| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
What better way to celebrate the newest Ravenloft version for 5th Ed. than… PLAYING KAIDAN! Kaidan is an intriguing setting for Pathfinder 1ed. that IMHO is underappreciated. So, as an exercise in campaign planning and unearthing old material, I’m going to write a couple of posts on preparing a Kaidan campaign.
Getting into the Mood
While Kaidan can be described as a “Feudal Japanese Horror Setting”, it can be difficult to really get into the mood. In the Game Master-s Guide to Kaidan, in Appendix 4, there is already a list of fiction to get into the mood. Here is some other works that can the creativity flowing.
Movies
Ugetsu Monogatari (1953), an old movie that can give you an idea of what normal Kaidanese feel and think of their situation.
Yotsuya Kaidan (1959), this one is considered the best adaptation of one of the most famous ghost stories of Japan. It presents an Onryo, a vengeance spirit, so it’s perfect inspiration for Kaidan
Jigoku (1961), this movie is kind of dark, but it includes a trip to hell and, since Kaidan is disconnected from all “planes” but hell and realm of the dead, it can inspire a similar “vacation”.
Anime
Yamishibai (2013), a collection of short stories based on popular Japanese myths and legends. It is still running in its eight season. Most of these are a bit modern but can be a well of situation and descriptions.
Requiem forom the Darkness (2003), while it is situated in the Bakumatsu period, it includes a “normal” man that gets involved with a trio of unusual people. A representation of how a human can get in contact with yokai in Kaidan.
Gakko no Kaidan (2000), another anime with a modern setting, but one of the characters inherits magical abilities and could be a good inspiration for a PC or NPC. There is a censured episode that wasn’t aired in Japan because it was too creepy, even for adults.
Ayakashi (2006) and Mononoke (2007), these were the animes I automatically thought of when hearing about Kaidan, and they are awesome. They present different creepy stories, but the Mononoke character can be the genesis of a Kaidan archetype!
Kagewani (2016), if you want to shake things up and stop using undead, how about some cryptids?
Yokai Nyngen Bem (2012), this one represents one of the campaign options I mention below, where no PC is human and all belong to the yokai.
Shigurui (2007), another anime that represents one campaign option I mention below. In this case, all human.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Gathering Resources
So, after a marathon of old Japanese movies and anime, what’s next? Well, to prepare for a Kaidan campaign I recommend having, or considering, the following books.
Kaidan books
At least the Player’s Guide and the Game Master’s Guide to Kaidan. After these, 30 Haunts for Kaidan, Way of the Yakuza and Way of the Samurai, and if there are going to be yokai PCs, the In the Company of Henge, Kappa and Tengu books. Or just buy them all!
Paizo books/websites
The reference websites for Pathfinder are enough to get the gist of things if you want to keep it within budget. Apart from all the base books, I greatly recommend Occult Adventures and Horror Adventures, since they include lots of options for both players and game masters.
Pathfinder 3rd party
There WAAAAAY too many 3rd party material out there, so I will mention the ones I think work best.
Rite Publishing
As the publishers of Kaidan, they also have many books useful for a Kaidan campaign. The OTHER oriental setting, Heroes of the Jade Oath, could represent foreigners, and the “shen shue” race can represent spirit touched characters. Speaking of which, Restless Souls could be an interesting addition too, as an option for GMs when a favorite PC or NPC dies.
Legendary Games
Another great publisher. I recommend all their “Eastern” content, but I think their best book for Kaidan is Legendary Hybrids: Yakuza. This class is GREAT!
Interjection Games
My favorite publisher. Ultimate Onmyodo is their best offering for Kaidan, having 2 amazing classes and the most Japanese-flavored magic system out there, and The Assassin will make your ninja players happy. The Master of Forms could represent yokai-only martial arts. If you are interested in the last two, I would recommend the compilation product “Ultimate Momentum”.
Drop Dead Studios
Their Spheres systems (Spheres of Power and Spheres of Might) not only changes the “feel” of Pathfinder, but also have lest busted divinations and other mystery-spoilers. Also, martial characters will be happy to get so many toys to play with.
Purple Duck Games
While they are a great publisher, the Gem of the Crown for a Kaidan Campaign is their Ultimate Covenant magic. No book will better represent the concept of “everything has a spirit” than this one, and it can eliminate the “Christmas tree” effect by gifting players with boons.
Rogue Genius Games
Ultimate Charisma and The Skill Challenge Handbook work wonders for many campaigns, but the social interactions are important, especially between castes, and the Skill book will make your players think about what they can do instead of what they have. Paranormal Adventures also includes the Vessel class, which can represent the Tamashanaki, and the Shapeshifter class could be great for Kitsune and Tanuki.
Total Party Kill Games
Their Laying Waste book would make for great, if deadly combat, and will make characters with low access to magic think twice about entering combat.
Adamant Entertainment
For organic campaigns, this little book will make the campaign advance even without the PCs involvement. Samurai clans quarreling, ninja wars, yakuza gangs clashing, all of these and their repercussions can be represented rather well with this humble addition.
