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martynq
Seeker
United Kingdom
90 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Jun 2004 : 10:32:54
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I'm not particularly interested in martial arts-type stuff, so I can't help but wonder whether it would be possible to run a Realms campaign without the various exotic oriental weapons (nunchaku, shuriken, etc.) available.
Has anybody done this sort of thing? It would seem necessary to adjust some deities chosen weapon, but (IMHO) this would seem to fit with the character of the setting more.
Martyn
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Sarta
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2004 : 12:46:00
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I always felt it was odd that Waukeenar use nanchuks. I know for Sage's campaign I stylized mine so that they are gold-plated and designed to look like two stacks of gold coins connected by a mithril chain. I was trying to get them to tie in a bit better with her portfolio of wealth. But, it still seems kind of odd.
Sarta |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2004 : 16:17:13
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Faerūn originally didn't have Oriental weapons at all, since the Kara-Tur was a later add-on. It wasn't until 3E that Oriental stuff was shoe-horned in as equipment in the main sources.
Since the PHB lists that stuff as exotic, that's how I'd treat it. Except for a few major cities, you'd not expect to find any of it in the western lands. The further east you go, the easier it would be to find this stuff. In Thesk you'd find this stuff pretty easily, and in the rest of the Unapproachable it'd merely be uncommon.
At least, that's how I'd do it. |
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Lashan
Learned Scribe
USA
235 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jun 2004 : 03:29:31
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| I didn't even know that they added them in for 3E! I've been happily ignoring them for a while now. |
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Sarta
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jun 2004 : 04:09:34
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Well, like I mentioned, Waukeen's chosen weapon is the nunchuku under 3.0 and 3.5. I'd think staff was more appropriate (since during the time she was missing most priests used staves of healing and such), but unless you get that cleared by your dm, you're stuck with nunchuku. One could rationalize that Waukeenar trading along the golden way introduced them to the church and that they are symbols of the wealth to be made with trading with the east.
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RogueAssassin
Learned Scribe
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2004 : 04:29:58
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My group hardly ever stumbles across oriental weapons. hence the name "exotic weapons". they wouldnt be inexistant in the realms but it would be rare to see one...
-The Rogue |
"Spirit. Its a Heros strength, a mothers resiliance, and the poor mans armor. It cannot be broken and it cannot be taken away. This i must belive"---Drizzt Do'Urden |
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Derulbaskul
Senior Scribe
Singapore
408 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2004 : 04:34:40
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While I agree that the quarterstaff is a better favoured weapon for Waukeenar, perhaps the nunchuku was chosen because, when twirled, it appears to be a cloud of coins?
I also refer to shuriken as throwing starts, IMC; I don't like mixing oriental and occidental without a good reason. That probably explains why I still struggle, too, with the use of ki to describe certain monk abilities.... |
Cheers
D
NB: Please remember: A cannon is a big gun. Canon is what we discuss here. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2004 : 04:45:42
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I like that explanation, Sarta, but I'm sure Sage will be willing to listen to you if you want to ask him to change it. I don't know for certain that he will, but his version of the Realms is already a bit different in many places of the world. (My favorite is Chult -- none of those stupid dinosaurs!  )
Of all the Oriental weapons, I like shuriken the best. So much that it's the only one I'd be hesitant to take out. However, even considering monks, I'd be willing to take them out. I haven't liked the over-Oriental feel of the monk class in the Realms, though I don't precisely know how to fix it well enough.
[::makes note to play around with Monk varients::]
Anyway, just looking at Real World history, Oriental philosophy caught on in Europe well before tools did (assuming you count direct transfer). Silk and porcelain are trade goods, and don't count here.
Let's look at what we have:
Kama
This evolved from a tool used for reaping -- essentially, it's the Oriental sickle. In D&D, the only thing it has over the sickle (a Simple weapon) is that it costs 4gp less and is a monk weapon.
Katana
I mention this simply because it's a famous weapon. It's part of the Japanese triad of blades: the katana, the wakizashi, and the tanto. However, each of them can be (and are, in D&D) represented by masterwork bastard swords, short swords, and daggers. (Amazing bit of WotC restraint to not come up with additional stats, I think.  )
Nunchaku
Face it -- this is a fancy club. It can do a few things that a club can't do (namely, wrap itself around another weapon, thus the logical Disarm bonus), but if anyone in Faerun just wants a club, they'll use a club. The only benefits are the mentioned Disarm bonus, it's lighter by one pound, and the fact that it's a monk weapon.
Sai
Again, a club. Same argument for the nunchaku; there's a better Disarm bonus, and also a monk weapon, but the damage is a die smaller.
Siangham
The only thing this has over the dagger is that it's a monk weapon with a larger damage die. A dagger has a better threat range, can be thrown, and deals slashing damage as well. I'll take the d4 damage.
Shuriken
Of all of the Oriental weapons, this one is the most unique. They cost 2sp each, have a range of ten, weigh .1 pound each, and are enchanted as ammunition. The downside is that they only do a base 1d2 damage (I think it should be 1d3), but I think it's worth it. It's also the most likely weapon to have gotten to Faerun.
The binding fact is that the Oriental weapons (aside from the samurai weapons, which are just masterwork regular weapons) are all monk-related. That goes back to the idea of making a varient monk for Faerun itself; I'll have to look into this. As it is, it's simplicity itself to remove Oriental weapons from 99.9% of the setting. I'd keep shuriken and perhaps nunchaku for the monks, but everything else can go easily. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2004 : 14:24:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
I like that explanation, Sarta, but I'm sure Sage will be willing to listen to you if you want to ask him to change it. I don't know for certain that he will, but his version of the Realms is already a bit different in many places of the world. (My favorite is Chult -- none of those stupid dinosaurs! )
I'm certainly intrigued by Sarta's explanation, there's no denying that. I'd also be willing to consider it's inclusion in the PbeM.
Contact me via ethereal mail Sarta. I'll see what I can do .
Thanks for the reminder about my 'Chultan' details Bookwyrm. I've been meaning to post them for a while now...
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Faerun without oriental weapons
