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I'd like to see a truly new and original take on at least one core race. A "warped" mutated form or something that set the race apart from the rest of their kind. We have dark everythings(drow, druegar, etc) and the standard races. I'd like to see a new take on one of them.
Elves that are more beastial(physically. Tusks? claws?) and shun magic. Another mixed race like half dwarf & half fairy or something. I'm just throwing stuff out there, but that's the general idea. Something other than the usual light/dark versions of each race. More info about the differences in the humans would be good as well.
I just don't want a bunch of anthropomorphic races. Cat people might be ok, but that's about it.
Also for the classes, I'd like to see something other than the standard classes with Asian sounding names slapped on them.
Details about interaction between the Inner Sea area and Tian Xia would be interesting as well.
Off topic... since the equivalents of Europe, northern africa and asia are being covered, will we be seeing the equivalent of a North and Central America or even a book on Central and South America?
I don't think there has ever been a truly good fantasy equivalents of Native Americans or the Aztecs/Mayans so that would be a book that I'd really like to have. 2e Maztica was the closest that I know of, but it could have been a lot better. Even if it isn't a full Campaign Setting book, I'd settle for the smaller CS books.
If you make it, I will buy it.
I'd like to see a different planar cosmology, one that isn't Transition+Elemental+Alignment planes. If anything, I'd like to see a two-plane cosmology: a material world and a spirit world. (I'm basing this not on any knowledge of eastern religion, but on the MTG Kamigawa set novels.)Er, no. The entire planer cosmology shouldn't change radically because you cross an ocean. Tian Xia is not it's own new campaign setting, it's a part of Golarion.
In 1st and 2nd edition it made perfect sense to me where the gods lived and how you got there across all part of a setting, but again to use the FR example, when Kara-Tur and Maztica suddenly had certain planes that only were accessed when you were under the jurisdiction of a different pantheon of gods. I was not a fan of that kind of planar confusion.
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Well since lots of people are tossing their two coppers in, or I may as well toss in a string of copper Yuan’s in. (If I remember my oriental adventures 1st ed)
To me it seems that the oriental adventures books from 1st edition, and from 3rd edition, had to fill in allot of rolls. They had to be part players handbook introducing “new” races, like the Korobokuru, Hengeyokai, and spirit folk, new classes like the samurai and ninja and new weapons like the Katanna, new equipment and new spells. The book also had to also be part DMG with rules about honor and class etc, monster manuel with oni’s and bakemonos, and setting guide, with information about Kara Tur, or the legend of the 5 rings setting.
To me it seems like a little too much to stuff in one book. I’m sure there are lots of copy write issues and Intellectual property issues to deal with as well.
People love crunch as well as fluff. There are seven base races (Dwarves, elves, gnomes, half elves, half orcs, Halflings, and humans). I think it would be very interesting to see some new races specific to the area. I would prefer to see Korabokuru, instead of Dwarves (even if they are cousins) Spirit folk instead of Elves, etc. I think it would be a disservice to the rich mythologies of the area (China Japan Mongolia, Thailand Korea etc) if we tried to shoe horn elves etc into the area.
That being said for character classes we have the Alchemist, Barbarian, Bard, Cavalier, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Inquisitor, Magus (I still think of the three Magi, when I see that name), Monk, Oracle, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Summoner, Witch, and Wizard. I think that is 18 base classes. That seems enough to me. With your introduction of alternate class features, and the Archetypes in the advanced players handbook, I don’t think you need any more character classes. A samurai could easily be a Cavalier with a little adjustment. A Ninja could easily be a rogue, with an archetype. I am not sure how to do Wuxia, but perhaps you could put in some campaign specific suggestions about giving everyone the limited ability to fly, and an improved unarmed strike feat, and some sort of unarmed damamage.
I am very excited to see what “fluff” will be written about the area and we can always use some more monsters. Did I say I'm excited about the “fluff?” yes lots of fluff? Also I would like to see lots of myths legends and monsters.
I also want to give two thumbs up for the judge Dee books by Robert Van Gullik. Thank you for taking the time to read this. It’s just my string of copper Yuan. I’m looking forward to the book
A province with Escaflowne style steampunk mecha!
It can be called "The Alkenstar of the East" and be every bit as divisive as its western counterpart!
