I will only note here my personal changes and guidelines for the available races and classes, I will not repeat here that which is already in the Oriental Adventures book or anything. I have made no significant changes, only a few, so this section will be short. Other than these changes, use the race and class statistics from the Player's Handbook and Oriental Adventures, using the OA changes to races and classes except where noted below for my own adjustments to the PHB races.
RACES
Dwarves: As per the Dwarves of the Player's Handbook, with the Oriental Adventures alteration to their favored class, and the OA adjustments to the types of creatures which their racial bonuses on attack rolls and armor class apply against. My only change is available bonus languages for a high Intelligence score, which become the following --- Bakemono, Giant, Gnome, Nezumi, Shadowlands, and Yeti.
Elves: As per the Elves of the Player's Handbook, but without the Oriental Adventures adjustments. Instead, Elves in this campaign possess the same racial weapon proficiencies as noted in the PHB, though for their favored class, an Elf must choose at 1st-level to have either Samurai or Sorcerer as their favored class. Also, Elves have their available bonus languages changed to the following --- Draconic, Gnome, Hengeyokai, Sylvan, Spirit Tongue, and Tengu.
Half-Elves: Unchanged from the Player's Handbook, at least statistically.
Half-Orcs: As per the Half-Orcs of the Player's Handbook, but with a different set of bonus languages available for high Intelligence (rare as it may be for those of orcish descent). Available bonus languages change to the following --- Giant, Gnome, Spirit Tongue, Yeti, and Yuan-Ti.
Halflings: As per the Halflings of the Player's Handbook, but with a different set of available bonus languages for a high Intelligence score, those languages being the following --- Gnome, Orc, Tasloi, Vanara, and Yuan-Ti. Also, Halflings in my campaign may choose Wu Jen at 1st-level as their favored class instead of Rogue.
Gnomes: As per the Gnomes of the Player's Handbook, but with different bonus languages available, different favored classes, and the Oriental Adventures adjustments to what creatures their racial combat bonuses apply against. Gnomes in my campaign choose either Monk or Rogue at 1st-level to be their favored class. They choose any bonus languages for high Intelligence from amongst the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Halfling, and Orc.
CLASSES
Barbarians: Unchanged from the Player's Handbook.
Fighters: Unchanged from the Player's Handbook, except for the two extra available bonus feats mentioned in the Oriental Adventures book.
Monks: Unchanged from the Player's Handbook, but with all of the Oriental Adventures Monk-class adjustments.
Rangers: Mostly unchanged from the Player's Handbook, except that Rangers in my campaign may choose particular Clans as Favored Enemies, even though Rangers cannot normally choose their own race as a Favored Enemy unless evil, so this option allows Rangers from the Clans to choose other Clans as Favored Enemies, gaining the appropriate bonuses against members of the chosen Clan or that Clan's noble families, but not against clanless heimin peasants and such, unless they somehow belong to one of that Clan's noble families. Determining what foes or NPCs this may apply against is up to the DM's discretion under uncertain circumstances. Note that members of a Clan do not necessarily include only Humans, as many Elves, Half-Elves, Dwarves, and Gnomes have integrated into the Clans of Rokugan and joined their families.
Rogues: Unchanged from the Player's Handbook, but with the weapon proficiency changes noted in Oriental Adventures.
Samurai: Mostly unchanged from Oriental Adventures, except for minor adjustments for non-Human Samurai. Firstly, Small-sized Samurai, such as Gnome Samurai, cannot even wield a Katana at all, so any Samurai bonus feats available to them that would normally be linked to the Katana (such as Weapon Focus - Katana), are instead linked to the Wakizashi if the Samurai is Small-sized (such as Weapon Focus - Katana becoming Weapon Focus - Wakizashi for a Gnome Samurai). Likewise, those who train in the Crab clan's Samurai schools, or who train in another school that utilizes the same style (such as a Dwarven Samurai school, since the Dwarves learned the way of Bushido from the Crab), would normally be able to choose Weapon Focus for the Katana, Greatclub, Warhammer, or Battleaxe, but Small Samurai who train in that style instead have the options of Weapon Focus with the Wakizashi, Club, Warhammer, or Battleaxe, since the Greatclub and Katana are too large for them to wield. As a note, to find out what Samurai schools are available for a non-Human Samurai to train in, ask the DM for details.
Also, while most non-Humans who train as Samurai (generally Dwarves, Elves, Half-Elves, and some Gnomes) train in the Katana and Wakizashi, which constitute a Samurai's Ancestral Daisho and represent the honor of the Samurai and his family, this is not so for many non-Human Samurai. Except for Small-sized Samurai (primarily Gnomes but also, potentially, Korobokuru or Halflings), the Katana and Wakizashi are still used, but as the do not have more than possibly one or two ancestral spirits in their blades, generally only the spirits of their fathers, grandfathers, mothers, grandmothers, or somesuch, their Ancestral Daisho are generally empowered by priests, sorcerers, or wu jen from their own race, usually in secretive ceremonies where they call upon long-dead ancestors to lend their spirits, or they simply use powerful magics to lend the blades power to be awakened later by worthy Samurai of the family.
Lastly, Small-sized Samurai face one other difficulty. They cannot wield a Katana at all, and they can barely wield a Wakizashi one-handed. Thus, Small-sized Samurai possess a different pair of blades for their Ancestral Daisho, determined by who trained them as Samurai. Small Samurai trained by Gnomes in the Gnomish lands, or by other Gnome Samurai who were themselves taught in Gnomish lands, are taught to wield a pair of Wakizashi, instead of one Katana and one Wakizashi. Small Samurai trained under other circumstances are simply trained to wield a Wakizashi and a masterwork Aiguchi. An Aiguchi is simply a Dagger, but Small Samurai not trained under the aforementioned conditions of Gnomish trainers, begin with a masterwork Shortsword (Wakizashi) and masterwork Dagger (Aiguchi), and they treat their Wakizashi with the honor and importance that a Human Samurai would associate with a Katana, while treating their Aiguchi with the lesser honor and importance that a Human Samurai associates with a Wakizashi. Small Samurai trained under the aforementioned conditions by Gnomes instead begin with a pair of masterwork Shortswords (Wakizashi), each with a slightly different styling to tell them apart, as a particular one is chosen to be treated like a Katana for purposes of honor, while the other is treated with the lesser honor that a Wakizashi normally is associated with.
Shaman: Unchanged from Oriental Adventures. For choice of possible animal companions, ask the DM.
Shugenja: Unchanged from Oriental Adventures. For details on what Shugenja schools a character could be trained in, ask the DM, as some of the humanoid races, particularly Elves, Gnomes, and Dwarves, sometimes train in the Rokugani Shugenja schools, but their choices may be limited, especially since none of the non-Human races have established any Shugenja schools of their own.
Sohei: Unchanged from Oriental Adventures.
Sorcerers: Unchanged from the Player's Handbook, but with the alternate spell list option from Oriental Adventures.
Wu Jen: Unchanged from Oriental Adventures. However, as a note to any who wish to play a Wu Jen in my campaign, all Taboos that are chosen for a Wu Jen character must be confirmed by myself, the DM, since there are no solid rules as to what possible Taboos are for Wu Jen, or what is a fair and restrictive but not unbalanced Wu Jen Taboo. |
