Faolyn
(she/her)
Yes, I do see the confusion. And I do agree with Charlaquin. In my mind, don't make fun of real people, but if the completely in-game mockery is upsetting someone at the table, don't do that either.@Faolyn - Do you see where the confusion can come in when this subject is broached? Charlaquin is clearly implying to avoid it, regardless of intent. You are saying the fault lies with intent. The OP post stated:
And since we don't know what ad_hoc meant when they said "stupid," we can't really rely on that definition.
My other thing, though, is that I think it's fully possible to play a doltish character without actually making fun of real people. It's the difference between playing a character who is gullible, makes dumb choices, or misunderstands things and does things like thisIt does not say when you play stupid characters with the intent of mocking, it just says when you play stupid characters.
I feel everyone here can agree that the intentional mocking of a real person for their intellectual handicap is abhorrible. It is the lowest of the low. And, thank goodness, my friends and I never played that way - even as teens. But, presenting a doltish person with other traits as a fantasy character - I think that is where the community becomes split?
and playing a character who goes out of their way to do stupid (and often game-disruptive) things like saying "Hur dur, I'm so dumb I think I'll pull this lever that says 'pull this lever to summon a a hoard of demons'."