I'm not keen on new races. Any humanoid race that survives the cataclysms of Golarion's history should be found across the globe.
Why?
I realize that there are cognates to various non-human race legends across Eurasia, but legends worldwide posit isolated groups of non-humans who live in small communities. These relic populations could have diverged a lot even if they have some pre-cataclysmic origin. I'm thinking Yeti versus Bigfoot; Yakshas versus Yashas; Kitsune versus Huli Jing; Nekomata versus Maoguai. I do think that the Halfling/Gnome dichotomy can't be based on Asian legend- or perhaps even the dwarves, since short races tend to be quite different in Asian sources. This may require original inventions.
I also think that Elves have no obvious cognates in the East Asian tradition. They might be the Danava/Asura or Apsaras in India, but Taoist or Animist immortals are usually wizened old men or women with animal features.
East Asian legends tend to depict a different mix of "common" non-humans: Dogheaded men; bird-men; Dakini-types (flying nymphs); Vanara-types; Nagas. These seem to be an alternate set of basic races that would fun to introduce.
I'd like to see a different planar cosmology, one that isn't Transition+Elemental+Alignment planes. If anything, I'd like to see a two-plane cosmology: a material world and a spirit world. (I'm basing this not on any knowledge of eastern religion, but on the MTG Kamigawa set novels.)
Also, I'd like to see Mikos, as either a PrC or an Oracle archetype.** spoiler omitted **
expect any Miko that i play to proudly flaunt her perfectly maintained armpits.
Re Mikos-- they represent a real world religion. Thus the Golarion equivalent should probably be somewhat different in flavor.
I dated an ex-Miko a long time ago, when I was young and feckless. I had no idea they had some weird significance in anime culture, since I was focused on traditional Japan (poetry and art).
I suppose it's too much to ask for to see some-thing akin to Avatar: The Last Airbender in here. The Monk variant doesn't quite cut it for me. Elemental fist is cool and all, but it doesn't have the same bad ass factor. I love that show. And they took in the whole of Asia to come up with it, though the martial arts is almost exclusively Chinese (CHOW GAR FTW).
Does "Asia" include Russia? I am interested in this aspect, if such is the case. The answer to this question may or may not warrant more research, but I don't want to waste the time if it's not going to happen.
I suppose it's too much to ask for to see some-thing akin to Avatar: The Last Airbender in here. The Monk variant doesn't quite cut it for me. Elemental fist is cool and all, but it doesn't have the same bad ass factor. I love that show. And they took in the whole of Asia to come up with it, though the martial arts is almost exclusively Chinese (CHOW GAR FTW).
Does "Asia" include Russia? I am interested in this aspect, if such is the case. The answer to this question may or may not warrant more research, but I don't want to waste the time if it's not going to happen.
I think Russia proper is represented by Iobaria, Brevoy, and Irrisen in Avistan and Casmaron. However, the Mongols and Altaic peoples seem to be in Tian Xia, at least from my reading of the Campaign Setting.
I dated an ex-Miko a long time ago,
How did she lose her miko status?
I dated an ex-Miko a long time ago,How did she lose her miko status?
The usual way. Mikos are required to be celibate (ritual purity and all, think Vestal Virgins) and are usually fairly young. Many families in Japan linked to the Shrines have their daughters work before and during college, and then they leave the position (just like the Vestal Virgins, actually).
She showed me around the shrines and temples in Kamakura -- the back areas and such, off the beaten path/sacred enclosures. Being a pagan, I had no problem venerating Kami.
As someone fluent in Japanese and with intermediate Mandarin, I hope the team are going to be very careful with the approach they are using for place and person names.
The good thing is that at least to me _Tian Xia_ and _Minkai_ are very workable as names. So whatever Paizo did to come up with those names, I hope they go in that direction.
Just as a note of caution, L5R totally flubbed this up by using comical names by apparently going through a Japanese dictionary and picking random words.
_Ameiko Kaijitsu_ and _Tsuto Kaijitsu_ aren't horrible but do seem like they suffer from the randomly selected syllable syndrome a bit.
I'd like to see a monk style sword user, like the Wudan fighters, or Li Bu Mai from crouching tiger/hidden dragon.
Because for some reason, giving a monk a long sword instead of unarmed fighting is TOO POWERFUL!!