Dungeons and Dragons
The Father of Pathfinder is the 3rd edition of DnD, and one can find a lot of great sourcebooks in that edition and others.
Ravenloft
Especially the Van Richten’s Guide to Ghosts. But the main books for 3.5 include some especial rules for changing spells and class abilities to better represent a horror setting.
Oriental Adventures and Rokugan
The original 1st and the 3rd edition versions of OA, and all the Rokugan supplements, can give you ideas on how to adapt to a Japanese-flavored setting. However, at least the Prestige Classes in OA 3rd, and the Maho Tsukai class in the Rokugan books, fit well in Kaidan, as well as some of the monsters.
Kitsunemori
My favorite Japanese-styled campaign (before Kaidan) was Kitsunemori, contained in one book full of goodness. Of note, the rules for myobu and nogitsune kitsune, the noble class, and many of other rules will greatly increase the “you are not in Kansas anymore” feeling of Kaidan.
Legends of the Samurai
These books present options for all kind of characters. It includes non-magical classes for samurai, ronin, ninja, nobles and even craftsmen, plus magical classes for different kind of magicians and priests. Of note are the Maho Tsukai, a dark magician very different from Rokugan’s version, and the craft can make powerful, non-magical weapons and armor, and even magical ones with the aid of kami.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Campaign Possibilities
So, after gathering lots of books, what type of campaigns are possible in Kaidan? I suggest some below.
Strangers in a Stranger land
A normal party gets stranded in Kaidan. Apart from not knowing the customs and language and dealing with ghosts and oni, they have to deal with the xenophobic Kaidanese. Good for an introduction to the setting.
Survivors
All the characters belong to the lower class. The party has to deal with the “monsters” of the land, which apart from oni, yurei and the like, include tax collectors, cruel samurai, and abusive nobles.
Ghost busters
The party got together to fight the undead and put spirits to rest. This would make the characters actually hunters of the horrors of Kaidan, which has the disadvantage of preparing them for horror stories.
Land’s true inheritors
In this option, all characters are yokai (kitsune, tengu, henge and maybe others), and fight the oni and human intruders in their land. Great for heavy campaigns and social criticism.
Clash of Castes
In this type of campaign, all characters are from Kaidan, but each present a different caste. The difficulty of this one would be the reason for adventuring, but can make for many roleplaying opportunities.
Ningen wa ningen ni ookamida
There are yokai, oni and ghosts out there, but the greatest horror comes from the fellow man. Characters in this type of campaign belong to a human group (a samurai family, a ninja clan, a yakuza gang, a kenjutsu dojo). Most of the conflict is about the group, which could be from political rivalry to something less civilized. I recommend watching Shigurui for this option.
Happy gaming!
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Summoning @Wicht and @endzeigeist for their opinion.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
That is an awesome amount of content collecting.
I am gearing up to start something similar for pirate-related content...
Best of luck in your Kaiden adventure.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ups, under Pathfinder 3rd party resources, I suggested to use a book by Adamant Entertainment but forgot to add the name: The Five Families
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Not sure what you are all looking for here...
There's an Oni Enforcer Vigilante archetype... not sure if it was mentioned in the plethora of resources you mentioned...
Obviously Mediums and Oracles and Shamans... to say the least. I would allow Vampire Hunters, as well.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm looking for other suggestions, just like yours. Maybe I will cull the class selection and mention strengths and weaknesses of choosing some over the others.
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
It's great to see Kaidan getting some love.
It's enough to draw me back to the Paizo boards after a bit of a haitus.
As you are preparing a campaign, I agree with the suggestions so far offered, especially starting with getting in the mood by absorbing inspirational media. Personally, I would decide on the type of campaign before getting too deep into the weeds on sourcebooks, as there is simply so much out there to use and the campaign style will help winnow out some of the stuff you don't need.
I'll try and keep on eye on this thread to see where you take it. :)
Hi Wicht!
By the way, I forgot to add two great anime!
Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi (2006), a very underrated anime that presents an unusual, middle aged man as the main character, who has the ability to draw power from Kanji (written ideograms). Really good!
Aoi Bungaku (2009), another horrific collection of Japanese tales. This one is easy to watch since it includes only 6 tales, but it might be difficult to digest since it is a bit mature.
And 2 other books by Interjection Games. I also recommend Ultimate Runesmithing, since it can represent a magical calligraphist, and the same could be said of Ultimate Truenaming and the power of words (included in the Strange Magic book, which is also amazing).
I have got a couple of pre-made characters for a Kaidan game. I'm going to post them on the weekend
All the characters I'm going to post use mainly stuff found on d20pfsrd OR spheresofpower wiki. Only the Improved Antagonize feat of the Yakuza comes from Ultimate Charisma, and the Yakuza class comes from Legendary Hybrids: Yakuza. I'm going to post the stats first and I will post their backstory later.
Hidekishi, CG Male Kaidanese Human Brawling Blademaster Samurai Ronin
Str 16, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
Traits: Legacy of Steel, Wary
Favored Class Bonus: Hit Point
Skills: *Knowledge (Local), Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, Swim.
