''Oriental Adventures'' (abbreviated OA) is the title shared by two

hardback A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as case-bound) book is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or occa ...

rulebooks published for different

versions Version may refer to: Computing * Software version, a set of numbers that identify a unique evolution of a computer program * VERSION (CONFIG.SYS directive), a configuration directive in FreeDOS Music * Cover version * Dub version * Remix * ''Ve ...

of the ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...

'' (''D&D'')

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

roleplaying game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal ac ...

. Each version of ''Oriental Adventures'' provides rules for adapting its respective version of ''D&D'' for use in

campaign settings A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A '' campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and c ...

based on the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The t ...

, rather than the

medieval Europe In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

-setting assumed by most ''D&D'' books. Both versions of ''Oriental Adventures'' include example campaign settings.

''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''

The original ''Oriental Adventures'' () was written by

Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...

David "Zeb" Cook David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer, best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years. Cook designed several games, wrote the '' Expert Set'' for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', worked as lead designer of the ...

, and

François Marcela-Froideval François Marcela-Froideval (born 10 December 1958) is a French role-playing game creator, video game producer, and comic scenarist. Froideval had a major influence on the introduction of role-playing games in France, mainly as editor in chief of ...

, and published in 1985 by TSR, Inc. as a 144-page hardcover for use with the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D'') 1st edition rules. The book was edited by

Steve Winter Steve Winter (born December 8, 1957) is an American game designer who worked on numerous products for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, which was originally published by TSR and later Wizards of the Coast. Early life Winter ...

Mike Breault Michael Breault (born May 28, 1958 in Central Falls, Rhode Island) is a game designer and editor, and an author of multiple products for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game from TSR. Early life and education Mike Breault was bor ...

, Anne Gray, and Thad Russell. The book's cover art was by

Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork for role-playing games, comics, and magazines, as well as non-fantasy commercial art. Early life Easley was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1954. He spent time drawing as ...

, with interior illustrations by

Roger Raupp Roger Raupp (born October 1, 1963 in Elkhorn, Wisconsin) is an artist whose work has appeared in games such as the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game from TSR, and the collectible card game '' Magic: the Gathering'' from Wizards of ...

, James Holloway, Easley, and Dave Sutherland.

Campaign features

The book provides rules for ten

character classes In tabletop games and video games, a character class is a job or profession commonly used to differentiate the abilities of different game characters. In role-playing games (RPGs), character classes aggregate several abilities and aptitudes, ...

and three races to be used in place of standard ''AD&D'' classes and races. The book presents new versions of the

barbarian A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less ...

(here a steppe warrior or forest and jungle dweller) and

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...

, as well as new classes such as the ninja, kensai, wu-jen, and shukenja. Kensai "seek to perfect their weapons technique to the exclusion of all else. They are deadly in combat, but cannot use magical weaponry because it detracts from the appreciation of their skill". Wu-jen are magic-users who must obey their personal taboos to avoid losing all spell powers. Shukenja are clerics who become penalized if they kill enemies too freely. A ninja character must take one of the other classes as well as the ninja class. In keeping with their secret nature, ninja use their normal class as a cover identity; a ninja must be careful to keep his identity secret, as loss of honor (and sudden death) may occur if the PC is unmasked. The other classes introduced in the book are the sohei, the bushi (peasant warriors), the

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They ...

, and the yakuza. The three new character races are the korobokuru (equivalent to dwarves, without the bad temper and greediness), the hengeyokai (intelligent animals who can shape-change into human form), and the spirit folk (humanoids whose life force is tied to a particular location). The book draws on the history of China, Korea, and Japan, and includes information on families, clans, caste, and honor. The original ''Oriental Adventures'' introduced two major innovations to the AD&D system. Although previous TSR publications, such as ''

Deities & Demigods ''Deities & Demigods'' (abbreviated ''DDG''), alternatively known as ''Legends & Lore'' (abbreviated ''L&L'' or ''LL''), is a reference book for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game (D&D). The book provides descriptions and game ...

