Jade Regent AP: Chinese vs. Japanese flavor?

[Killer_GM]

Ever since Kara-Tur arrived in the days of 1st/2nd edition, the 'Asian' campaign setting has been a combination of multiple countries, specifically China & Japan. While I am a fan of both, I tend to separate them and use one or the other when running games. Are you (fellow posters) of the opinion that the Jade Regent adventure path is predominantly to exclusively Japanese in flavor, predominantly to exclusively Chinese in flavor, or a combination of both? If it matters, I'll be purchasing all six issues of the AP no matter which culture/mythos is dominant.

[Justin Franklin]

This might be a bit of spoilage so I will spoiler it.

Spoiler:

Well the AP is going to Minkai which is the Japan analogue so I am expecting a lot of Japanese flavor, however in the 4th book they go through the Forest of Spirits which I am not sure what it's analogue would be. Also the adventure, The Ruby Phoenix Tournament, takes place in Goka, which I think would be more of a China analogue.

[Killer_GM]

Justin Franklin wrote:

This might be a bit of spoilage so I will spoiler it.

** spoiler omitted **

Thanks

[Erik Freund]

Furthermore, be advised

Spoiler:

That you aren't in Minkai for the first half of the campaign. The first three books are all about "ninjas visiting the west" whereas the last three books are all about "westerners visiting Japan."

But yes, it's predominantly Japan.

[Robert G. McCreary]

As others have said, Jade Regent focuses (in its latter half) on Minkai, which is Golarion's Japan analogue. The AP is centered on one particular country, but the continent of Tian Xia has mamny other cultures — Japanese-inspired, Chinese-inspired, Korea-inspired, and many others, but that information is presented in the Dragon Empires Primer and the Dragon Empires Gazetteer.

[Killer_GM]

Thanks for the heads up gentlemen. Much appreciated.

If I opt for a 'Chinese version' of the AP, I can simply call the Ninja's 'Lin Quei'. The Oni however, I'll have to do a little research. I don't know if there's a Chinese mythological counterpart to the Oni. Any of you know?

[gamer-printer]

While the concept of a demon spirit which became oni, originally came from China, when still in China they were insubstantial and invisible much more like a yurei ghost. Only in Japan were these demon spirits anthropomorphized into ogre like beings.

Thus Chinese demon ogres did not exist.

[James Jacobs]

Killer_GM wrote:

Thanks for the heads up gentlemen. Much appreciated.

If I opt for a 'Chinese version' of the AP, I can simply call the Ninja's 'Lin Quei'. The Oni however, I'll have to do a little research. I don't know if there's a Chinese mythological counterpart to the Oni. Any of you know?

Morphing Minkai from a Japan-flavored region to a Chinese flavored one is harder the more you care and know about mythology.. Minkai is VERY Japanese, from its monsters to its society to its people, down to the types of adventures we chose to create for its AP (many of which are inspired by Japanese movies like "The Hidden Fortress" or "Princess Mononoke.")

You can do it, sure... but the more you know, the more you'll be compelled to change.

Folks more interested in a more Chinese view on Tian Xia should check out "Master of Devils," the upcoming module "Ruby Phoenix Tournament," or one of the numerous Tian Xia based PFS scenarios we've got coming out later on.

[Mandisa]

Killer_GM wrote:

Thanks for the heads up gentlemen. Much appreciated.

If I opt for a 'Chinese version' of the AP, I can simply call the Ninja's 'Lin Quei'. The Oni however, I'll have to do a little research. I don't know if there's a Chinese mythological counterpart to the Oni. Any of you know?

I don't think transforming the oni & country of Minkai from Japanese to Chinese would work. There's a lot of shared cultural heritage that seems to have inspired the Paizo writers, but a lot of major divergences.

But, if you wanted to keep the plot/principles of Jade Regent, you could probably change the destination/prize of the adventure path to one of the Tian Successor States, with its own complement of political-fantastical villains.

Chinese folklore has its own rich history of peasants rising to greatness through great deeds, and dastardly sorcerers using the forces of yin and yang and the five elements to stop them. Ninja are distinctively Japanese, but a goodly number of Chinese assassins appear in films (check out Jet Li's Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for some great recent examples). Depending on your group's pace, you could probably use the Dragon Empire books to get more Golarion-specific ideas.

[Jeff de luna]

gamer-printer wrote:

While the concept of a demon spirit which became oni, originally came from China, when still in China they were insubstantial and invisible much more like a yurei ghost. Only in Japan were these demon spirits anthropomorphized into ogre like beings.

Thus Chinese demon ogres did not exist.

Not natively, but the luó chà (Lo-ch'a in Wade-Giles) were the Rakshasa (in their broad sense as night ogres) assimilated into Chinese Buddhist folklore.

[Coridan]

Me and my friend are doing the same (converting it to chinese because it'll fit better in our homebrew world). We are also doing Lin Kuei (which was never real btw, but there's nothing better to use lol)

We are also curious about a chinese alternative to Oni.

[gamer-printer]

I knew that - just rakshasas are already part of the PF Bestiary, and I didn't want to confuse the rakshasa/yasha demon spirits with ogre-like oni, but you are correct.

[James Jacobs]

Honestly... I'd keep the oni as oni. We've already got ogre mages as oni, and they show up all over the world. There's no reason other oni can't show up anywhere, and we CERTAINLY don't limit the ravages of oni to the Japanese-inspired regions of Tian Xia.

[Killer_GM]

Thanks all. Much appreciate the feedback.