Masque of the Jade Dragon discussion

[Coan]

So the second product for 3.5 Ed Masque comes out in November. This is very exciting for Masque fans as the original only received two other supplements. With the current release of Ravenloft being 3 books this year I think its a good balance. 2/3rds Core Ravenloft with the 3rd being a Masque book.

No information has really been provided but from the Duo I recall it taking on an Eastern flavour, with some new takes on magic (new Masque specific spells? That would be cool) and maybe being on a different time period.

What are your opinions on this? Do you have any other information to share?

Personally I'm not too keen on it being in a different time period. Though if they include history into the book (Asia has a LOT of interesting history in the 19th century) and the book isn't to hard to join with an already existing 1890's game, I wouldn't mind to much.

They've no doubt taken on the critisism (some constructive some not) of the editing mistakes that occured in the new book so I hope to see a cleaner and tighter product this time round.

[William Blackmoor]

I hope it's not another time! Getting my players to generate new characters again would be quite tough. I'm happy that they are accepting MotRD after their inital complaints against it.

[Coan]

From the Frat's FAQs:

What is the Masque of the Jade Dragon?


At the time of this writing little is known regarding this product. It is a Masque (as described in the RL: PHB and has been sub-campaign similar to MotRD. It is sent in the Orient of the ‘real world’ and presumably covers such regions as China, Japan and possibly even the Philippines. Additionally, it is set in a period earlier than MotRD. According to the developers MotJD can be used in conjunction with the Red Death or separately based on the wish of the Dungeon Master.


An earlier time period is good. I was worried slightly it would be early 1900's (that wouldn't be right in my mind). But how early is too early? Will India be examined in this? India and the European Trading companies really had some interesting history.

I'm expecting Ninja, perhaps Samurai (I have no qualms with that at all. An eastern style Masque set in that age could be really cool and that I think is one of the aims the Dark Duo may be gunning for).

[The Nightmare Man]

Do we know who the author (or authors) for Masque of the Jade Dragon is/are?

[Malus Black]

From these quotes we can be pretty sure that Steve Miller is working on it, and I assume Rucht Lilaviat as well.

Rucht informed me that MotJD would also involve the Philippines, so I can't wait for this to come out.

Actually, what I said was, "If you are looking for Red Death in the Phillipines, you need to look for Masque of the Jade Horror, which I'm working on right now. It's set in Asia."

I did not say that it would specifically feature the Phillipines. I do not know if it will or will not. It will depend upon whomever is in charge of that section of the book. I am not in charge of that section of the book.

Keep your hopes up. You may get what you wish for.

I have just been added to the creative line-up working on this book.

I'll be putting the first word on paper (so to speak) Saturday.

Also note that it's apparently Masque of the Jade Horror, not Dragon.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

An earlier time period is good. I was worried slightly it would be early 1900's (that wouldn't be right in my mind). But how early is too early? Will India be examined in this? India and the European Trading companies really had some interesting history.

I'm expecting Ninja, perhaps Samurai (I have no qualms with that at all. An eastern style Masque set in that age could be really cool and that I think is one of the aims the Dark Duo may be gunning for).

Yeah, it's tricky with the time thing, because the samurai were done away with in 1868, so if they kept it 1890's, you could have samurai ghosts, but no samurai PC's. Too bad, because the dowager empress of China would make a great hag, perhaps with a number of failed DP's checks! Killed her husband, her kids, you name it!

But I guess if I had to make the choice, I'd play a samurai fighting someone else than a non-samurai fightin her. Code of Bushido, here we come!

[Gemathustra]

An earlier time period is good. I was worried slightly it would be early 1900's (that wouldn't be right in my mind). But how early is too early? Will India be examined in this? India and the European Trading companies really had some interesting history.

I'm expecting Ninja, perhaps Samurai (I have no qualms with that at all. An eastern style Masque set in that age could be really cool and that I think is one of the aims the Dark Duo may be gunning for).

Yeah, it's tricky with the time thing, because the samurai were done away with in 1868, so if they kept it 1890's, you could have samurai ghosts, but no samurai PC's. Too bad, because the dowager empress of China would make a great hag, perhaps with a number of failed DP's checks! Killed her husband, her kids, you name it!

But I guess if I had to make the choice, I'd play a samurai fighting someone else than a non-samurai fightin her. Code of Bushido, here we come!

