chinese alchemy and the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China as inspiration. Given how Toril is approaching its 16th century, Shou-Lung could also have its own unique spin on China's most iconic novel, Journey to the West, maybe have it's own version of Sun Wukong? They could also address why Hobgoblins in 5e look like Tengu, maybe after they emerged from the Feywild, they first arrived in Kozakura and established a powerful empire there?
@@TheCrimsonElite666 I think there was 3e and 4e. Former kinda feel like they wanted to be Asian Elderscrolls (ancestor feat being skillset based on reputation, like Koryo being not!Admiral Yi) 4E did have similiar idea but with rune priests.
One of the things I love about this adventure is how it fleshes out not only Ki in general but also just the monk class. So often monks are kinda the odd man out from the other 5e classes (aside from maybe the artificer), but this adventure really makes Monks feel like a more natural part of the setting. As a dungeon Master I'm also super pleased that I now have 4 new Monk NPC stat blocks at a wide range of CRs, the CR 3 one in Volos just wasn't enough for me
Read that Asian inspired Story, and would love more like it. :) i love that theme, and my last PC even had an Asian inspired BG and look, though she is dead now. She where a white Tiefling Hexblade with the fartraveler bg, that when not in her armor walked around in a black and white kimono. :) and fun to play how she reacted to new cultures and how the others and NPC's would react to her. :)
Good on you for doing this. I love the overtly Asian nature of this story. Always interested to see what other cultures can bring to the table, literally.
Chinese wuxia fantasy themes, if you need inspiration, watch the movie "Chinese Ghost Story", the original from the 1987. The taoist swordsman is probably a Fighter with the Eldritch Knight subclass. And I'm wondering, the Sorcerer class does have Sorcerer Points, doesn't the points represent ki energy?? So that Not ONLY Monk class has ki energy, since all living beings has ki.
@@DnDBeyond Like taoist priests who are not following any gods could use Sorcerer class and Sorcerer Points as a way to control their ki and use the ki to achieve magical effects. Taoism has always been associated with innate magic = Sorcerer class. The balance between the Yin and the Yang.
I like Asian wirefu, wushu, chi, teenage and entertainment derivatives like mutant ninja turtles in feudal Japan, thank you for confirming this is all ok to like... there s been a push that this is somehow "insensitive" or whatever. stories belong to everyone
So had a dumb idea for "Kara Tur Reboot-ish"? Will there be a compromise as a March or borderlands for testing ground in case if Separate Asian Setting (ala L5R, Imagawa from Magic, Jade Empire or Exalted) or trying to rebooting Kara-Tur area is no-go. Think like March Lands of Shou Lung; where Emissaries, Exiles, and Expatriates would live and technically under Shou Lung but largely autonomous (Western Protectorate of Han Dynasty, Anglo-Scottish border, or maybe Client Kingdoms or Tribes of Roman Empire). I know Marsember kinda did that but it's under Cormyr banner, aka "Forgotten part of Forgotten Realms" according to FR parodies (at least after Season 2 and 3 of Adventure League).
I really hope that D&D goes back to revisit Kara-Tur and does a much more well-informed representation of the cultures within. A samurai should not be the king of Kara-Tur's Korea analogue.
Well, I think they stated that it was class description rather than Samurai. Sadly only for Shou Lung. OA is kinda old and kinda clear that they only had China and Japan in mind, more so on latter based on terminology, Monasteries being too well armed for Shaolin, and the samurai descriptors on NPC’s. Even their Korea is Silla-Balkan-Goryeo period and 4e’s very brief descriptor of Joseon but more maritime.
@@powerist209 Yeah, even in the early 2000's Koryo was still being given blanket statements as a 'xenophobic' country in Dragon Magazine online publications. I am interested in the 4e naval Joseon though, do you know where I'd find that? I'm actually writing about Korea's depiction in D&D history for a school project and the more info I can find the better!
@@powerist209 Ahhh that's just the Koryo review replacing the Rokugan clan backgrounds with Kara-Tur ones. It's basically just reciting what was in the Kara-Tur boxed set but with the prestige class options and feats.
*Ways to donate in support of AAPI communities:* nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html
*Asian Mental Health Collective:* www.asianmhc.org/
*Save Our Chinatowns:* www.saveourchinatowns.org/
*Welcome to Chinatown:* www.welcometochinatown.com/
*See more of Daniel Kwan's work:* danielhkwan.carrd.co/
This adventure really spoke to me. Being (half) and growing up in Okinawa, studying goju for most of my life, I couldn't wait to play this adventure with my Githzerai Monk/Cleric! Thank you so much for showcasing this, and your insight.
I lived on Okinawa for many years, always nice to run across others who have called it home. Interested in this story as well.
The Book of Inner Alchemy was an enlightening contribution to this book and I'm hopeful this can lead to a potential revisit of Kara-Tur but this time, done properly, and without any "language" that's just the Latin alphabet stylised to look Chinese. I believe it's time to expand to other continents beyond Faerum, especially if it's done to move away from the Sword Coast.
Kara-Tur written by an Asian writing team i'd 100% be game for
@@WardNightstone Definitely, we could very well see this happen considering that WOTC hired Indian writers for the Indian folklore themed Dread Domain in the upcoming Ravenloft book.
Yeah, I think they just shoved it under the rug since it only appeared in Trails Map and rest was only mentioned as Draconic script (Lung-Chromatic-Metallic network?).
