This question was inspired by @Enevhar Aldarion's post in another thread, which was much more general in scope.
The OP was about importing tropes into fantasy settings, but sometimes it's not a choice, like in historical settings.
I'd like to know how do you deal with the difference in values between the group's social consensus and the real values of the setting or, at least, the perceived values of the setting (as seen through the lens of the group's knowledge of the era) when it comes to gaming gaming in historical settings or quasi historical settings (generally "historical X, plus a slight dose of magic"). [note that if the inclusion of a slight modification to an historical settting changes the way you deal with it, I'd be glad to hear about it as well.
Part of the appeal to me of historical settings is trying to get a "feel" of a period. And I think we can agree that not all places and times shared modern values on political, social and religious questions and so on, all divisive topics. This is a + thread because I'd like it not to devolve on whether behavior X or Y is bad. For example, discussing how to deal with the nice questgiver who happen to be an official from a real-life culture whose job involve doing human sacrifices is good, but discussion whether human sacrifices is justified or not isn't in the scope of this thread.
I am afraid of providing more examples but I hope it will be clear enough without them. I am interested in how everyone is dealing with it at their tables.
[For me, if everyone is agreeing on an historical setting, reading will be required from all and NPCs will expect people to behave appropriately in the context of the setting. It can be "faded to black" if particularly gross, though]. In term of the PC opposing anything, they can, they are PC (much like a fantasy Hermione can oppose house elves mistreatment), but it might not be easier than any other endeaviour.
Enevhar Aldarion said:I would not care how non-racist a person may actually be in real life, if they choose to play a racist character, I will be very not cool with that and likely not continue in that game. Even if it is with non-human races. The old tropes of the elf-hating dwarf and dwarf-hating elf got really old 30-40 years ago and there is no room for that beyond the obvious meta-jokes making fun of those old tropes. And with the reforming of various evil non-human species, it is probably time for the old tropes of the orc-hating dwarf, etc to be retired.
The OP was about importing tropes into fantasy settings, but sometimes it's not a choice, like in historical settings.
I'd like to know how do you deal with the difference in values between the group's social consensus and the real values of the setting or, at least, the perceived values of the setting (as seen through the lens of the group's knowledge of the era) when it comes to gaming gaming in historical settings or quasi historical settings (generally "historical X, plus a slight dose of magic"). [note that if the inclusion of a slight modification to an historical settting changes the way you deal with it, I'd be glad to hear about it as well.
Part of the appeal to me of historical settings is trying to get a "feel" of a period. And I think we can agree that not all places and times shared modern values on political, social and religious questions and so on, all divisive topics. This is a + thread because I'd like it not to devolve on whether behavior X or Y is bad. For example, discussing how to deal with the nice questgiver who happen to be an official from a real-life culture whose job involve doing human sacrifices is good, but discussion whether human sacrifices is justified or not isn't in the scope of this thread.
I am afraid of providing more examples but I hope it will be clear enough without them. I am interested in how everyone is dealing with it at their tables.
[For me, if everyone is agreeing on an historical setting, reading will be required from all and NPCs will expect people to behave appropriately in the context of the setting. It can be "faded to black" if particularly gross, though]. In term of the PC opposing anything, they can, they are PC (much like a fantasy Hermione can oppose house elves mistreatment), but it might not be easier than any other endeaviour.
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