Brain Trust: Suggest an "Oriental Adventures"-style RPG for me

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Zimzerveran

Zimzerveran

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A recent blog post at Grognardia about TSR's old Kara-Tur boxed set got my brain focused on Oriental Adventures. A cursory scan of these forums for a game with in that same genre was fruitless.

So, I ask the hive mind what games are available (PDFs are fine) that have a similar vibe to OA/Kara-Tur but are perhaps more... Refined? I'll pass on Legend of the Five Rings. Also, I already own Gurps Japan, Art of Wuxia, and Legends of the Samurai. I'm looking for something not set in a fantasy Earth and system is irrelevant.

Edit: Is there a modern implementation of Oriental Adventures ? No Wuxia, please.
 
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I could swear there was a 'Lone Wolf and Cub' game, but all Google turns up is versions of the FF Kai Monks setting.
 
Wandering Heroes of the Ogre Gste by our own BedrockBrendan BedrockBrendan would be my choice, i don’t see the appeal of Righteousness Blood, Ruthless Blades compared to it personally. If you want an old school option you could do worse than Bushido from FGU.
 
This might help you decide, both tackle the question of RB,RB or Wandering Heroes
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Zimzerveran said:
A recent blog post at Grognardia about TSR's old Kara-Tur boxed set got my brain focused on Oriental Adventures. A cursory scan of these forums for a game with in that same genre was fruitless.

So, I ask the hive mind what games are available (PDFs are fine) that have a similar vibe to OA/Kara-Tur but are perhaps more... Refined?
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So how would you define the vibe of Oriental Adventures:thumbsup:?
 
sharps54 said:
Wandering Heroes of the Ogre Gste by our own BedrockBrendan BedrockBrendan would be my choice, i don’t see the appeal of Righteousness Blood, Ruthless Blades compared to it personally. If you want an old school option you could do worse than Bushido from FGU.
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Both of those look pretty cool.
AsenRG said:
So how would you define the vibe of Oriental Adventures:thumbsup:?
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1/2e D&D in East Asia. No Wuxia.
 
I suppose I should clarify my original post. I'm not looking for Wuxia, but something slightly more grounded.

Is there a modern implementation of Oriental Adventures?
 
What other rule systems, mechanics not settings, do you enjoy? that could help in giving recommendations.
 
You could have a look at Scarlett Heroes, Mad Monks of Kwantoom, Yoon Suin, Flying Swordsmen. Flower Liches also is worth to peruse. Also Kwaidan (a setting + adventures) and Land of the Jade Oath, if you can find them.

But are you looking for a setting or adventures?

In my experience, the first is nearly always better home made, for the latter you can copy easily any adventure existing and adapting her.
 
Zimzerveran said:
I suppose I should clarify my original post. I'm not looking for Wuxia, but something slightly more grounded.

Is there a modern implementation of Oriental Adventures?
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For an OSR version, Chanbara from Hidden Treasure Games is the closest I've seen to the original OA. There's no setting, just an implied one, but it doesn't sound like that's a big obstacle for you. The PDF is $5 and and I think the POD version is $15.
 
I have heard Shinobi and Samurai is more of an OSR Oriental Adventures system. Mad Monks of Kwantoom it looked good to me when I read it. I know you don't want wuxia, but since OA has some of that, you might look at Swords of Wuxia by Joseph Bloch (which I believe is an expansion of the Golden Scroll of Justice). That is very OSR. There are quite a few. Most do seem to lean into one culture or another (you might have success blending more chinese inspired OSR with more Japanese OSR books). Kaigaku for the black hack is more Japanese and Chanbara is an OSR Japanese rpg. Those combined with Bloch's stuff might fit the bill

It is a bit more work to combine and mod things but if you want a very specific flavor sometimes that is the best option. One thing I will add is I ended up making my own wuxia RPG, because I had played a ton of asian RPGs, including a number of OA campaigns. Before I made a system of my own, I found myself cobbling together material from various systems and books to get the exact flavor I wanted. You might consider doing something like that.

Also it looks like all the oriental adventures book, or most of them, are reprinted on Drivethru. Just as an FYI to folks who might want to check them out
 
Japanese-esque games that are not set in fantasy earth and not Legends of Five Rings or Kara Tur? That is a tough order!

My best offer is the Vormain region in Glorantha. There isn't a lot of published material about it outside The Guide To Glorantha, the RQ3 box Elder Secrets and old Tales of The Reaching Moon. Run it with the fantastic RQ3 supplement The Land of Ninja and you'll have a grounded game all right! Unarmored samurai running around with katanas doing 1d10+1 damage will be extremely bloody.

Edit: I forgot to mentione the Usagi Yojimbo games. An option if you don't mind anthropomorphic animals. I only have the fusion based version written by Greg Stolze, and know nothing about the other game. But the fusion version is pretty grounded.
 
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The only suggestion I could add would be Blood and Honor by John Wick (or World of Dew for a wider, less-samurai focused game).
But the Houses of the Blooded system is often a leap too far for most players.
 
It's kind of implied that you aren't interested in the original, but it's not actually stated.

So, just in case, are you aware the pdfs are available on drivethrurpg?

