Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tonas 09-09-04, 06:06 PM	Hi everyone, first time posting here. Anyways, my problem is that in two days time I'll be playing in an Eberron campaign, and I want to play a samurai/Iaijutsu Master. I got my DM's permission to do this, but I've recently been haveing trouble justifying it. So is there a region or people in the campaign setting that has oriental influences where this character could be from? Or at the very least a region with a good military background that would train something similar to a samurai or that Iaijutsu might be developed in? Thanks in advance for any help.
JohnnyONeal 09-09-04, 07:14 PM	You can definitely create this character, but depending on how true you want to be to the campaign setting, I'd suggest some flavor modifications. There are no historical analogue cultures in Eberron. The different nations in Eberron represent a blend of cultural influences and original ideas. So there isn't one place you can point to and say, "that's an obvious match for Oriental Adventures." In fact, I'd say it would be contrary to the nature of the setting to have an Asian-style culture filled with Asian-looking people. Asian-inspired elements in Eberron are woven into other cultural threads, not set apart on their own. Here are some possibilities for your character: Monasteries dedicated to the Sovereign Host are scattered throughout Khorvaire. We haven't seen much of them, but picture a cross between a European monastery and an Asian monastery. Monks dedicated to the war goddess Dol Arrah learn to turn their bodies into living weapons. While their preferred weapons are halberds, they study a wide range of martial weapons and develop their own special blades. Dol Arrah-worshipping sword masters might develop a style exactly like Iaijutsu. They just wouldn't call it Iaijutsu (or call themselves samurai). Your samurai character would be considered a specialized monk, with an oath of fealty sworn to the head of his monastery rather than to a king. In the forbidding northlands of Karrnath, war is an art. Your samurai could be a specialized knight trained in one of the nation's premier military academies, dedicated to protecting and obeying King Kaius at all costs. His weapons might resemble traditional European blades, but he would wield them using secret and powerful techniques. The ancient goblin empire of Dhakaan had a culture with some Asian themes and aesthetics. This is probably the easiest fit for a samurai, but it works best if you're willing to play a goblin or hobgoblin PC. If you want to get really wacky, you could be a non-goblin who was taken in by one of the more respectable goblin clans. The culture of distant Sarlona is still quite mysterious and represents the birthplace of human civilization. Martial arts are certainly studied there, so Riedran or Adarian soldiers might learn samurai-like sword techniques. If you really want to place an Asian-analogue culture in Eberron, tucking one into the mountains of Adar is probably your best bet. The problem with any of these is that you'll have to figure out what your character is doing away from his lord. If he's on some sort of quest, why? For how long? In a society where samurai aren't a regular part of the establishment, it becomes harder for one to travel far without becoming a ronin.
Lujayne34 09-09-04, 07:20 PM	I would add one more culture which I think would have such warriors....the Valenar Elves. Again the name of the style would be different as would the name of the warrior type. Quick-draw sword styles there might even include the double scimitar one of their weapons of choice.
Tonas 09-09-04, 07:36 PM	Thanks for the help with the regions! The haveing a reason to be an adventurer part will be hard to work in, but it will be worth it I hope. Need to work on changing the class names and abilities. Thanks again.
ImmortalBlueMage 09-09-04, 07:48 PM	Johnny makes a lot of excellent suggestions as to how to fit this game concept into the campaign. Like they said in the Intro, if it has a place in D&D, it has a place in Eberron. Here's another idea: The nation of Cyre was completely and utterly decimated during the Last War. Perhaps there was once some form of Samurai tradition practiced there, either during or prior to the war? Cyre's destruction would account for why Samurai are not widespread throughout the rest of the world. Your character could be one of the surviving Cyran refugees in Breland, trying to keep the tradition alive. It could be he is the only Samurai left in the wake of the Day of Mourning, indeed, perhaps he was only one of a handful even during the war. This would account for why you are distant from your Lord (he's probably dead, after all) too.
RoastSlinky 09-10-04, 05:02 AM	In my game, one of my players is a dwarven samurai who acts as an agent of a Mror baking clan. He collects debts and defends elders of the clan. In our first adventure, he's been investigating some finacial funny business by a divorced Sharn merchant, which has lead him into the dark world of the Sharn underground.
Delazar 09-10-04, 06:54 AM	a dwarven samurai who acts as an agent of a Mror baking clan. He collects ... breadcrumbs? sorry, couldn't help...
magicbehere 09-10-04, 07:10 AM	In the campaign I player in people from Southern Reidra are like the chinese and people from Northern Reidra are like the arabs. So have your Samurai be from Sarlona?
Master of shaarat'khesh 09-10-04, 11:22 AM	Adding to the thought of Sarlona. From sources that I've read here on the boards and even from the ESB, I imagine Sarlona having a deep asian-esque cultural feel and maybe even look. I think the traditon of psionics and martial arts mesh very well together. Also, the religion set there is very zen like as described. All of these things led me to creat an asian type culture for my games. Also, with the humans of Khorvaire migrating from Sarlona, it only makes sense to me that there would be monastic traditions that were carried over to the "new world". So I have a few characters, some that I'm playing now and a few that are for future use that have history and back storys that play off this idea. I'm careful enough though to leave it just vague enough to mold what I do with any future (and hoped for) material on Sarlona. I would add one more culture which I think would have such warriors....the Valenar Elves. Again the name of the style would be different as would the name of the warrior type. I went to the Quori and Elven Language Translator at Jhonen Olains Eberron Journal site and found this: Elven for samurai is Masteasae Elven for warrior is: Shasos Quori for samurai is: shashula Quori for warrior is: Valal I'd be interested to know what they are in Goblinoid as well but I'll have to search it out. Anyway, good luck