'', had touched on using non-European settings for the game, ''Oriental Adventures'' was the first official supplement devoted entirely to roleplaying in a non-Western setting. ''Oriental Adventures'' also introduced a new

game mechanic In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide the player's actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, a ludeme is an element of play like the L-sha ...

to ''Dungeons & Dragons''; it was the first official supplement to include rules for non-weapon proficiencies.*

David Cook David Cook may refer to: Entertainment * David Cook (game designer) (active since 1980s), American game designer for TSR * David Cook (singer) (born 1982), winner of the seventh season of ''American Idol'' * David Cook (writer) (1940–2015), Briti ...

, "Oriental opens new vistas", ''Dragon'' 104:20-21, Dec 1985. Every character is expected to possess proficiencies in the noncombat arts with skills such as calligraphy, etiquette, animal handling,

iaijutsu is a combative quick-draw sword technique. This art of drawing the Japanese sword, katana, is one of the Japanese '' koryū'' martial art disciplines in the education of the classical warrior ( bushi). Warner, Gordon and Draeger, Donn F. 2007 ...

(fast draw), and

bowyer A bowyer is a master-craftsman who makes bows. Though this was once a widespread profession, the importance of bowyers and of bows was diminished by the introduction of gunpowder weaponry. However, the trade has survived and many bowyers conti ...

. Both non-weapon proficiencies and non-European settings were explored in more detail in the 2nd edition ''AD&D'' rules. The book includes an honor system, in which honor points are lost when a character fails to behave in a correct fashion or uphold the family name; eventually the character sheet is simply thrown away, if such behavior continues. Personal honor is also reflected in the honor of a character's family. The character's family background is also determined by a system which generates a character's immediate family and ancestors, determines family honor and status, and also provides characters with their birthrights. Also included are detailed rules for

karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...

and other

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preser ...

styles. These rules allow the Dungeon Master to construct new martial arts styles and techniques by choosing from a range of menu options. All characters may study martial arts, provided they can find masters to teach them; monks and shukenja start their adventuring lives with some martial arts training. Each character class also has its own unique ki powers, which become more effective as characters advance through each level. The original ''Oriental Adventures'' includes a long background section on the fantasy setting known as Kara-Tur. Kara-Tur was later made a continent of

Abeir-Toril Abeir-Toril is the fictional planet that makes up the ''Forgotten Realms'' ''Dungeons & Dragons'' campaign setting, as well as the Al-Qadim and Maztica campaign settings and the 1st edition version of the Oriental Adventures campaign setting. T ...

. TSR went on to produce eight adventure modules using the ''Oriental Adventures'' rules and the Kara-Tur setting. Gary Gygax intended to incorporate the material from ''Oriental Adventures'' into revised versions of the ''Players Handbook'' and ''Dungeon Masters Guide'',Gary Gygax, "The future of the game", ''Dragon'' 103:8-10, Nov 1985. but left TSR shortly after announcing the project.Gary Gygax, "From the Sorcerer's Scroll", ''Dragon'' 122:40, Oct 1987. ''Oriental Adventures'' was TSR's biggest seller in 1985. Little, if any, material from ''Oriental Adventures'' was incorporated into the AD&D 2nd Edition core books, and ''Oriental Adventures'' itself was never revised for a 2nd Edition.

Reception

Ashley Shepherd reviewed ''Oriental Adventures'' for issue No. 74 of ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes ...

