Using the Oriental Adventures game setting

[Flawless P]

The first campaign I ever played of DnD was in the OA setting, I didn't really like the classes I was faced with picking between so I asked for special permission to make a Paladin and after hearing my idea for intergration the DM allowed it.

It was my first go so he is not terribly fleshed out, but I do have some basics.

Human Paladin turned Gray Guard after seeing a Samurai clan leader turn corrupt and violent over a love affair.

I have a running in character debate going with my friend who plays a samurai about loyalty to a church vs. loyalty to a clan

my point being clan leadership changes but my deity is a constant source of leadership to me.

Anyway, I want some other peoples input on how to play this character that would be fun for me as well as a good way to play off the fact that his perception of the world is vastly  different than most of those around him dealing with a European attitude in a Japanese inspired land.

Oh and yes I have been in many arguments/honorable duels because of my ignorance to japanese culture.

[clockworkjoe]

basically you don't want real Japanese culture - real Japanese culture is as complex and nuanced as any other culture and it would takes years of study to 'get it'. Most people just use shallow stereotypes that suck and are boring.

you want good cinematic presentations of Japanese samurai and the culture they lived in. That will give you enough knowledge of the tropes and conventions of cinematic/fictional samurai to play a decent character. There's a whole genre of this stuff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jidaigeki

Start with Akira Kurosawa. Watch the Seven Samurai, Ran, Throne of Blood, Yojimbo, Sanjuro the Hidden Fortress and other of his flicks you can find.

Then get Harakiri, Sword of Doom, The Samurai trilogy, and Kagemusha.


 

[Joven]

And read Shogun and watch Last Samurai, for the westerner in ol' Japan stuff. 

Also, if you thought Seven Samurai was missing steampunk robots, check out Samurai 7

And although their slightly newer than samurai times, watch 'Prince of Space' and 'Invasion of the Neptune Men' for good insights into classic Japanese culture. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHhhAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAbukawk!

[Flawless P]

Thanks for the ideas, my DM is a huge fan of Anime, so I know to expect a more theatrical approach to japanese culture, but he also is an experianced enough storyteller to have this not suck.

I am going to go home tonight and try to track down some completely legal and legitamate ways of watching these online....*shifty eyes*