Silk, Steel, and Magic

Silk, Steel, and Magic

Oriental Adventures introduces the infinite worlds of fantastic Asia to the Dungeons & Dragons game. It is the world of honorable samurai, tatooed monks, shadowy ninja, shapeshifting animals, spirit-talker shamans, sword-swinging wizards who can run up trees, serpentine dragons, hopping vampires, blood sorcerers, aand iaijutsu duels. It mixes elements of fantasy from China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia.

Races

Humans are the dominant race in Oriental Adventures, as they are in the Players Handbook. They rule the mighty Emerald Empire, though they are the youngest race in this young world. Humans group themselves into seven major clans, each tracing its ancestry to one of the kami (great spirits) who fell to earth, cast out by their father the moon. The members of these clans share a divine bloodline and a strong sense of heritage and identity. Certain traits and tendencies, from physical characteristics to particular aptitudes and social roles, define each clan.
Members of the Crab clan tend to be crude and violent, though they are strongly dedicated to their clan's sworn duty: protecting the empire from the Shadowlands. They believe in duty over honor and are always ready for a fight.
The Crane clan is made up of diplomats and courtiers. Graceful, elegant, and noble, they are masters of iaijutsu (the speed draw) and duels of honor.
Mysterious and reclusive, the scholars and warriors of the Dragon clan are devoted to exporing the secrets of the universe. All tend to speak in enigmatic riddles, though members of the mysterious order of tatooed monks are especially known for this.
Lions are the noble warriors of Oriental Adventures. They are warlike and aggressive but devoted to the honor of the samurai.
The greatest shugenjas belong to the Phoenix clan. They have a deep love of magic and knowledge.
The members of the Scorpion clan are the manipulators, masters of secrets and lies. Never seen without their masks, they resemble their namesakes - unassuming, but armed with a deadly sting.
Unicorns are the outsiders. Most of them are barbaric riders with aggressive dispositions. Mounted combat is their specialty, and their riding skills are second to none.
Clan designations, however, mean little to the masses of peasants and outcasts, lower-class humans whose only loyalty to the clans is in the form of the taxes they pay to the lords who rule and protect them. A heimin (peasant) farmer may live in Lion lands, send tithes of food to Lion castles, and rely on the Lion army for protection, but he is not a Lion - he is heimin. Criminals, actors, geisha, gamblers, the eta, and others whose professions make them unclean are known as hinin (outcasts). Ronins (samurai with no family and no clan), though they are technically members of the noble caste, also lie outside the clan structure.
In Oriental Adventures, humans without clan affiliation vary widely in personality, though in general they tend to be rude and uncouth by the standards of the noble caste. Bushido (a code of honor, loyalty, and obedience), with its dictates of honor, means nothing to these people. Heimins and hinins usually remain humble and unassuming in the presence of their betters, but ronins sometimes publicly flaunt social conventions. Most members of this rigidly lawful society share a lawful alignment, though they do run the spectrum of good and evil, even when united against the overwhelming evil of the Shadowlands.

Hengeyokai are intelligent, shapeshifting animals, able to shift freely between human and animal forms, as well as a bipedal, animalistic form. Several subraces exist, defined by the kind of animal form they can assume. They are typically found on the fringes of human-settled lands, where they can mingle in human form but retreat to solitude when they desire.
Korobokuru are dwarflike humanoids that live in barren wilderness areas where they seldom come into contact with humans. They live in simple villages, tending small farms in secluded areas. They typically avoid any contact or involvement in the affairs of the world outside their farms, but occasional individuals, driven by wanderlust or inspired by some contact with human civilization, find their way into human lands.
The Nezumi, or "ratlings" as they are often called by humans, are a race of bipedal ratlike humanoids. They are an ancient race native to the Shadowlands. Before the fall of the seven kami, the ratlings lived in grand cities in a mighty empire. On an apocalyptic day nezumi legend dubs "The Terrible Day When Air Became Fire and Heaven Fell From Its Perch to Crush Our Glorious Home Beneath Its Blackened Corpse," the empire of the ratlings was destroyed and the Shadowlands was born. In the aftermath of that event, the ratlings have become hardy and wily scavengers, eking out a meager existence in the midst of some of the world's greatest horrors.
Spirit folk are the descendants of humans and various spirits of nature. Spirit folk have three distinct races - bamboo, river, and sea spirit folk. All tie very strongly to the natural world as well as to the society of humans.
Vanaras are a race of monkeylike humanoids, possessing brave hearts and inquisitive minds.

Classes

Eleven classes are available in Oriental Adventures; some Players Handbook classes are missing, and five new classes are introduced. Multiclassing is much less common in Oriental Adventures than in the core rules.
Barbarians, rangers, and sorcerers are unchanged from the Players Handbook, except for cultural considerations.
Fighters are unchanged from the Players Handbook, except for cultural considerations and available bonus feats.
Monks can customize their powers to a certain extent, and can multiclass freely.
Rogues are unchanged from the Players Handbook, except for cultural considerations and weapon proficiencies.
Samurai are noble warriors sworn to a code of honor, obedience, and loyalty.
Shamen are intermediaries between the mortal world and the realm of the spirits, a master of divine magic.
The Shugenja are masters of elemental forces, religious figures who wield divine magic.
Sohei are warrior monks, sworn to the defense of a temple or monastery.
Wu Jen are potent arcane spellcasters.
Not available in Oriental Adventures are bards, clerics, druids, paladins, or wizards.
Characters are either members of the noble caste (often called the samurai caste) or they are not - they are heimins ("halfpeople") or hinins ("nonpeople," including eta). This is an important distinction, and can have a great impact on other character choices. Nonnoble characters do not come from the seven great clans, and cannot gain the benefits of clan origin (an extra class skill). They cannot adopt the samurai or shugenja character classes, since both of these classes require training in a clan school for many years.

	Oriental Adventures introduces the infinite worlds of fantastic Asia to the Dungeons & Dragons game. It is the world of honorable samurai, tatooed monks, shadowy ninja, shapeshifting animals, spirit-talker shamans, sword-swinging wizards who can run up trees, serpentine dragons, hopping vampires, blood sorcerers, aand iaijutsu duels. It mixes elements of fantasy from China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia.
	Races
	Humans are the dominant race in Oriental Adventures, as they are in the Players Handbook. They rule the mighty Emerald Empire, though they are the youngest race in this young world. Humans group themselves into seven major clans, each tracing its ancestry to one of the kami (great spirits) who fell to earth, cast out by their father the moon. The members of these clans share a divine bloodline and a strong sense of heritage and identity. Certain traits and tendencies, from physical characteristics to particular aptitudes and social roles, define each clan. Members of the Crab clan tend to be crude and violent, though they are strongly dedicated to their clan's sworn duty: protecting the empire from the Shadowlands. They believe in duty over honor and are always ready for a fight. The Crane clan is made up of diplomats and courtiers. Graceful, elegant, and noble, they are masters of iaijutsu (the speed draw) and duels of honor. Mysterious and reclusive, the scholars and warriors of the Dragon clan are devoted to exporing the secrets of the universe. All tend to speak in enigmatic riddles, though members of the mysterious order of tatooed monks are especially known for this. Lions are the noble warriors of Oriental Adventures. They are warlike and aggressive but devoted to the honor of the samurai. The greatest shugenjas belong to the Phoenix clan. They have a deep love of magic and knowledge. The members of the Scorpion clan are the manipulators, masters of secrets and lies. Never seen without their masks, they resemble their namesakes - unassuming, but armed with a deadly sting. Unicorns are the outsiders. Most of them are barbaric riders with aggressive dispositions. Mounted combat is their specialty, and their riding skills are second to none. Clan designations, however, mean little to the masses of peasants and outcasts, lower-class humans whose only loyalty to the clans is in the form of the taxes they pay to the lords who rule and protect them. A heimin (peasant) farmer may live in Lion lands, send tithes of food to Lion castles, and rely on the Lion army for protection, but he is not a Lion - he is heimin. Criminals, actors, geisha, gamblers, the eta, and others whose professions make them unclean are known as hinin (outcasts). Ronins (samurai with no family and no clan), though they are technically members of the noble caste, also lie outside the clan structure. In Oriental Adventures, humans without clan affiliation vary widely in personality, though in general they tend to be rude and uncouth by the standards of the noble caste. Bushido (a code of honor, loyalty, and obedience), with its dictates of honor, means nothing to these people. Heimins and hinins usually remain humble and unassuming in the presence of their betters, but ronins sometimes publicly flaunt social conventions. Most members of this rigidly lawful society share a lawful alignment, though they do run the spectrum of good and evil, even when united against the overwhelming evil of the Shadowlands.
	Hengeyokai are intelligent, shapeshifting animals, able to shift freely between human and animal forms, as well as a bipedal, animalistic form. Several subraces exist, defined by the kind of animal form they can assume. They are typically found on the fringes of human-settled lands, where they can mingle in human form but retreat to solitude when they desire. Korobokuru are dwarflike humanoids that live in barren wilderness areas where they seldom come into contact with humans. They live in simple villages, tending small farms in secluded areas. They typically avoid any contact or involvement in the affairs of the world outside their farms, but occasional individuals, driven by wanderlust or inspired by some contact with human civilization, find their way into human lands. The Nezumi, or "ratlings" as they are often called by humans, are a race of bipedal ratlike humanoids. They are an ancient race native to the Shadowlands. Before the fall of the seven kami, the ratlings lived in grand cities in a mighty empire. On an apocalyptic day nezumi legend dubs "The Terrible Day When Air Became Fire and Heaven Fell From Its Perch to Crush Our Glorious Home Beneath Its Blackened Corpse," the empire of the ratlings was destroyed and the Shadowlands was born. In the aftermath of that event, the ratlings have become hardy and wily scavengers, eking out a meager existence in the midst of some of the world's greatest horrors. Spirit folk are the descendants of humans and various spirits of nature. Spirit folk have three distinct races - bamboo, river, and sea spirit folk. All tie very strongly to the natural world as well as to the society of humans. Vanaras are a race of monkeylike humanoids, possessing brave hearts and inquisitive minds.
	Classes
	Eleven classes are available in Oriental Adventures; some Players Handbook classes are missing, and five new classes are introduced. Multiclassing is much less common in Oriental Adventures than in the core rules. Barbarians, rangers, and sorcerers are unchanged from the Players Handbook, except for cultural considerations. Fighters are unchanged from the Players Handbook, except for cultural considerations and available bonus feats. Monks can customize their powers to a certain extent, and can multiclass freely. Rogues are unchanged from the Players Handbook, except for cultural considerations and weapon proficiencies. Samurai are noble warriors sworn to a code of honor, obedience, and loyalty. Shamen are intermediaries between the mortal world and the realm of the spirits, a master of divine magic. The Shugenja are masters of elemental forces, religious figures who wield divine magic. Sohei are warrior monks, sworn to the defense of a temple or monastery. Wu Jen are potent arcane spellcasters. Not available in Oriental Adventures are bards, clerics, druids, paladins, or wizards. Characters are either members of the noble caste (often called the samurai caste) or they are not - they are heimins ("halfpeople") or hinins ("nonpeople," including eta). This is an important distinction, and can have a great impact on other character choices. Nonnoble characters do not come from the seven great clans, and cannot gain the benefits of clan origin (an extra class skill). They cannot adopt the samurai or shugenja character classes, since both of these classes require training in a clan school for many years.