'' magazine, giving it an overall rating of 9 out of 10. Shepherd felt that the book was not so much a sourcebook but "a completely new version of ''AD&D''. "The old stand-bys of the ''AD&D'' system are still in the rules, but the elements have been intelligently modified to produce something that is far greater than the sum of its parts." Sheperd felt that the character classes each had a twist which made them interesting and worth playing. Sheperd noted that the monk was in its proper Eastern context, and that the ninja was the best version the reviewer had seen. Shepherd stated that the skill system of "proficiency slots" was a "sensible extension of the character rules, and should be extended to cover the whole system, not just this Eastern supplement". Shepherd also felt that the honor system was a good touch, and that the real strength of the new martial arts system was that the Dungeon Master was now able to construct any number of new styles. Shepherd compared the sourcebook favorably with ''

Bushido is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. There are multiple bushido types which evolved significantly through history. Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. ...

'', another oriental role-playing game of the time, feeling that ''Oriental Adventures'' was a better choice as a game system. Shepherd concluded the review by saying, "By remaining compatible with the rest of ''AD&D'', Dave Cook has written an excellent set of rules which should be very popular. ''Oriental Adventures'' has even persuaded me to start playing ''AD&D'' again."

Jim Bambra Jim Bambra (born 1956)Jim Bambra: Director Summary
Company Check Ltd is a Briti ...

reviewed ''Oriental Adventures'' for ''

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted a ...

'' magazine #134, June 1988. Bambra felt that with ''Oriental Adventures'', the ''AD&D'' game made the transition to the Orient "with style", complete with new character classes and spells that "admirably capture the flavor of the Orient, and the inclusion of nonhuman character types". Bambra felt that the book's martial artist system "really shines", as it "gives practitioners a wide range from which to choose and adds a very interesting dimension to combat". He concluded that "''Oriental Adventures'' is solidly Oriental in feel and is an excellent addition to the AD&D game."

Reviews

* ''

Casus Belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one ...

'' #30 (Jan 1986)

Other releases

TSR released several products with the ''Oriental Adventures'' logo . This includes a series of modules numbered OA1 to OA7, the first five of which (''

Swords of the Daimyo ''Swords of the Daimyo'' is a 1986 adventure module for the '' Oriental Adventures'' rules of the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Contents ''Swords of the Daimyo'' contains three adventures. The first adventure is for ...

'', '' Night of the Seven Swords'', '' Ochimo: The Spirit Warrior'', '' Blood of the Yakuza'', and ''

Mad Monkey vs. the Dragon Claw ''Mad Monkey vs. the Dragon Claw'' is an adventure module published in 1988 for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Plot summary ''Mad Monkey vs. the Dragon Claw'' is an '' Oriental Adventures'' adventure scenario in which the ...

'') were released for first edition ''AD&D.'' The sixth module (''

Ronin Challenge ''Ronin Challenge'' is an adventure module published in 1990 for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Plot summary ''Ronin Challenge'' is a Kara-Tur adventure scenario in which the player characters attend a martial ...

'') was released for the second edition, as was the seventh module (''

Test of the Samurai ''Test of the Samurai'' is an adventure module published in 1990 for the second edition of the''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Plot summary ''Test of the Samurai'' is a Kara-Tur adventure scenario in which the player ...

'') which did not have the ''Oriental Adventures'' logo. The last three of these modules also had the

Forgotten Realms ''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as ...

logo. The '' Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms'' boxed set, also for Forgotten Realms, was billed as an expansion for ''Oriental Adventures''. Also released for second edition was a volume for the ''

Monstrous Compendium The ''Monstrous Compendium'' is a series of accessories for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game released from 1989 to 1998. The title was then used for a series of 5th Edition ''Dungeons & Dragons'' supplements released o ...

'' series.

''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition

The second version of ''Oriental Adventures'' () was written by

James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to 1806. Early life W ...

and published by

Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games. It is currently a subsidia ...

in October 2001. The cover art is by

Raven Mimura Raven Mimura is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Early life and education Raven received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design. He spent a year teaching art and building his portfolio ...

, with interior art by:

Matt Cavotta Matt Cavotta is an American artist and writer. His artwork is focused on the fantasy genre, with notable contributions to popular games such as '' Magic: The Gathering'' and '' Dungeons & Dragons''. Career Cavotta wrote a weekly column for Magi ...

