Q. What do the birth ranks generated on table 38 (page 31) really
mean?
A. As explained on page 31, the exact circumstances of a character's
birth are up to the DM. The higher the initial die roll, the better
off the character's family is. A first rank character, for example,
probably comes from a well-to-do family with clear connections to the
imperial family, or perhaps the character belongs to the imperial
family (he might be a distant cousin). Upper-class families are
skilled artisans, scribes, or wealthy merchants.
Q. I don't understand the birthright rules on page 34. How do you use
birth rank in order to modify the chances for a birthright? If you
subtract birth rank from the number of rolls on table 40, then
characters with low ranks never receive birthrights, right?. Also, not
all the results on the birth rank table (table 38, page 31) have
numerical values.
A. The term "birth rank" is used incorrectly on page 34. The term that
should be used here is "birth order" (see Unearthed Arcana, page 83).
An only child has a birth order of zero. A character born late in the
birth order might not receive any birthright even in a wealthy family.
Q. How frequently are the generals of the animal kings encountered?
A. The "frequency" listing does not apply to these beings, as they
appear only when their kings send them on errands. The DM must decide
where and when they appear. If you wish to include them on a special
random encounter table, assuming that PCs might encounter a general
while it is abroad on some errand. Their frequency should be very rare
at best.
Q. Can samurai PCs become daimyos?If so, at what level?
Samurai characters can become daimyos but not simply by virtue of
level. The character must first gain control of a province, either by
conquest or by imperial decree (or both). Once control is firmly
established, the character becomes a daimyo. The character must be at
least 10th level in order to have the hierarchy of followers described
on page 22 of the Oriental Adventures tome.
Q. Can Oriental characters have psionic abilities?
A. Psionics are optional in an oriental setting using the AD&D 1st
Edition rules, just as they are in non-oriental settings. How do you
determine the value of gems found during an oriental adventure? Use
the gem section of the 1st Edition Dungeon Master's Guide (pages
25-26) or the 2nd Edition DMG (page 134) to determine values and
properties of gems.
Q. Why hasn't TSR published Oriental Adventures character sheets?
A. The newest AD&D character sheets (TSR product number 9264) are
designed to work with Oriental characters.
Q. Several character classes must have the calligraphy proficiency.
The class descriptions seem to indicate that calligraphy costs one
slot, but table 61 says it costs two slots.
A. Calligraphy requires two slots.
Q. How many proficiencies do monks and yakuza get?
A. The following additions/changes apply to table 56 (page 51):
Class Initial #
of Prof. Add Prof.
per level WNPP
Monk
5
1/2
−3
Yakuza
3
1/3
−3
Q. Can the explanation of the wu jen's chance to know a spell on page
25 be used in non-Oriental campaigns?
A. The method described on page 25 is the same as the method described
in the 1st Edition Players Handbook, so there is no harm in using the
Oriental Adventures explanation in non-Oriental campaigns based on the
allow a chance-to-learn check for a spell until it is found (see page
16 of that volume).
Q. How do Oriental Adventures characters gain levels? Do they have to
train? When do wu jen get new spells?
A. Oriental characters gain levels by accumulating experience and
training. They must pay training costs (see page 86 of the 1st Edition
DMG or page 49 of the 2nd Edition DMG). Wu jen should gain new spells
whenever they gain the ability to cast them and have access to such
spells. For example, at 3rd level, a wu jen gains the ability to cast
a second-level spell; he can do so if he finds a written copy of such
a spell, learns it from someone else, or researches it himself and
makes his chance-to-know roll (see page 25).
Q. Why isn't the battle axe listed as a two-handed weapon on table 49?
Battle axes were used with two hands, at least sometimes. Perhaps the
battle axe should be treated like a bastard sword, with two sets of
statistics.
A. A battle axe is not a two-handed weapon. It is true that battle
axes were often used with two hands, but this was because a man
without a shield did not have anything better to do with his free hand
and the axe's long haft provided space for the additional grip. If you
want to experiment with statistics for two-handed use, improve the
speed factor and AC adjustment for all armour types by +1 and increase
the damage inflicted to 3-9 (2d4+1). Weight, length, and space
required are unchanged. The improvements reflect the extra muscle the
wielder gains from using two hands.
Q. Can gajin characters learn oriental languages, and can oriental
characters learn gajin Common? What about characters who already have
a "full load" of languages?
A. Any character can learn a new language if his intelligence score
permits. The DM might permit a character to forget a language that has
not been used for a length of time in order to allow the character to
acquire a new one. Racial and alignment tongues can never be forgotten
in this manner. The time required to learn the new language is up to
the DM; one local campaign uses 48 weeks minus the sum of the
character's intelligence and wisdom.
Q. Is there any limit to the number of martial-arts styles a character
can learn?
A. Theoretically, a character could have as many different martial
arts styles as he had weapon proficiencies, but this would be a waste.
