🏳️‍🌈Pride Month- Celebrating Representation in TTRPGs🏳️‍🌈

[Velderan]

As far as representation Paizo was pretty big on putting in prominent LGBTQ NPCs (both good and bad) in their 3.5 and Pathfinder adventure paths (and eventually their iconics) and making romantic NPC options explicitly pretty open for groups. Also they made steps since early on as a company to be openly and actively welcoming to LGBTQ gamers specifically.

Green Ronin was earlier with the niche romance fantasy RPG Blue Rose, but Paizo was a much more prominent and mainstream RPG publisher with a broad reach and impact for representation.

It sounds like F. Wesley Schneider was a pretty big driver of that for Paizo. The forum posts on the Paizo forum from him announcing his departure had a few people referring to what a huge advocate he was for including that material.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t there an indie game company with a majority of their designers being part of the LGBTQ + community? I seem to remember something like that.

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t there an indie game company with a majority of their designers being part of the LGBTQ + community? I seem to remember something like that.

There are quite a few (most of which have just one or two full time designers). First I can think of, off hand, is Possum Creek.

A number of the RPGSEA creators who showed up around 2019 on itch.io are LGBTQ+, using RPGs as a medium of expression that lets them express what they can't in traditional media. I can think of quite a few Malaysian creators from this wave who are LGBTQ+. They often don't identify as such because of the homophobic and transphobic laws here...

 

[Voadam]

There are quite a few (most of which have just one or two full time designers). First I can think of, off hand, is Possum Creek.

A number of the RPGSEA creators who showed up around 2019 on itch.io are LGBTQ+, using RPGs as a medium of expression that lets them express what they can't in traditional media. I can think of quite a few Malaysian creators from this wave who are LGBTQ+. They often don't identify as such because of the homophobic and transphobic laws here...

A number of the itch bundles I have gotten have had a ton of LGBTQ perspective focused games so I assume at least a good number were written by LGBTQ people.

 

[Ulfgeir]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t there an indie game company with a majority of their designers being part of the LGBTQ + community? I seem to remember something like that.

I believe the creators at Storybrewers Roleplaying are LGBTQ+ . They made the Good Society-game.

 

[the Jester]

So, of course, local edgelord Darrick Dishaw (AKA "Venger Satanis" - I just report the facts, people, I don't make this childish crap up) is busy losing his mind over it on Twitter.

Now there's a name I've not heard in a long, long time.

 

[Voadam]

I would say that currently the biggest LGBTQ representation TTRPG that comes to mind is Thirsty Sword Lesbians (with an obvious focus on the L) by Evil Hat Games which uses the Apocalypse World rules engine. The 2020 Kickstarter was a huge success including a ton of support material and it has been in a number of charity bundles including the current Big Bad Con Bundle.

 

[MGibster]

I would say that currently the biggest LGBTQ representation TTRPG that comes to mind is Thirsty Sword Lesbians (with an obvious focus on the L) by Evil Hat Games which uses the Apocalypse World rules engine. The 2020 Kickstarter was a huge success including a ton of support material and it has been in a number of charity bundles including the current Big Bad Con Bundle.

It's a little weird that the only thing that bothered me about that title was that I didn't know what thirsty meant. Why would you have a game about a bunch of dehydrated lesbians? Weird.

 

[Gradine]

The game has a move where you tilt your defeated rival's face up with the tip of your sword under their chin, there has never been a game before or since that has understood its audience that well

 

[MGibster]

The game has a move where you tilt your defeated rival's face up with the tip of your sword under their chin, there has never been a game before or since that has understood its audience that well

I use TSL it as an example of a game that was produced for a particular audience in mind with everything from the rules to the artwork encouraging a specific style of game play. While I am not in that particular audience, I can't help but recognize what a great game TSL really is. If you love angsty lesbians with swords, this game is for you.

 

[trashHeap]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t there an indie game company with a majority of their designers being part of the LGBTQ + community? I seem to remember something like that.

I was recently reminded of the fact that Green Ronin seems to employ a number of LGBTQ+ designers. Which honestly shouldn't surprise given their level of support for LGBTQ representation with things like Blue Rose. No idea if it's a majority of designers though.

 

[MichaelSomething]

I think one of the settings is a coffee shop?

It's a little weird that the only thing that bothered me about that title was that I didn't know what thirsty meant. Why would you have a game about a bunch of dehydrated lesbians? Weird.

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

I should mention that Evil Hat also publishes Scum and Villainy, Band of Blades and Apocalypse Keys, which all have trans authors.

 

[Gradine]

I think one of the settings is a coffee shop?

The additional supplement, AL&L (Advanced Lovers & Lesbians) devotes most of its page space to a bunch of additional, completely buckwild settings, from sci-fi roller derby to Greasy Deck Goblins. My favorite though is the one set in a chess tournament: Queen Pins Queen.

 

[the Jester]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Burne and Rufus from the Village of Hommlet. I've seen it asserted that there is a subtext that they are a couple, and I've run it that way myself before.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Burne and Rufus from the Village of Hommlet. I've seen it asserted that there is a subtext that they are a couple, and I've run it that way myself before.

The only time I ran that, I was young enough that if that was the intent, it went right over my head.

 

[Staffan]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Burne and Rufus from the Village of Hommlet. I've seen it asserted that there is a subtext that they are a couple, and I've run it that way myself before.

Similarly, the city of Elversult on the Dragon Coast in FR was ruled by a lady named Yanseldara along with her live-in "deeply trusted companion" Vaerana Hawklyn. At least that's how they were described in 2e, in 3e Vaerana was specifically described as Yanseldara's consort.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Burne and Rufus from the Village of Hommlet. I've seen it asserted that there is a subtext that they are a couple, and I've run it that way myself before.

While I think that is a great way to run it, I would be a little surprised if that was the intended subtext if only because it was published by TSR in 1979, and based on the even-earlier home campaign of Gygax.

Because of the nature of coding in the 70s and especially the 80s, it's often difficult to separate things that are obvious now (see, e.g., practically anything put out by George Michael) as opposed to those things that seem insanely obvious now but ... weren't intended (see, e.g., