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Dur Kak
A sleepy little Ricepaddy of two acres with a cluster of three wooden huts on stilts sitting on a dry mound of dirt at its centre. A narrow dirt road emerges from the jungle to the east, passes by the homes of the Kak Family (13 including children) and swings south west back into the jungle.
Yield: 2 acres x 40 bushels of rice/acre @ 59% = 2360lb Rice
2360lb/13 people = 181lb each (or 1/2lb rice per person per day)
Catfish in the rice paddy provides some meat.
Minor rice shortage (a few days a year)...so they are a skinny lot.
Throw in six Americans with M-16's and you got yourself a massacre.
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Throw in six Americans with M-16's and you got yourself a massacre.:(
You are right. I should never bring up America's Secret Shame...
Dur Kak
A sleepy little Ricepaddy of two acres with a cluster of three wooden huts on stilts sitting on a dry mound of dirt at its centre. A narrow dirt road emerges from the jungle to the east, passes by the homes of the Kak Family (13 including children) and swings south west back into the jungle.
Yield: 2 acres x 40 bushels of rice/acre @ 59% = 2360lb Rice
2360lb/13 people = 1/2lb rice per Adult per day/1/4lb rice per Child per day.
So thats: POPULATION 6 (+7 children)
Catfish in the rice paddy provides some meat.
That leaves a slight Surplus: 500lb Rice for the local Bandit chief to extort in tax.
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Hello Mike McArtor and Nick Logue,
It is exciting to hear that you (Mike Mcartor and Nick Logue) will be writing a Golarion “oriental” source book eventually. I am sure you are getting a herd of suggestions as thick as lemmings on the Alaskan coast. Might I offer another lemming er Suggestion?
I am sure both of you have extensive knowledge about the varied cultures of Asia.
I would suggest the author Robert Van Gulik and his Judge Dee detective stories might make an excellent source of inspiration. The books have the titles “ The Chinese Gold Murders”, “Chinese Lake Murders” “The Chinese Bell Murders” etc. They were published by the University of Chicago Press and are now published by Haprer Collins.
In my opinion Judge Dee is the Chinese equivalent of Sherlock Homes. However unlike Sherlock Homes, Judge Dee was an actual historical figure. He was a Statesman in the Tang Dynasty and early in his official carrier a district magistrate. Judge Dee’s full name was Ti Jen-Chien and he lived from 630-700 AD (P 199 The Chinese gold murders). The murder mysteries are fictitious and inspired by the author Van Guilks wide knowledge of Chinese literature.
The novels follow a basic format. The main protagonist, judge Dee is assigned every few years to a new city. From post to post he takes with him a few personal retainers that help him solve the mysteries and murders he has to solve. His staff includes Chiao Tai, an ex military officer, Ma-Joong, charmingly described as a “boxer” (these books were written in the 50’s and Van Gulik a Dutch diplomat and scholar was posted in China in the 30’s) and Tao Gan, a reformed itinerant swindler.
The books chronicle their adventures. Often they have to solve several mysteries at once. One thing I like about these books is that they have maps. Gamers love maps. The books also include a Dramatis Personae, listing all the characters in the novel and to which case they are connected. It helps a simple minded person like myself to tell apart a characters named Yee Pen from Koo neé Tsao. The books also contain drawings, which give me an idea of life in the Tang dynasty. The books also include little bits of explanation on how things work in ancient china.
Anyways for me these books were an easy introduction into some of what imperial china was like. I remember when I was working in china on a photography assignment back in 95; my Chinese minder noticed I was reading this book. Naturally he was curios about what I was reading. I was able to find the Chinese characters for “Judge Dee” in the book, which he could read, and Ho Shao Shi became very excited. He was thrilled that I was trying to learn about china and about an important historical figure. He also spied the next book in my book stack about Zheng He (Jung Huh) and the Treasure Fleet, which he was also thrilled about. I was invited to his home to meet his family. I think these books made things much easier for me, in china. And more importantly I think judge Dee might be an important cultural figure to China.
Where am I going? I often ask myself the same question. Was there a point to this? Lets see if I can remember it. Well it is simply this. I think the Judge Dee Dective novels would provide some wonderful inspiration and atmosphere to keep in mind when you begin to write your supplement.
On an unrelated note- I am thrilled that there will be an “India” in Golarion. India has a rich mythical tapestry that we can draw lots of inspiration from. India is also probably as diverse as Europe is with all of the cultures and languages in the region.