, Larry Dixon, Cris Dornaus,

David Martin David or Dave Martin may refer to: Entertainment *David Martin (artist) (1737–1797), Scottish painter and engraver *David Stone Martin (1913–1992), American artist *David Martin (poet) (1915–1997), Hungarian-Australian poet and novelist *Dav ...

, Raven Mimura,

Wayne Reynolds Wayne Reynolds is a British artist whose work has appeared in comics and role-playing games. Early life and education Wayne Reynolds was born in Leeds, UK. He attended art college in Dewsbury and Middlesbrough. Games Wayne Reynolds has continu ...

Darrell Riche Darrell is a given name derived from an English surname, which was derived from Norman language, Norman-French , originally denoting one who came from Airelle in France. There are no longer any towns in France called Airelle, but is the French wo ...

Richard Sardinha Richard Sardinha is an American artist based in Providence, Rhode Island, whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Works Richard Sardinha has been illustrating books since the 1980s. He provided the art work for ''At Lovecraft's Grave'' (ref ...

, Brian Snoddy, and

Arnie Swekel Arnie Swekel is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Background Swekel was born May 2, 1964, and grew up in River Rouge, Michigan. After graduating high school he briefly attended The Center for Creative Studies (now called Coll ...

. It uses the ''D&D'' 3rd Edition rules. An official (but not 100% comprehensive) update of Oriental Adventures to the v.3.5 rules can be found in Dragon Magazine #318 (April 2004), pp. 32–48.

Campaign features

The book includes: seven playable new races, including nezumi,

vanara In Hindu, Vanara ( sa, वानर, , forest-dwellers) are either monkeys, apes, or a race of forest-dwelling people. In the epic the ''Ramayana'', the Vanaras help Rama defeat Ravana. They are generally depicted as humanoid apes, or human-l ...

, and three different types of spirit folk; five new base classes, including the

, sohei, and shugenja; 17 new prestige classes; over one hundred new spells; and seventy-five new monsters, over a dozen of which (including five types of Naga) were given level adjustments for adapting them into playable races. The featured campaign setting of this edition is Rokugan, a campaign setting originally created for the game ''

Legend of the Five Rings Legend of the Five Rings (often abbreviated ''L5R'') is a fictional setting created by John Zinser, Dave Seay, Ryan Dancey, Dave Williams, DJ Trindle, Matt Wilson and John Wick and first published by a joint venture between Alderac Entertai ...

''.

Reception

The reviewer from ''

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...

'' noted that while the first edition book was a 144-page black and white text, the third edition book was 256 pages and full color. The second ''Oriental Adventures'' won the 2002 Ennie Award for "Best Campaign Setting".

''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition

Wizards of the Coast did not release a new edition of ''Oriental Adventures'' for 4th edition. A number of the monsters from the ''Oriental Adventures'' setting, such as the oni, were included in the ''Monster Manual''. The shaman is in the ''

Player's Handbook 2 ''Player's Handbook 2'' is a supplement to the 4th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. Contents The ''Player's Handbook 2'' includes eight classes: the avenger, barbarian, bard, druid, invoker, shaman, sorcerer, and warden, ...

'' as a leader based on the primal power source. The monk appears in '' Player's Handbook 3''. As of ''Dragon'' Issue 404 (October 2011), samurai and sohei were added as character themes. The ninja is a build for the assassin class."Class Acts: The Assassin - Secrets of the Ninja", ''Dragon'' #404

References

External links

* Kohler, Alan D
''Oriental Adventures'' capsule review
retrieved June 1, 2006 *http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_7441.html {{D&D topics 1985 books 2001 books Books by Gary Gygax Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks ENnies winners Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1985

''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''

Campaign features

Reception

Reviews

Other releases

''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition

Campaign features

Reception

''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition

References

Further reading

External links