What We Lose When We Eliminate Controversial Content

[MGibster]

Actually just initiating a combat encounter could trigger someone with PTSD on the wrong day.

Just saying the wrong word, wearing the right perfume, or any number of things might trigger someone's PTSD. I have my doubts as to the efficacy of the X-Card and question that it might be more harmful than helpful in the long run.

 

[MGibster]

One thing I always thought Walking Dead would be great for, in terms of gameabilty, is it really lends itself to a functioning sandbox that also includes dramatic elements. What I think would be great from a GM perspective is every campaign could be a blank map, where you take the real world and overlay the changes, populate it with bands of survivors and bastions.

I remember some heated discussions based on decisions characters on the show made. In one episode, the Governor finds out about a group of National Guard soldiers and he ends up ambushing them, murdering them, and taking all their equipment. To me, it was fairly obvious that was good evidence that the Governor was a bad guy. The guardsman weren't a threat and when he met them they were friendly, then surprised by the attack, and then dead. But a lot of people argued that the Governor was right to do what he did. Those guardsman represented a threat simply by their existence and it was reasonable to wipe them out. It'd be interesting to see PCs have a discussion about what to do about a well armed group they encounter.

 

[Thourne]

Just saying the wrong word, wearing the right perfume, or any number of things might trigger someone's PTSD. I have my doubts as to the efficacy of the X-Card and question that it might be more harmful than helpful in the long run.

Yup, as I said earlier, the mind is a maze. Truly a remarkable and mysterious thing.

 

[Thourne]

I remember some heated discussions based on decisions characters on the show made. In one episode, the Governor finds out about a group of National Guard soldiers and he ends up ambushing them, murdering them, and taking all their equipment. To me, it was fairly obvious that was good evidence that the Governor was a bad guy. The guardsman weren't a threat and when he met them they were friendly, then surprised by the attack, and then dead. But a lot of people argued that the Governor was right to do what he did. Those guardsman represented a threat simply by their existence and it was reasonable to wipe them out. It'd be interesting to see PCs have a discussion about what to do about a well armed group they encounter.

Wow, not even an attempt to coexist or bring them into the fold, so to speak?

 

[Imaro]

They're forms of slavery.

Slavery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The vast majority of "modern slavery" is basically extra-legal indentured servitude, note. Almost anyone who has "experienced" slavery and is alive today did so as an indentured labourer of some kind rather than a chattel slave (certainly in the West).

Ok, but just to clear - they are forms of slavery.

What they're definitely not is chattel slavery. Almost everything you're saying seems to refer to chattel slavery. Please do read the Wikipedia article.

I'm sorry if I've been imprecise earlier, but they when someone says "milquetoast slavery" to me, they mean indentured servitude or serfdom.

I think you can avoid the word slavery when discussing them, which is the main asset. In Spire: The City Must Fall for example, all the PCs have undergone Durances, which are fixed-term indentured servitude.

I mean, is that not okay? That seems reasonable. It's hard to see how else you would handle the 20th century in a game set in the US. I would generally like a reminder that playing racism up will typically make the game worse for everyone and may take you to bad places, but ultimately it's going to be up to the group.

I mean, it's not like PoC-written Lovecraft-inspired material doesn't engage with racism and so on.

LOL WTH. Jesus Deadlands. I hope to god you're quoting from a like 2000s-era version and they've updated it since. I had no idea.

Sounds like it would make me pretty mad because I loathe Victorian elites with a fire like the sun.

I'm British so I'm less interested in US-set 1800s stuff by and large, and Britain (with the aid of various other Western powers) was in the process of screwing up more or less the entire planet in the 1800s. I don't think any game really addresses the level to which I would want to smash imperialists, that I've seen. This is my main problem with the 1800s - I am incapable of playing a character in them who isn't going to be A Problem and I know it. Which would be fine if the subject of the game was "smash oppression and imperialism", but I am not aware of a single solitary 1800s-set game where that is the goal.

There is a PoC-written Cthulhu RPG or CoC supplement (I can't remember which - it's 3PP if the latter) which I've been looking for for a while, I think loosely inspired by Lovecraft's Red Hook stuff but a Black take on what was actually happening. It looked really cool unfortunately I can't remember the name and searching is failing me. That's 1920s not 1800s though, IIRC.

I believe you're speaking to Harlem Unbound.

 

[MGibster]

With respect, you don't seem to be speaking with much understanding of the issues. I get that - many people don't. Once, I did not.

That's fine. SOmetimes people can see the same information and come to different conclusions.

I'm not going to lecture you, though. If you want a bit more information, I try to provide it - I've run several campaigns with folks with PTSD, and survivors of sexual assault, and have learned some things thereby.

With respect, it sounds like maybe you have special circumstances and what you do at your table doesn't necessarily need to be done as a matter of routine at other tables.

 

[Thourne]

I believe you're speaking to Harlem Unbound.

I don't think I've ever seen that book.
I will need to look into it.

 

[Imaro]

I don't think I've ever seen that book.
I will need to look into it.

Yeah I have a copy... the 1st edition sold out quick and was really hard to get but I was able to snag the 2nd edition when they released it. It's by the same author who did Haunted West (another game on my to grab list).

 

[Thourne]

Yeah I have a copy... the 1st edition sold out quick and was really hard to get but I was able to snag the 2nd edition when they released it. It's by the same author who did Haunted West (another game on my to grab list).

So, I should look for pdf and not bother looking for a print version I suppose.
Thx again

 

[Thourne]

Yeah I have a copy... the 1st edition sold out quick and was really hard to get but I was able to snag the 2nd edition when they released it. It's by the same author who did Haunted West (another game on my to grab list).

Purchased and downloaded, if you get a commission look for your check lol.