I feel that India has gotten little or no attention in previous D&D gaming material. It was entirely left out in the world of the Forgotten realms. There was Maztica, there was the Horde lands, There was Kara Tur, and in my opinion the very well written Al Quadim, but no “India.” The only hints I could find that hinted at an “Indian “ culture” was in the “Storm riders” module set in the Horde lands, that talked about pilgrims seeking the source of the Jumpa River, and that “Var the Golden and Dupar” might be somewhat Indian. I also seem to remember in Al Quadim, the island named “Afyal Isle of the Elephant” to be vaguely “Indian”. But that was it in the Forgotten realms.
Green Ronin put out a nice setting called “Mind Shadows” which had lots of Indian flavor.
Well enough of my rant. I have to get to work.
Good luck.
Myles Crocker
I'm just popping in to second the Judge Dee recommendation. It's an excellent series, lots of fun as well.
Yeah! The Judge Dee series is my favorite by far. After the first novel I read "The Monkey and the Tiger" I started learning wushu and in the following summer I read all 15 novels published in German. So yes, I can recommend the books as well! Really really love them in fact.
But Laura Joh Rowland and her Sano Itchiro series is great, too! He is the sosakan-sama (highest ranking detective) of the shogun in feudal Edo, at least for big part of the series. Of course he is a samurai and gets to fight assassins, ninjas and such fun. Really good read, if a bit too erotic sometimes.
Just checking back in with this thread (it was only a few posts the last time I popped in).
Gotta say, I really, really hope this comes about. The ideas that Mike and Nick are throwing around sound really awesome, and a definitively more "Oriental" supplement than any I've seen. Would really, really love to read/own/buy/worship this.
BTW, to OdaNobunaga (or anyone else), can you recommend a good English translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms? I picked up the C.H. Brewitt-Taylor translation (vol. 1) about 2 years ago, and it's just been rough to get through. I don't know if it's just not a good translation, or if it's just too literal a translation for an English audience, but it's just been really difficult. Am I going to have to go back and relearn the (admittedly little- only one semester) Mandarin I know in order to read a proper version of the story (in the original language)?
Anyway, hope this project comes to fruition, and if anyone has any recommendations, I'll be watching. :)
See, the one thing I that would sell me into Paizo, and specifically this book, is that if it can actually play a the "game" with different tropes. If it allows characters to be what tv tropes call "bad ass normal", or even closer to what would be considered very... un martial like for martial characters to actually have incredible powers (and not swing swords all the bloody time); and treat martial arts as a form of magic (with out it actually being the same magic shtick as standard casters). I'd love this book to allow what TV Tropes calls "Charles Atlas Superpower" or even the standard "Bad Ass". Cause to me, Asian style stuff, is where even standard (at least those to be played by PC's; they're heroes and soon to be legends really) fighters can balance on water, hop small buildings, and even fly through the air (though not really fly, more like float... cause they jumped...*shrugs*), a lot like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I mean, not everyone is into that, but I'd love this to even at least have an inkling of option for something like that.
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NevermindYou do realize, of course, that now I'm dying to know what you were going to say. :P
Sorry. I ended up posting my thoughts to the "Asian-themed Classes" thread over in the Alpha Release 2 Classes & Races Forum because it seemed to fit the discussion there better. Thinking about it though, maybe that thread should be moved to this or the Rules Suggestion forum as it really has nothing to do with AR2.
There must also be hopping vampires! :Da lot like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I mean, not everyone is into that, but I'd love this to even at least have an inkling of option for something like that.Oh yes, wuxia will definitely be a part of the hypothetical book we write. :)
What about zombies with jade masks or silver spikes in their heads?
-Weylin Stormcrowe
Just give me Ninja with cool demon masks on. (Like the Hanya.)
Thought I'd chime in. Much as I'm really excited about Tian Xia I'd be really interested in more stuff on Vundra. I don't think that just because India's mythology is less well known that Japan and China doesn't make it any less interesting. Pathfinder 9 really wet my appetite for more Vundra based goodness. Can't wait to see what you guys come up with.
