Real World Issues In A Fantasy Setting?

[Blockader7]

Do you have countries or groups in your settings that reflects upon real world issues?

For example, do you have a country that's run by a matriarchy with extreme views on men? Or the corollary, a patriarchy with extreme views on women?

Do you r churches get involved into politics and attempt to create laws based on their faith?

Political groups that look out for their own self interests? Say a group of Gnomes forming a political party to prevent their inventions from being stolen?


How do you treat these kinds of issues or do they come up at all?

 

[rkanodia]

I say go for it! Just make sure that no huge political movement occurs overnight, without a really good explanation, at least! Have the PCs hear a rumor or two about what is going on, and if they're interested in pursuing it, let them investigate and possibly alter the course of events. If they don't really care, then just have them hear about it after the fact ("The tinkers have all unionized, and they're charging three times as much for gadgets as they used to!") or, if you have a good story idea, get caught in the middle of it (such as being hired by merchants to break a few gnomish kneecaps).

 

[Carnifex]

Do you have countries or groups in your settings that reflects upon real world issues?

Yep, though obviously with a fantasy slant.

For example, do you have a country that's run by a matriarchy with extreme views on men? Or the corollary, a patriarchy with extreme views on women?

Nope, neither of those yet - though there are areas I haven't yet developed in my campaign world, and so I could add in such societies should I wish.

Do you r churches get involved into politics and attempt to create laws based on their faith?

Oh yes. Two nations in particular have very heavy influence from their primary religions, one of a sun god and the other of an oppressive war god. In a northern and icy nation called Cryosia, there used to be friction between the religion of the Storm Lady (very important to the people, mostly sailors) and the ruling magocracy of wizards. It eventually broke into outright oppression of the faith, but then the Storm Lady sent a giant sea serpent that ate the Archmage to show her displeasure. Things have been calmer sicne then, a few centuries back

Political groups that look out for their own self interests? Say a group of Gnomes forming a political party to prevent their inventions from being stolen?

Yes. In the factional city of Iril, all the different merchant houses vie for position. And then there's the Ironjacks, a mechanically skilled faction of refugees who fled from their homeland over the seas and are now seeking to establish themselves and their philosophies in the area of the campaign world where the msot focus is placed. Then theres the geneticist bio-thaumaturges called the Manipulators, the very powerful evoker mercenary organisation called the Flame Guild who have a strong hand in the politics of two powerful nations... and loads more too. My campaign world is very political really.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Do you have countries or groups in your settings that reflects upon real world issues?

For example, do you have a country that's run by a matriarchy with extreme views on men? Or the corollary, a patriarchy with extreme views on women?

Not those sorts of -archies, but I do have a rather large theocracy which I try to portray as a combination of the Roman Empire and some of the less admirable aspects of fundamentalist Christianity - i.e., ruthless conquering of neighboring territories and over-zealous condemnation of anything "evil". The theocracy in question blames the elves (wrongly, btw) for a massive cataclysm which scarred the world and has hunted them into near-extinction. They also have a serious grudge against magic-users and dragons, other "culprits" in the cataclysm.

But it's overall a more-or-less friendly country that has developed some serious enemies.

Political groups that look out for their own self interests? Say a group of Gnomes forming a political party to prevent their inventions from being stolen?

Yup. In the theocracy I've listed above, there are several freedom-fighter groups. One of these seized a port city and declared it a free city-state that's pretty much the opposite morally from its parent (here, anything goes and if you know where to look, you can buy anything...anything).

There's also a group of elves on some islands who want to break away and form their own nation.

 

[Tiefling]

Do you have countries or groups in your settings that reflects upon real world issues?

By your examples of what constitutes "real world issues," i.e. politics and religion and so on, I'm not sure it's possible to have a remotely comprehensive world that doesn't.

For example, do you have a country that's run by a matriarchy with extreme views on men? Or the corollary, a patriarchy with extreme views on women?

If by "extreme views on women" you mean extreme by today's standards (that is, second-class, subservient to men, incapable of performing traditionally male things) then virtually all societies are like that, with the exception of some tribal societies. If by "extreme views on women" you mean extreme by ancient standards (that is, completely worthless, possess no rights whatsoever, etc.) then no. There are no truly matriarchal societies either. All these things are like the real world, and I like my fantasy worlds to be like the real world unless there's a magical explanation why it acts differently.

Do you r churches get involved into politics and attempt to create laws based on their faith?

Of course. I can't think of any real-world major religions that haven't done so.

Political groups that look out for their own self interests? Say a group of Gnomes forming a political party to prevent their inventions from being stolen?

Of course. There would be no such thing as conflict if people weren't looking out for their own interests.

 

[WayneLigon]

Sometimes. When it's convenient, introduces a large plot device, or has some logical outgrowth of past events, yes. Do I have such things to 'comment' on events? No.

The main thing I draw from the real world, past or present, is the idea of B]rival peoples[/B] . Rivals because of land disputes, resource disputes, or religious differences. Usually irreconcilable differences.

In the Greatwood campaign, the single major overarcing theme is that the Imperials and the People of the Wood cannot come to any sort of meaningful meeting of the minds in terms of society. They are almost exact polar opposites of one another and, sooner or later, it's going to come down to an 'us or them' war. Individuals may be friends, but the two peoples as a whole never will be. They will isolate themselves from each other until that's no longer possible, then they'll have a war of extermination.

The second large influence is the persecution of the outcast . Almost every society has a class or group that is 'outside' and can thus be freely exploited, enslaved, demeaned, killed or ignored without censor from the community at large. In the Ashara campaign, these peoples include half-elves, goblins, certain religions, certain ethnic peoples and certain classes (as in Character Class), depending on the region. The campaign city of Samara is a polyglot culture; parts of the city accept anyone while in other parts if you are Race X, then it pays to hire bodyguards.