Feats: Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike (bonus), Power Attack
Hizumi, TN Male Kaidanese Human Yakuza of the Black Rain
Str 12, Dex 17, Con 8, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 13.
Traits: Mystical Tatoo (Fort), Truth’s Agent
Favored Class Bonus: Hit Point
Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Kn. Local, Kn. Nobility, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth.
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Improved Antagonize, Stealth Synergy (Teamwork) (bonus)
Kiyoko, CG Female Anu Human LN Kami Medium
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 17.
Traits: Kami Talker, Student Survivalist
Favored Class Bonus: Skill Point
Skills: Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perception, Sense Motive, Survival.
Feats: Spirit Focus (Hierophant)
Jun, LN Male Kaidanese Human Onmyoji
Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 15.
Traits: Spirit Sense, Seeker
Favored Class Bonus: Range Bonus
Skills: Diplomacy, Kn. Arcana, Kn. Nature, Kn. Religion, Sense Motive, Use Magical Device.
Feats: Aid of the Arcane, Aid of the Minor Deity
Prayers: Dampen Elements, Gankosa
The Twin Lions, Yamataka Taheiji and Muto Sadayoshi, were a famous pair of bushi who impressed the shogun in the battle against the Oni. However, they were offered only one position of power, with the decision falling in the Lions' hands. Taheiji valued friendship over power, and stepped back, with Sadayoshi becoming the leader of a new Samurai family with Taheiji as his retainer. With time, both got married and had their firstborn, both boys. The boys grew up as brothers, just like their fathers, but with time, Muto Taisuke, Sadayoshi’s heir, was sent to the capital to study. Yamataka Hidekishi, Taheiji’s son, became unruly and was sent to a Sohei monastery to learn discipline. There, he was taught many things but learned none, since he wasn’t particularly bright. After a couple of years, the only thing he learned at the temple was to fight unarmed as well as the warrior monks, but nothing more. After his return, he discovered that the leader of the clan, Sadayoshi, died under suspicious circumstances, and the blame fell on Taheiji. Taisuke, the new head of the Muto clan, said that Taheiji poisoned his father, and in response Hidekishi’s father committed seppuku to show his innocence. The Twin Lions dead, Hidekishi started drinking and in a rage, got to blows with Taisuke. For his insolence, he was banished from the clan and was even prohibited from committing seppuku. Before leaving, Hidekishi “stole” his father blade, which was put in the main hall as little more than decoration.
Hidekishi became a Ronin, a wandering swordsman, and found succor in the common people, who accepted him without judging his actions. He now works as a blade for hire, defending peasants from bandits. He has battled a Muto samurai once, who went to recover the blade, but Hidekishi bested him and pardoned his life. Taisuke wasn’t as benevolent, beheading the samurai for his incompetence. What no one knows is that the new head of the Muto clan changed after his trip to the capital, becoming an evil creature.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'd add Everybody Games' occult materials and dynastic races compendium; e.g. the haunt-creation engine from the minis and Paranormal Adventures; the huge amount of kitsune-content by Everybody Games and the aforementioned books are one sinister slant away from being really neat options for Kaidan as well; integrate lore and bam, done. ^^ Also: Alex' creatures are genuinely brutal. If you buy a monster from his pen, you know it'll be able to hurt the party.
I'd add Everybody Games' occult materials and dynastic races compendium; e.g. the haunt-creation engine from the minis and Paranormal Adventures; the huge amount of kitsune-content by Everybody Games and the aforementioned books are one sinister slant away from being really neat options for Kaidan as well; integrate lore and bam, done. ^^ Also: Alex' creatures are genuinely brutal. If you buy a monster from his pen, you know it'll be able to hurt the party.
Which reminded me... under the Kitsune race, there is mention of Kitsune Magic gained via feats, but there is no mention of that in the PDF. I suppose either they get the standard Kitsune Magic stuff, or they were going to release a In the Company of Kitsune for Kaidan. I am going to use Kitsunemori's Kitsune, which get Kitsune magic as part of their racial class. It is my favorite interpretation of Kitsune in a fantasy RPG, although I need to convert it to PF.
Another topic completely different. The intro of the Vampire Hunter D movie is a required watch for GM of either Ravenloft or Kaidan. Those side effects of the presence of a malevolent creature are great!
Thankfully, my daughter pestered me to play Okami with her, and that got me thinking... a campaign where the characters are chosen by the Kami to "cleanse" the land, or even be Kami themselves!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Up From Darkness is a really incredible one-shot adventure for Kaidan, I've run it before and it was super spooky and very memorable. So I'd add that specifically to your list to include!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I truly love Yamishibai.
You have my interest.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Up From Darkness is a really incredible one-shot adventure for Kaidan, I've run it before and it was super spooky and very memorable. So I'd add that specifically to your list to include!
Yeah. I should have added a full list of released Kaidan material, but I just thought it was too obvious. But as you said, it is a great adventure!