The character would do much better to use the slots to learn weapons
or special manoeuvres.
Q. The calendar on page 107 is about two weeks short. Where did the
extra time go?
A. The Kara-Tur calendar is 356 days long, making it nine days short
when compared with the calendar of the Forgotten Realms setting on the
very same planet. "Just Making Time," an article in Dragon Magazine
#123, provides a quick solution for this problem. A nine-day festival
is held between the consecutive months of Tu and Tsou, belonging to no
month, which can be extended for one day every four years by imperial
decree (accounting for leap years). The Kara-Tur zodiac has a
celestial space unclaimed by any other constellation, matching this
gap in the calendar.
Q. Where is the random encounter table for dungeon adventures?
A. Create your own random dungeon encounter table if you wish. The
monsters' section of Oriental Adventures (starting on page 115) and
the notes on page 138 of Monster Manual II will get you started.
Q. Can gajin characters use oriental spells? Can oriental characters
use non-oriental spells?
A. Page 130 of Oriental Adventures says that 5% of scrolls will
contain gajin spells and that these may be used by oriental
characters; if you wish, you can reverse this for non-oriental games.
Q. At what level can a wu jen research new spells? What about
manufacturing scrolls or other items?
A. Spells can be researched at any level, so long as such spells are
appropriate to the researcher's level; see the 1st Edition DMG (pages
115-116) or 2nd Edition DMG (pages 43-44) for more information. The
required level for making magical items varies; see the 1st Edition
DMG (pages 116-118) or the 2nd Edition DMG (pages 84-88). Wu jen
levels equal magic-user levels for this purpose.
Q. The rules say that a character must learn a martial-arts style's
special manoeuvres in order. Yet the common styles on page 101 skip
some manoeuvres; tae kwon do, for instance, skips all the movement
manoeuvres and goes straight to number five. Please resolve this
conflict.
A. There is no conflict at all. Any style's special manoeuvres are
learned in numerical order, no matter what groups they are from. In
tae kwon do, for example, Movement 5 is the last manoeuvre learned.
The character does not have to (and cannot) learn Movements 1-4
because they are not part of his style.
Q. Do bushi-ninja get strength bonuses in combat? Can wu jen-ninja use
spells while armoured? When can a ninja use the ki powers from his
other class? Does a ninja character get experience only when he's
acting like a ninja?
A. It would be helpful for you to think of a ninja as a type of
dual-classed character. Ninja is not an independent class; a ninja may
draw upon either of his classes at any time. Bushi-ninja do get
strength bonuses. Any ninja can use the skills, spells, and ki powers
of his other class within the restrictions given (e.g., a wu jen-ninja
cannot cast spells while wearing armor). The DM must decide when a
ninja is "acting like a ninja." The determination does not have to be
exact, since it affects only experience. Generally, experience is
split evenly between both classes if the ninja makes use of his ninja
abilities during an adventure.
Q. Are scale and mail armour both considered metallic armours, or can
ninja move silently while wearing these armour types?
A. Metal scale and chain are both metallic armours. Leather scale is
not, and so can be used for silent movement by ninja.
Q. How do you determine which special manoeuvres can be used with a
created martial-arts style?
A. The form of the style determines which special manoeuvres can be
used with it. Each special manoeuvre on table 70 (page 103) is
labelled for use with one of the forms. A special manoeuvre labelled
hard is used primarily with hard styles, hard/soft manoeuvres can be
used with any style, and soft manoeuvres are used primarily with soft
styles. The special manoeuvres listed under mental and physical
training are labelled with the most compatible forms but may be used
with any style; all other special manoeuvres should be restricted to
their primary style, no more than one "out of form" manoeuvre per
style is a good rule of thumb.
Q. How long are turns, rounds, and segments in an Oriental campaign?
A. The lengths of a turn, a mêlée round, and a segment are the same
as in non- oriental adventures; see the 1st Edition Player's Handbook
segments are not used in the AD&D 2nd Edition rules).
Q. The rules say that the chance to perform a peaceful skill "can
never be less than a 3 on 1d20" (page 52). Does this mean that a
character must roll under the number given for the proficiency in
order to succeed? How does a charter get bonuses to his roll? Do high
ability scores help? How can a character ever roll more than a 20 on
1d20?
A. The character must roll the number listed or better on 1d20. Three
is the lowest adjusted chance for success. That is, no matter how good
the character is, he will always fail on a roll of 1 or 2. Scores
greater than 20 can be achieved by adding bonuses from extra slots
spent in the proficiency (see page 52) or from a magical item (or
both). Ability modifiers do not apply to peaceful skills.
Q. I have a book that says long needles were sometimes used in
assassinations. What are the statistics for needles?
A. Treat them as chopsticks.
Q. What kind of property does a samurai get at 9th level? How much
property does a jito get?
