Anthony Valterra breaks his silence

[seasong]

The press release... I don't want to hurt the author's feelings, but it was bad. I didn't find it particularly controversial, just bad. I reviewed it in another thread, but here are the high lights:

Actually, this is a pretty good critique - and I'm the author. Do you mind if I use it? I'm planning on ripping the press release apart in an article on the Valar site.[/QUOTE]Not at all. Real name's Thomas Weigel .

So, anyway, I apologize if this post is pretty negative. I was really turned off by the press release. If I wanted what the press release was selling, I would buy a calendar.

Just wanted to say, from the stuff in Gwen's thread and this thread... the text content of the book sounds like it would look good on my shelf. One question:

1) Fully half of my roleplaying group is attracted to men. What will this book offer my group as a whole?

 

[Anthony Valterra]

At the risk of being blunt, (and admittedly without seeing the book) it seems likely it will get the same use as an issue of Hustler or a book of Kevin Taylor art. That is to say, personal and private use.

It simply seems unlikely that this book will find anything like the game use of even “Secret College of Necromancy” let alone the “Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings.”

Even in the game with the brothel (which the GM disliked as he was uptight and wanted to run a mostly clerics and paladins game but humored Ian and I with the house of ill repute) the sexuality took place “off stage,” so to speak. Seduction rolls were sometimes made, and two characters were quite active (proactive even), but the discussions were never graphic. At one point, a husband a wife joined the group and their characters were also sexually active – but again, the discussions were never graphic.

If you are actually aiming to broaden the horizons of gamers and to make them confront personal hypocrisy, you will probably be disappointed.

By comparison, Madonna has spent two decades doing that and while her work is a commercial success, she is widely despised.

Sullivan

Sullivan thanks for your comments (snipped). I think will find it more game useful then they think. Okay I am making this up on the fly so bare with me.

Player: Okay, I need to raise my Tantric energy before we try to take on the big bad. I'm going to scan the bar for someone with a high sexual potential and maybe some skills.

DM: Okay make your roll.. (DM rolls secretly to see who is in the bar)

Player: 18! Who do I sense?

DM: At the far end of the bar you see a handsome man. He is wearing worn leather armor. You sense he has high skill rating, strong Con and the Sensitivity Feat.

Player: Awesome I walk up to him and use my Seduction feat to start up a converation.

(Now its a bit of gaming style... You could roleplay the conversation or...)

DM: You get him back to your room. Roll to see how much energy you raise. You get +2 for his high skill level and +4 for his feat.

Player: 10 + 2 + 4 = 16!

DM: Okay your tantric energy is fully charged. (Makes a secret roll - Oh no! A natural 20! Our hero has inadvertently caused her lover to become obsessed with her! DM thinks about how to work this into the adventure.)

I made all those numbers and feats and everything up - so don't look at them as examples of actual mechanics rather examples of what can be done with these kind of rules.

AV

 

[S'mon]

(re will there be section dealing with rape/abuse in BoEF)

2) NOT AT ALL!!! It is our position that those activites are violence not sex. We already have a ton of rules for violence.

- Well there aren't a ton of rules for sexual violence (AFAIK), but not including sexual violence in the Book of Erotic Fantasy seems very sensible - I don't think it fits any normal definition of 'erotic'.

So how much will be crunchy bits, and how much fluff?

 

[Anthony Valterra]

Actually, one of my big curiosities about this book, as it was on the BoVD when it was first announced, was on how it was going to deal with such topics as homosexuality and the like. If it's going to be covered, or if it's going to be demonized. And I'm not just talking about gay warrior societies, but also such things as lesbian cultures (Amazon, the Island of Lesbos...oh jeez, why do I have a feeling that I'm opening a can of worms here),

Looking at the images of the photographers website, it's obvious that the focus is going to be on "scantily/barely clad" women...so I'm already getting a rather skewed image of the artwork consisting almost 100% of scantily clad women...which limits the target audience of the book. Granted, that target audience is the largest percentage of gamers in the industry, but now a days, with more and more female and openly gay gamers, where's the love for the other sides?

Christopher

We are working really really hard at being as inclusive as we can. Now that said we recognize that 90% (roughly) of our audeince will be straight males but... This book will assume that homosexuality is a legitimate option that some soceities will be against it but some will not. It will also take the same position on untraditional coupling. Male/female monogamy will not be *assumed* there will be the possiblity of gay marriages or extended marriages (more then two people). We will likely not go into great detail as alot of that is campaign setting material but the book will not *presume* heterosexual monogamy as the only norm. I guess we are taking a sort of "Star Trek" approach. These other races (dwarves, elves, halfling) really are *other*. Think of the diversity found in human culture - the diversity in the fantasy world should be as great or greater.

AV

 

[Anthony Valterra]

My question isn't so much about book. It appears to me that you are a busy busy person.

Do you ever get a chance now days just to sit down with a game and have some fun?

Anyway, I hope you do have opportunities to enjoy the non-business side of gaming now and then.

Regards,
The Clooownn

One of the things that really bites about leaving WotC is that I was just about to start a new FR game.

AV

 

[Anthony Valterra]

1) Fully half of my roleplaying group is attracted to men. What will this book offer my group as a whole?

There will definitely be some hunky male images. Not as many as women but definitely some. And some that are neither or both.

AV

 

[Anthony Valterra]

Okay break time for me...

If you get a chance please do move some of these question to the board at www.valarproject.com we have our own code of conduct but it is a bit looser then the one here so more pointed questions can be asked. Also you might find some of the answers there. The site was put together quickly so its a tad rough. But we'll get it there.

AV

 

[seasong]

Re: A Heads Up

If you use a third party browser (such as iCab for the Macintosh) be aware that Valar Projects uses forum software that is only compatible with the big two bloatbrowsers.

It is also compatible with Opera.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

One of the things that really bites about leaving WotC is that I was just about to start a new FR game.

AV

If this was a planned transion why were you planning on starting a new FR game.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Real name's Thomas Weigel .

Any relation to Gene, by any chance?