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com www.drivethrurpg.com

If you're not averse to using an early version of D&D, you're pretty much set. (Alternatively, you can always convert it to Mythras.)
 
It's worth noting, I think, that Oriental Adventures for 3e had some L5R compatibility, but much of the book was for alternate settings. If you're looking specifically for a fully fleshed out setting, there isn't much. But if you're just looking for bits, bobs, and maybe a game system, it has a fair amount to offer.
 
pawsplay said:
It's worth noting, I think, that Oriental Adventures for 3e had some L5R compatibility, but much of the book was for alternate settings. If you're looking specifically for a fully fleshed out setting, there isn't much. But if you're just looking for bits, bobs, and maybe a game system, it has a fair amount to offer.
Click to expand...

They put out a whole series of Rokugan books for 3E to use with OA. I ran a bunch of campaigns in my own setting, but I allowed people to use stuff from the Rokugan books
 
Zimzerveran said:
A recent blog post at Grognardia about TSR's old Kara-Tur boxed set got my brain focused on Oriental Adventures. A cursory scan of these forums for a game with in that same genre was fruitless.

So, I ask the hive mind what games are available (PDFs are fine) that have a similar vibe to OA/Kara-Tur but are perhaps more... Refined? I'll pass on Legend of the Five Rings. Also, I already own Gurps Japan, Art of Wuxia, and Legends of the Samurai. I'm looking for something not set in a fantasy Earth and system is irrelevant.

Edit: Is there a modern implementation of Oriental Adventures ? No Wuxia, please.
Click to expand...
I just remembered something that looks like it fits what you're asking...:shade:

I suspect it's not, but my best option is to just give you the links and let you decide:thumbsup:!

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Rōnin - Digital Edition | SRG

The Mörk Borg you know and love, disemboweled and resurrected on the island of Kage no Shima. Death before surrender.
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Kardinal Tabbe said:
Edit: I forgot to mentione the Usagi Yojimbo games. An option if you don't mind anthropomorphic animals. I only have the fusion based version written by Greg Stolze, and know nothing about the other game. But the fusion version is pretty grounded.
Click to expand...

Surprised no one's mentioned Sengoku: Chanbara Roleplaying in Feudal Japan. The Fuzion version of Usagi Yojimbo is basically a highly streamlined take on the Sengoku rules. One of the co-authors of the game was the late Anthony J. Bryant, who also wrote four books on samurai history for Osprey Publishing, so as you might imagine, it was very grounded indeed.
 
AsenRG said:
I just remembered something that looks like it fits what you're asking...:shade:
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Doctor Wombat said:
Surprised no one's mentioned Sengoku: Chanbara Roleplaying in Feudal Japan. The Fuzion version of Usagi Yojimbo is basically a highly streamlined take on the Sengoku rules. One of the co-authors of the game was the late Anthony J. Bryant, who also wrote four books on samurai history for Osprey Publishing, so as you might imagine, it was very grounded indindeed
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I hate you both. I stupidly clicked on AsenRG's link and got suckered into buying the bundle......
 
Runequest Land of Ninja?

AH-RuneQuest-Land-of-Ninja_1987.jpg
 
Sorry. I didn't mean to steal your clout. I responded to the OP before seeing what others suggested.
Interesting that there were different covers for different areas.
 
Neon said:
Sorry. I didn't mean to steal your clout. I responded to the OP before seeing what others suggested.
Interesting that there were different covers for different areas.
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No worries, I'm not in it for the clout. I noticed the difference yesterday when looking for the picture. I was like waaat, euroversion looks quite a bit better... (IMHO of course)
 
Kardinal Tabbe said:
My best offer is the Vormain region in Glorantha. There isn't a lot of published material about it outside The Guide To Glorantha, the RQ3 box Elder Secrets and old Tales of The Reaching Moon.
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At the risk of doubling down on Glorantha mentions... I'm gonna, well, double down on the Glorantha mentions. As the OP said OE-style generally, worth mentioning Kralorela, too. It's the "China analogue", so may or may not be of interest as they weren't specific on that. It's slightly more fleshed out than Vormain, partly because until the GtG, there was a deliberate policy not to describe it. It wasn't a "Blank Land", it was "we're not telling you".

Having said which, it's not hugely described either. But it is better-integrated into the setting so there's stronger hints and themes.

Of course, that's a fair bit away from a ready-to-run game unless you're very comfortable doing a lot of development and/or winging it. Which might defeat the purpose of the exercise, and if the OP has "RW Lore Anxiety" as a reason for not wanting a historical or "Fantasy Earth" type setting, for some people Glorantha seems to be worse...

But I'll note that neither of them is intended to be a straight analogue, so by rights that ought to encourage people to mix'n'match ideas. Plus of course to just plain make stuff up.

Kardinal Tabbe said:
Run it with the fantastic RQ3 supplement The Land of Ninja and you'll have a grounded game all right! Unarmored samurai running around with katanas doing 1d10+1 damage will be extremely bloody.
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That's gonna leave a mark for sure.
Kardinal Tabbe said:
Edit: I forgot to mentione the Usagi Yojimbo games. An option if you don't mind anthropomorphic animals. I only have the fusion based version written by Greg Stolze, and know nothing about the other game. But the fusion version is pretty grounded.
Click to expand...
Great source material too.
 
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