D&D General Modules with a political message?

[BrokenTwin]

The extremely popular Uncaged series is, among other things, a re-examination of classic female monsters through a feminist lens, and fairly political: Uncaged | Volume I - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Eat the Rich is a series of explicitly anti-capitalist D&D adventures:
Eat the Rich | Volume 1 - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Eat the Rich ran afoul of a OneBookShelf policy that states that overtly political works are not allowed on DMsGuild. Only one of the planned 4 volumes was published, and after publication the description had to be changed to remove the term "anti-capitalist." I don't think the 3 other volumes were ever published anywhere. You can read an explanation here of what happened with the first book (which did go Platinum on DMsGuild): A Statement Regarding Volume 1 | Eat the Rich Anthology

EDIT: Correction, the rest of the Eat the Rich series was stripped of WotC IP and published on DriveThruRPG, which doesn't have the same restrictions on political content: DriveThruRPG.com - Eat the Rich Anthology - The Largest RPG Download Store!

I wrote this short tier one adventure; it includes some ideas about health care as a human right (vis-a-vis D&D's diamonds-for-resurrection spell mechanics) that are a fairly obvious political allegory, although I didn't write, like, the whole adventure as a screed about the U.S. health care system: The Girl Who Woke the Dead - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Any opinions on Eat The Rich from an actual GMing perspective? I mean, politics aside, how are those anthologies from a formatting, cohesiveness, and playability standpoint?

 

[humble minion]

The original Dark Sun was as political as hell in its worldbuilding and selection of villains, though this didn't really extend to the structure of its adventures as far as I remember. Pretty sure you just travelled around punching monsters in the face mostly, and the adventures even had you vaguely cooperating with the sorcerer-kings at times, which undercut the message more than a bit.

The main Dark Sun bad guys were people who ruined the environment for personal gain, slavers, oppressive law enforcement, and established power structures who were responsible for historical genocide. Not exactly subtle. There was even a bit in one of the novels where a noble who was a slaveowner but prided himself with being one of the 'good' and non-abusive ones, comes to the realisation that slavery is always bad (mostly cos he's been adventuring with a hot slave he's trying to impress, admittedly), and frees his slaves, and then has to deal with his ego being bruised when they don't immediately fall at his feet praising his mercy and generosity.

 

[Hussar]

I've never gone out of my way to be political with D&D but I suppose being inclusive and having bad guys that profit from the harm of others, that are oppressors, or terrorists is intrinsically political.

Now, Cyberpunk, on the other hand.... let slip the dogs of war, so to speak, and bring on that social and political commentary.

This was the point I was trying to make. DnD is far too romantic to make a very good platform for social commentary. Far too many baked in assumptions that are completely ignored in the world building.

SF settings like Cyberpunk are written AS social commentary. That’s what Punk means. Steampunk isn’t steampunk because of weird science and cogwheels. It’s steampunk because it uses the themes of Victorian era stories and then turns them on their heads to reflect modern day social commentary.

DnD is far, far too conservative in its presentation to effectively make any sort of real commentary. Heck Radiant Citadel is probably the first time they’ve actually made a real effort. We pat ourselves on the back for getting rid of chain mail bikinis in the art and actually having POC represented when it’s only really happened in the last ten years.

That’s how resistant to change DnD is. That it was actually an issue to not have pinup art in the game books in 2010.

 

[LordEntrails]

All of that is political…

I categorize that as social, moral and ethical, not political. But then I don't prescribe to labels like our society likes to do.

 

[LordEntrails]

I mean, just going through and labeling everything as “political” or “not political” would be easy because everything is political. Unpacking what political messaging is contained in those materials, especially the ones that didn’t set out with the explicit intention of communicating a specific political message would be much more involved, and fascinating.

Labelling everything as political means the label is useless... Perhaps a different view would be beneficial to a discussion like this one?

 

[Staffan]

I had a game, 5-8 years ago with a good but low wits king telling the players something and (like anyone could expect) they mouthed off... but what they said made all of us (even the speaker do a double take) "Who died and left you incharge"
I cant' even remeber who but someone real low almost under there breath said "um his dad and mom... thats how kings and queens work"

 

[Staffan]

There was even a bit in one of the novels where a noble who was a slaveowner but prided himself with being one of the 'good' and non-abusive ones, comes to the realisation that slavery is always bad (mostly cos he's been adventuring with a hot slave he's trying to impress, admittedly), and frees his slaves, and then has to deal with his ego being bruised when they don't immediately fall at his feet praising his mercy and generosity.

As I recall, the "hot slave" might have given Agis some doubts about his position, but the thing that made him realize the error of his ways was being betrayed by one of his most trusted slaves, and asking "But why? Did I not always treat you well?" and being told in return "Yeah, but I was still a slave, and they offered me my freedom."

 

[Staffan]

This was the point I was trying to make. DnD is far too romantic to make a very good platform for social commentary. Far too many baked in assumptions that are completely ignored in the world building.

Eberron actually makes a few nods in that direction with its murkier ethics, or at least provides a pretty good background for dealing with social issues. You have goblins and other humanoids who form an underclass in many parts of the world. You have warforged who were essentially just released from slavery, and who are now trying to find their way in the world and dealing with issues regarding whether they're people or not. It's not a thing the setting shoves down your throat, but it's very much there if you want it. And it's clearly something the designers intended – there is even a picture in one of the books with a bunch of people demonstrating against tireless warforged workers taking their jobs.

Heck Radiant Citadel is probably the first time they’ve actually made a real effort. We pat ourselves on the back for getting rid of chain mail bikinis in the art and actually having POC represented when it’s only really happened in the last ten years.

Going back to Dark Sun as mentioned above, it's a rather small setting with a strong desert theme, clearly near the planet's equator due to the lack of seasons, and with cultures clearly inspired by various ancient cultures (Greek, Aztec, Babylonian, African, etc.). And yet, I don't think there were any POC in the art – at least not in color (it can be hard to tell ethnicity from B/W line art).

 

[Charlaquin]

I categorize that as social, moral and ethical, not political. But then I don't prescribe to labels like our society likes to do.

The social is political, and morality and ethics inform policy.

 

[Charlaquin]

Labelling everything as political means the label is useless... Perhaps a different view would be beneficial to a discussion like this one?

Political isn’t a label, it’s an adjective meaning “relating to policy.”