"Alternative lifestyles" in your campaign world

[barsoomcore]

Likewise in an effort to avoid moderator shut-down, an on-topic post:

Barsoom has featured a number of NPCs whose sexuality played a role in the campaign story, whether same-sex or not.

The Demon Goddess fell in love with a female PC and in her efforts to win the love of this PC got herself involuntarily un-goddess-ed and depowered and is now a more or less helpless 1st-leve aristocrat. They are now together, however, and player involved retired her character so the ladies could ride off into the sunset together. It was as close to a "happy-ever-after" story as Barsoom's ever had, really.

The whole thing started as a result of one player using the "Ahh, Love" swashbuckling card. Screwed up my whole campaign arc, I can tell you that. Sheesh.

 

[am181d]

In the longest running campaign I've played in, I played a bi-sexual (male) ranger. The character was created by another player, who left the group and I picked up the character when one of my characters was retired.

I was about 10 at the time. I played the character for about eight years.

It was an important part of his backstory. He was originally going to become a priest, but his orientation became an issue. (More for him, then for the priesthood, as it turned out.) Later, in game, it was a central issue between him and his conquering warlord father.

The character mostly identified as gay, though he'd had ocassional relationships with women as well. Everyone was very confused when, late in the campaign, his son was introduced into the game!

Thankfully, I've always been able to game with people who are (1) my friends and (2) fairly open minded. Now, if that weren't the case, I'd probably avoid the issue all together...

 

[Daiymo]

Hmm, Ive never liked to introduce overtly sexual elements into campaigns for many reasons illustrated by this thread. Not to say that love has no place as a hook in an RPG, but given the hot button possibilites of such things (either hetero or homosexual) I tend to pas by such things.

However, I think if your group can handle it, it can ad a "twist" to a campaign. Chessenta has been brought forward as an example (old Greek type civ).

What about elves. A society of beautiful, magical, androgynous creatures, their attitude is most likely much more mature and open then humans. Perhaps an elven adventurer seeks to find an old companion who has been lost for centuries.

Perhaps somewhere in the realms there is a stereotypical "Amazon" type society, where bonds between women are particularly strong.


I dunno. Apart from the possible titilation factor, it shouldnt be a big deal. The motivations that would drive a homosexual PC would be really the same universal ones as those that drive heteros.Love, revenge, glory, riches, etc.. I don't really see what big adaptation would need to happen. If your players can handle it ok. If not don't do it.

 

[Harold Mayo]

Some examples of how I've handled it in my own created world:

Vhir (variant elven race): The race is relatively infertile and is not overly concerned with sexual activity for reproductive purposes only. Sexual orientation, regardless of type, is not really looked upon with any importance. Experimentation over the centuries is actually probably expected rather than frowned upon. In the end, however, most would be considered heterosexual or bisexual rather than homosexual.

Durga (variant dwarven race): The disproportionate number of males to females in the race means that only half of the males could marry in a monogamous relationship. I considered polygamy but discarded it out of hand because I had a better idea. The durga aren't motivated by hormones like a human and don't constantly think about sex like a human male. Instead, half of all durgan males marry (the DUTY of the females is to marry and reproduce) while the rest "marry" their profession or craft. Hence the reputation that the race has as skilled craftsmen and tireless workers (perhaps the grumpiness, too). Homosexuality is unknown among them. There is no drive to reproduce unless they are paired with a female.

Church of Divine Man: A religious sect that worships the idea of the divinity of humanity. They are racially intolerant, seeing any race other than human as, well, subhuman, and not worthy of anything other than being suservient to humanity. The Church actually has a breeding program to pair off for reproductive purposes what we would see as genetically superior humans. Their observations over the years have led them to have some actual knowledge of inherited traits and statistical analysis and they have actually had some success at breeding "superior" humans. Sexual activity for any reason other than reproduction is deemed wasteful to their ultimate goals and homosexuality is something that is punished harshly by the church.

Hesperians: "Amazonian" subculture. These women are a small but strong subculture. They are the remnant of the nobility of a long-dead empire that was matriarchal in nature. They still rule over a small section of the campaign world. They prefer the company of other women for relationships but, of course, must also reproduce. This is a duty more than a pleasure for them (though there are exceptions). They are a selectively-bred subrace of humanity who have some very good ability modifiers, especially the highest-born of them.

There are four examples, anyway. There is not a strong component of sexuality of any sort in my world but these are some of the groups in which it has come up at all. I can't recall any actual adventure in which sexuality has played any real role at all other than noting in passing that my militarily-oriented PCs have hired prostitutes while on leave. I DID use that as a hook for a rather tough fight once, but that's about it.

 

[EricNoah]

Re: a question for moderators

if the moderators could give me some guidence?



are these veiws political?

No, they're not. They're fantasy. He's describing a situation in his game world. It's no more off-topic or inflamatory than if I were to describe my fantasy world as having a world-spanning church that was responsible for most of the major wars that world had suffered.

So feel free to respond, but remember you're responding to the situation on his fantasy setting, not his personal beliefs.

The thread's going remarkably well. Remember to stay on topic and I think it will be just fine.

 

[Ace]

Sexual matters haven't come up IMC.

I think the players are to busy either killing monsters and taking thier stuff or maybe the are preoccupied trying to survive one of the apocoli I throw at them

If they did I would just follow the modern historical model and tell them

Most places it isn't acceptable

Some places it is tolerated as long as it isn't in public

Other don't care at all

a few actually encourage certain types

edited for clarity

 

[thundershot]

One of the past characters in my campaign was a lesbian, and was in love with another character for years in secret, and she never did admit her feelings to her...

Another character in one of the groups I'm running right now is gay, but no one else knows, not even the other players...

As for my campaign... seriously, the situation never came up. In general, I would say that it's frowned upon, which is why no one ever sees it happening, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.


Chris

 

[ForceUser]

I think noting that alternative lifestyles exist in your campaign is a fine thing, assuming your players are mature and not bothered by it. As both a DM and a player I enjoy that added touch of realism suggesting that homosexuality exists; for me, it aids in creating a state of versimilitude within the campaign world. I have played gay NPCs before, and I even played a gay super hero once in a Marvel game. While I am as comfortable roleplaying a gay person as I am a woman, a lich, or an imbecile, I became aware over the years that gay characters bother some people. And I'm not talking about flaming drag queens either (who, one could argue, flaunt their homosexuality and thus open themselves to ridicule) - I have discovered that among some people I could play a perfectly typical PC and people would become acutely uncomfortable as soon as it came to light that the PC was gay. I'm not going to pyschoanalyze why, I'm just noting the fact of it.

Bottom line: as with anything potentially controversial, discuss it with your player group first.

 

[mythago]

A couple of pedantic points on terminology...

Can we please drop the silly euphemism "alternative lifestyles"? Folks, gaming is an "alternative lifestyle." Homosexuality is not; it's a sexual orientation, and people's sexuality influences their choice of "lifestyles" in varying degrees.

Second:

it's NOT homophobia...I find that term ridiculous...why would anyone FEAR a homosexual?

The guy who doesn't fear cats in the least, but cheerfully runs them over with his car, is, in the English language, an ailurophobe. The guy who would never hurt any living thing but is terrified of the very word "cat" is also, in English, referred to as an ailurophobe. Please don't let the meaning of the Greek root obscure your understanding of the English word. Haters and fear-ers are both "phobes."

On campaigns: don't throw in homosexuality just because it sounds unusual. Do consider, as others have pointed out, that views of same-sex relationships and physical love have varied over time and throughout history. It's not a matter of choosing your campaign world to either be Focus-on-the-Family-friendly or to be San Francisco.