Even ignoring that the book seems rather too mundane and lazy even for "Historical analogue", plus too many Japanese-focus even on non-Japanese (though Cook admitted that it was a bad idea since he was banking on samurai and ninja craze)...plus you can't larp Tanjiro or Naruto much with it.
@@powerist209 All the more reason to reboot the setting, it's terrible portrayal in 2e should not be it's indefinite legacy and by extension, an ugly blemish on the Forgotten Realms. I can think of a few ideas that could contribute to making Kara-Tur a cool and interesting setting, like Artificers being a popular profession within Shou-Lung, using Chinese alchemy and the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China as inspiration. Given how Toril is approaching its 16th century, Shou-Lung could also have its own unique spin on China's most iconic novel, Journey to the West, maybe have it's own version of Sun Wukong? They could also address why Hobgoblins in 5e look like Tengu, maybe after they emerged from the Feywild, they first arrived in Kozakura and established a powerful empire there?
@@TheCrimsonElite666 I think there was 3e and 4e.
Former kinda feel like they wanted to be Asian Elderscrolls (ancestor feat being skillset based on reputation, like Koryo being not!Admiral Yi)
4E did have similiar idea but with rune priests.
One of the things I love about this adventure is how it fleshes out not only Ki in general but also just the monk class. So often monks are kinda the odd man out from the other 5e classes (aside from maybe the artificer), but this adventure really makes Monks feel like a more natural part of the setting. As a dungeon Master I'm also super pleased that I now have 4 new Monk NPC stat blocks at a wide range of CRs, the CR 3 one in Volos just wasn't enough for me
I appreciate that they took the time at the beginning to spread awareness of about the Atlanta shooting
I just finished my read through of Inner Alchemy, it was epic.
I can't believe how over-represented Canada continues to be in D&D! So proud. 🇨🇦
This is so very needed, as a fan of Wuxia this was the missing piece. Thank you very much.
it looks really good very well written nice job
As a martial artist I love having a cool story based in wuxia is lovely
Top 3 in the book for sure!
Maybe my favorite but thats always hard to say...top 3 for sure though!
Read that Asian inspired Story, and would love more like it. :)
i love that theme, and my last PC even had an Asian inspired BG and look, though she is dead now.
She where a white Tiefling Hexblade with the fartraveler bg, that when not in her armor walked around in a black and white kimono. :)
and fun to play how she reacted to new cultures and how the others and NPC's would react to her. :)
yes, there should be more. instead they are cancelling them (see pathfinder Asian spell collection for example)
Good on you for doing this. I love the overtly Asian nature of this story. Always interested to see what other cultures can bring to the table, literally.
Chinese wuxia fantasy themes, if you need inspiration, watch the movie "Chinese Ghost Story", the original from the 1987. The taoist swordsman is probably a Fighter with the Eldritch Knight subclass.
And I'm wondering, the Sorcerer class does have Sorcerer Points, doesn't the points represent ki energy?? So that Not ONLY Monk class has ki energy, since all living beings has ki.
That's a super fun way of looking at sorcerer points
@@DnDBeyond Like taoist priests who are not following any gods could use Sorcerer class and Sorcerer Points as a way to control their ki and use the ki to achieve magical effects.
Taoism has always been associated with innate magic = Sorcerer class. The balance between the Yin and the Yang.
I like Asian wirefu, wushu, chi, teenage and entertainment derivatives like mutant ninja turtles in feudal Japan, thank you for confirming this is all ok to like... there s been a push that this is somehow "insensitive" or whatever. stories belong to everyone
So had a dumb idea for "Kara Tur Reboot-ish"?
Will there be a compromise as a March or borderlands for testing ground in case if Separate Asian Setting (ala L5R, Imagawa from Magic, Jade Empire or Exalted) or trying to rebooting Kara-Tur area is no-go.
Think like March Lands of Shou Lung; where Emissaries, Exiles, and Expatriates would live and technically under Shou Lung but largely autonomous (Western Protectorate of Han Dynasty, Anglo-Scottish border, or maybe Client Kingdoms or Tribes of Roman Empire).
I know Marsember kinda did that but it's under Cormyr banner, aka "Forgotten part of Forgotten Realms" according to FR parodies (at least after Season 2 and 3 of Adventure League).
I really hope that D&D goes back to revisit Kara-Tur and does a much more well-informed representation of the cultures within. A samurai should not be the king of Kara-Tur's Korea analogue.
Well, I think they stated that it was class description rather than Samurai.
Sadly only for Shou Lung.
OA is kinda old and kinda clear that they only had China and Japan in mind, more so on latter based on terminology, Monasteries being too well armed for Shaolin, and the samurai descriptors on NPC’s.
Even their Korea is Silla-Balkan-Goryeo period and 4e’s very brief descriptor of Joseon but more maritime.
@@powerist209 Yeah, even in the early 2000's Koryo was still being given blanket statements as a 'xenophobic' country in Dragon Magazine online publications. I am interested in the 4e naval Joseon though, do you know where I'd find that? I'm actually writing about Korea's depiction in D&D history for a school project and the more info I can find the better!
@@Dijeouni It's from 3.5E actually, Might have misread it with Island Kingdoms feat.
It's Dragon Magazine 315.
@@powerist209 Ahhh that's just the Koryo review replacing the Rokugan clan backgrounds with Kara-Tur ones. It's basically just reciting what was in the Kara-Tur boxed set but with the prestige class options and feats.
I love this book, it dnd Kill Bill and Executioners from Shaolin and Wu-tang Clan in one