There's less than thirty years between the setting and the last samurais... They weren't executed, perhaps there were some "retired" samurais still around?

As for Dowager Empress Cixi, well...
All I'll say that she didn't kill her husband, or even arranged for his death.
That being said, it was supposedly prophesized that a woman from her clan (namely, her) would be the downfall of the Manchus. But, most historians attribute this "prophesy" to her critics and enemies in the Imperial Court (whom she silenced when she became the power behind the Dragon Throne).

[Le Noir Faineant]

Honestly, my friends, when I hear MotJD, I think of *Oriental Adventures gone Ravenloft*. uuh-oooh...

Really worth buying in terms of playability?
*I doubt it.*

I mean, wouldn't a supply to the original MotRD book have been better?

*Just a thought...*

[Coan]

Considering that all of the original supplements and adventures had a Western setting (or at best East European) feel an Eastern take could easily be warranted. Asia did have a lot of interesting things happening at the time that a lot of history classes miss (if they cover Asia at all).

[ScS of the Fraternity]

True, but to make it worth a new book, we better be talking about a serious change of pace.

For example, perhaps we're looking at a Pulp Fiction/Indiana Jones feel - are we going to get some prestige classes, spells, feats, villians and locals that will emphasize the cinematic, two-fisted adventuring theme?

Or, is this going to encompas nonwestern style horror? Are we going to see classes/villians/scenarios that draw from asian history and culture - things that seem strange and alien to western sensibilies?

Or, is this going to be Western style gothic horror set in the Far East?

[Gemathustra]

Or, is this going to be Western style gothic horror set in the Far East?

Oh gods no...
*has flashbacks about "Dracula and the Seven Golden Brothers"*

[Le Noir Faineant]

Seriously, this is some kind of behaviour I don't quite understand... RL being a niche market mainly adressed to us small bunch of dedicated mist-dwellers, why don't they just ask US what kind of projects WE would like to see?

*A Poll on these boards and no problem ever again.*

- I mean, I still rely much more on USC and QtR than on the official 3e line.
Though a MotRD DM, I seriously doubt that I'll have any need for such a book, and to be honest, for a coffee table book 30 $, or even 20, are a bit too much given that one can get more useful game books for that price.

I don't want to troll about (Preposition?) S&S, but if they want to evade another Scarred Lands disaster, they do better in widening the market, not in installing even more niches.



It's just that IMO, eastern demons don't really fit in a classic western gothci story IN THE STYLE OF E A POE, which the setting was originally been made for...

Anyway, I hope the book's not so bad as I assume...

[Jester of the FoS]

They have asked once or twice on the Wizard board and talked to the fans. And it is a little early in the game to be knocking a book months from release with such little information available on it. There are some good people working on it, have faith.

[Le Noir Faineant]

They have asked once or twice on the Wizard board and talked to the fans. And it is a little early in the game to be knocking a book months from release with such little information available on it. There are some good people working on it, have faith.

Of course.
Nicky Rea is my favourite RPG author up to date, largely due to her *Guide to Transylvania*.
On the other hand, MotRD would really have deserved to be expanded with other modules, as the material from the 3.5 update is simply to few to start playing seriously, and one can't assume that everyone uses additions from the internet to enhance that.

I have the hope that maybe the Dark Duo comes to know about our *objective* doubts and maybe takes them into consideration.
I think everyone here welcomes a new Ravenloft book, but I would be even more happy if it was a GOOD one that is really of use in my ongoing campaigns.

Anyway, just my two cents.

[Igor the Henchman]

Desdichado, the voting-with-your-wallet method is a tried and trusty way of telling the developers what you want to see, and a far better one than anything this board can do.

Remember, people who read these boards represent a very distinct and biased minority of RL consumers: the hardcore fans. A poll here may not reflect the sentiments of all people who buy Ravenloft.

Other than that...

I have the hope that maybe the Dark Duo comes to know about our *objective* doubts and maybe takes them into consideration.
I think everyone here welcomes a new Ravenloft book, but I would be even more happy if it was a GOOD one that is really of use in my ongoing campaigns.

From the Dark Duo's behavior pattern so far... I don't think its terribly likely they'll let fan concerns stop them from publishing products they believe in. For better or worse. As for the rest... I don't see how "GOOD Ravenloft book" and "Ravenloft book on eastern-style horror" are two mutually-exclusive concepts.