A. Samurai do not get property at 9th level; they get the great kiai
and followers. They are offered stewardship, not ownership, of various
properties at earlier levels. A jito (the stewardship offered to a
7th-level samurai) generally manages one to three villages for his
daimyo.
Q. How much does oriental equipment weigh? How large and heavy are
grenades?
A. Use the figures for the nearest equivalent from the regular AD&D
rules or real life. Rope or clothing, for example, weighs the same no
matter where it is made. Grenades are about the size and weight of a
flask of oil.
Q. If a character loses a family heirloom or weapon, is he obligated
obligation to regain it or die in the attempt? Must he commit suicide
if regaining the item is impossible?
A. The character simply loses 5 points of honour (or 10 points if he
is a samurai). The character is under no particular obligation to
regain the item. The DM might choose to assess a further honour loss
(2 points for refusing a challenge) if the character does not attempt
to regain the item, or the DM might make an honour award (5 points for
accomplishing a great deed) if the character successfully regains the
item. No character is ever obligated to commit suicide due to loss of
honour, though any character with a negative honour score is
immediately removed from play (see Oriental Adventures, page 35).
In "Sage Advice" in issue #122, you said that the to-hit roll required
for the special martial-arts manoeuvre Leap should be made against AC
10. Does this apply to to-hit rolls required for other manoeuvres,
such as Weapon Catch?
A. No. In general, combat special manoeuvres require a to-hit roll
versus the armour class of the target character. The target character
in a Weapon Catch is the character holding the weapon that is to be
caught.
Q. There is a large honour penalty for a ninja who allows his true
identity to be discovered. Is there any penalty for a ninja who allows
the fact that he is a ninja to be discovered?
A. No. A ninja always uses an alias and keeps his real name and the
details of his family history secret. Ninja should try to conceal the
fact that they are ninja, but this is not a necessity. Hiding a
ninja's true character class is very difficult in a campaign. It is
not impossible, however, so the DM may assign a minor penalty if it
leaks out; −1 honour point is plenty.
Q. At the very bottom of page 50, there appears to be an introduction
to a table. What happened to the table?
A. The text at the bottom of page 50 refers to table 55, which is
located immediately above the text.
Q. Isn't a lajatang a two-handed weapon?
A. Yes, the lajatang entry in table 49 (page 41) should be boldfaced.
Q. What is the conversion rate between non-oriental gold pieces and
Oriental tael and ch'ien? What about copper, silver, electrum, and
platinum pieces?
A. Table 46 (page 38) gives conversion rates. Gold, electrum, and
platinum are not accepted as currency in Kara-Tur, so these coins must
be sold for the market value of the metal in them. The market value of
one gold piece is 2-7 (1d6 + 1) tael (see page 38). Extrapolating, a
platinum piece is worth 11-30 (1d20 + 20) tael. The market price of
gold and platinum varies independently, so it is possible for the
price of platinum to be low while the price of gold is high. Electrum
is mostly gold, so its price varies with the price of gold: an
electrum piece is worth half the current value of a gold piece.
Q. A ninja-to can have a secret compartment in the hilt. How much can
be held in the compartment?
A. The compartment is very small; it can hold one dose of poison or an
item the size of a finger ring or coin.
Q. What are the rules for oriental characters fighting with a weapon
in each hand? What is the limit of the kensai two-weapon ability?
Obviously, a kensai can't use two katana or can he?
A. The rules are the same as those for non-oriental characters; see
(page 96). Any Oriental weapon that is the equivalent of a dagger or
hand axe can be used as a second weapon (see Oriental Adventures,
table 48, page 41). A kensai's second weapon must be a dagger or hand
axe (or an equivalent).
Q. Can a character with high dexterity spend extra slots on fighting
with two weapons and avoid the two-weapon penalty?
A. No. Only kensai of 7th level and above have the ability to fight
with two weapons at no penalty.
Q. Page 8 says that a ninja gains a 10% bonus for high dexterity, but
page 19 says he does not. Which is correct?
A. Page 19 is correct.
Q. Table 13 (page 14) says that ninja can use any weapon, but a
footnote says that they must learn only ninja preferred weapons. What
happens when a high-level ninja has learned all the ninja weapons?
A. A ninja can learn non-ninja weapons in two ways. First, he can use
slots from his other class. Second, once he is proficient with all
ninja weapons, he can choose any weapon.
Q. What are the statistics for a badger hengeyokai (mentioned on page
13)?
A. A badger is a "raccoon dog" in oriental parlance. The raccoon dog
is listed on table 11 (page 12).
Q. What is the initiative modifier for a character who knows iaijutsu?
A. There is none. The character simply has the ability to draw or
change the weapon at no penalty. The character also has a better
chance to surprise opponents under certain circumstances. See Oriental
Adventures, page 99.
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