Yaranaika

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Yaranaika (Japanese: やらないか, yaranaika, 'Won't you do it?') is a campaign set in the world of Mythical East at the late 1500s. All the supernatural creatures, monsters, and magic of the Orient actually exist in this world. Some martial artists and ninjas also actually have supernatural powers. Ki (called "Focus Points" in SRD) is a very real thing. The world is somewhat manga- and anime-themed. So, player characters could be even magical girls, fallen celestials, spirits, constructs resembling humans, yōkai (supernatural entities and spirits), battle maids and butlers, faeries, and so on. In the background the history of Japan unfolds in the civil wars of the Sengoku period, with famous figures such as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro.

やらないか

If the cuckoo does not sing, kill it
鳴かぬなら、殺してしまえほととぎす
If the cuckoo does not sing, coax it
鳴かぬなら、鳴かして見せようほととぎす
If the cuckoo does not sing, wait for it
鳴かぬなら、鳴くまで待とうほととぎす

The campaign starts in Mythical Japan, where the characters may get involved in the power struggle...

The three senryū[1] refer to the three most important people of that period: Oda Nobunaga[2], Toyotomi Hideyoshi[3] and Tokugawa Ieyasu[4].

Character Creation

Classes

Komusō (lit. "straw-mat monk")
Mahō Shōjo (Magical Girl)
Sōhei (Soldier-Monk)
Witch (Yaranaika)

Subclasses

Bokushi (Cleric Subclass)
Drunken Master (Monk Subclass)
Samurai (Fighter Subclass)
Shaman (Barbarian Subclass)
Jujutsuka (Monk Subclass)
Osumōsan (Monk Subclass)
Moribushi (Druid Subclass)
Ninja (Rogue Subclass)
Paper Master (Sorcerer Subclass)
Shugyosha (Fighter Subclass)

Bards, Druids, Paladins and Warlocks are rare but possible. I will create custom subclasses/pacts for them, at least one for each class.

Character Origins

Backgrounds

Ainu
Craftsman
Gaijin
Gatherer
Entertainer
Burakumin
Merchant
Peasant
Ronin
Samurai
Translator

Homelands: China, Hokkaidō, Kansai region, Kantō region, North Honshu, South Honshu, Shikoku, ; Korea, Okinawa and Ryukyu Islands, Gaijin (most from Portugal, some from Spain and Netherlands, rarely English or others). Ainu, Chinese and Koreans are not really considered gaijins.

List of Crafts in Mythic East (incomplete):

alchemist
armorsmith
basketweaver
brush maker
carpenter
ceramics maker
coppersmith
doll maker
dyer
fan maker
fireworks maker[5]
funazushi maker
fletcher
glassblower
gold- and silversmith
herbalist
ironware maker
jeweler
konnyaku maker
lacquerware maker
lantern maker
leather
leatherworker
mason
paper maker
porcelain maker
potter
ropemaker
saddle maker
sake brewer
scribe
shoemaker
silk maker
soy sauce maker
stoneworker
sword polisher
tailor
tailor
tanner
tatami maker
tofu maker
thatcher
umbrella maker
weaponsmith
weaver
woodcarver
woodcutter

List of Professions in Mythic East (incomplete):

actor: Nō (能),
artist (painter, sculptor)
butcher*
chef
construction worker
farmer
fisherman
fortune teller
gatherer
grave digger*
labourer
miner
monk/nun
priest/priestess
puppeteer
rakugoka¹
sarugaku²
seamstress
shaman
street food cook

¹term rakugo is modern, used for clarity[6]
²performer of popular entertainment including acrobatics, juggling, and pantomime
†Highly prestigious professions.
*Traditionally only burakumin or foreigners work in these professions.

Species (humanoid)

Dragonborn
Goliath
Human
Korpokkur
Tiefling

Species (yōkai)

Inugami
Kitsune
Nekomimi
Oni
Orc
Tanuki
Tengu
Yōsei

What are Yokai?

Languages

NOTE: Most characters learn only one language. Another language slot is required for reading and writing with kanji. Common people know kana letters and a few basic kanji at most. Instead of a signature, a hanko stamp is used. Only important agreements are written and signed; for most people, verbal agreements are enough.

Common language is replaced by Latin.

SRD languages are available, but most of the inhabitants - including Yōkai - speak the local language (Japanese, Chinese, Korean) as their native language.

Other languages: Ainu, Okinawan, English, French, Indian languages (Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Urdu, Kannada, Odia, Malayam, Punjabi and over 400 others), Mongolian, Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, and so on.

See also Translator Background for some more information about languages.

Feats

Origin Feats

General Feats

  • None yet

Fighting Style Feats

Spells

Equipment

Armor
Clothing
Weapons

Bundles of 100 copper coins are the official currency. There are also silver and gold coins, and locally minted coins. For easiness, all coins normally have the same value as standard Coins. There's also koku, an unit of dry volume, about 180 litres, which was considered an amount of rice to feed one person for one year. Koku measured the magnitude of a feudal domain. A lord was considered a daimyō when his domain amounted to at least 10000 koku.

Magic Items

Many items are inspired by real items.[7]

Artifacts

This page is unfinished!


Campaign-Specific Notes

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting ... Somewhat

Nearly everyone has some Martial Arts training, from little girls to old shopkeepers.

BUT, martial artists do not normally fly through the air or deflect thousands of arrows with their scarf. (Well, maybe at epic levels, they do.)

Think more of Miyamoto Musashi, Jackie Chan, IP Man, and Bruce Lee, rather than the superhero-level kung fu flicks. Larger than life, with a bit toned down Rule of Cool[8].

New paths and subclasses are designed for this kind of game.

Sample Characters

These characters are all at 5th level and will be used in a playtest scenario. Note that for Japanese names surname is given first. Never mind whether the name is feminine or masculine; you can choose the character's gender and (if you wish) change the name. A quick switch from feminine -ko is to change it to -ro.

Media

References

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