Similarly I look forward to seeing what aspects of Vietnamese, Korean, Thai (etc) culture you use in Pathfinder. These are places whose mythology I know little about and don't seem to be covered by most mainstream RPGs. It'll be great to see them done justice. Shame the book isn't even being official written ;)
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Thought I'd chime in. Much as I'm really excited about Tian Xia I'd be really interested in more stuff on Vundra. I don't think that just because India's mythology is less well known that Japan and China doesn't make it any less interesting. Pathfinder 9 really wet my appetite for more Vundra based goodness. Can't wait to see what you guys come up with.
Well, India is the bridge--it is both West and East. How can that not be interesting? ;) I'm looking forward to more info on Vundra as well.
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Wow!
I can't wait for this line of books. OA-3 was basically just a rehash of L5R. (Same as swashbucking adventures was a rehash of 7th Sea). I would love to see a Chinese based set of rules, I've studied Choy Li Fut and my kids are in Hung Gar. I really want to see a good D&D martial arts system, one needs to be done right...I haven't see one yet. PF9 also piqued my interest in Vundra.
Great info hearing that Nick is an Asian studies grad, and that he lived in China...who better to help write these books?
Actually this whole discussion brings up an issue for my group. I know Pathfinder has its own set of gods, but what cosmology do you follow. I mean in my home game real world and fantasy gods are all accpeted because the gods persay don't come down and effect the world as much as in other settings. Moreover L5R had a cosmology that conflicted with standard so that was a bit hard to interconet. Having never really used the great wheel nor played 1st or 2nd edition OA if there are no Gods as 'Western' based games see them on the same world how will Pathfinder deal with this. Sorry if this putting a heavy question for a book that still might be two or three years out but I was just wondering. Does Pathfinder even use the great wheel is the wheel even open. If not well this is getting complicated. Guess I'm just asking if your OA will have gods or a new system?
Whilst interested in an OA type supplelment I must admit to a general ignorance of oriental culture.
So just a plea to ensure that I can still use/understand such a supplement when a subscription sees it pop through my letterbox.
please.
What's not to understand? I'm sure they won't flood us with fancy sounding words in an alphabet we don't know and assume what shojo means or what a mon is for.
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What's not to understand? I'm sure they won't flood us with fancy sounding words in an alphabet we don't know and assume what shojo means or what a mon is for.Whilst interested in an OA type supplelment I must admit to a general ignorance of oriental culture.
So just a plea to ensure that I can still use/understand such a supplement when a subscription sees it pop through my letterbox.
please.
Well, half of this thread is complete gibberish to me...
Anything for you DungeonGrrrl! :-)
::Giggle::
Squeee!
And a soft kiss for you too, Nickie!
You will, of course, let us know when this book actually begins production, right?
Right?
this is probably a bit of topic, but are there books planned for any other areas like africa or incan, aztec, and native americans?
also what subscription/page count would you oriental adventures be?
Technically, there isn't even a book planned for Tian Xia. To answer the spirit of your question, though: sorta, no, no, no. To elaborate: Sorta in that the third Pathfinder Companion covers Osirion (which is in Garund, which is our Africa analogue); no, no, no in that Maztica showed that such a venture is a money-losing one.
The hypothetical Tian Xia book would be a part of the Pathfinder Chronicles line. Its size is unknown, although I've heard 160+ pages bandied about.
I hear what you're saying about Maztica but I think a fair number of people would (I certainly would) appreciate a new Maya, Aztec, Inca and other Meso American and Andes based group and actually, maybe some work on cultures developed from those of the Anasazi, Navajo, Blackfoot, Sioux, Iroquois and Wendot (Huron), Chippewyan, Algonkin, Mic'mac, Cree, Dene, Inuit and the West Coast tribes (Salish, Tsimshian and most famously, Haida). Also on the Asian cultures don't forget Mesopotamian, Turkic, Persian and Arabic type cultures (potentially sticky if things get close to political issues I know but they have been notable throughout a long stretch of history and are part of the Asian mix as the area is referred to as Southwest Asia or the Middle East depending on the audience), Malaysian and Indonesian derived cultures as well as Polynesian maybe even Aboriginal Australian/Maori. Some European cultures from East, North, and Southwest Europe might not be a terrible idea either. I realize that this potentially a lot and I do appreciate the Asian elements that are already sort of planned that you have mentioned above, but I do ask that you speak with other designers and see if there are perhaps some who would be willing to take on other cultures in a Pathfinder setting. And further, apologies if this post seems a bit rambling but I'm just trying to put forward what I hope are helpful suggestions. Anyway, Thank you for all your efforts so far and great work already.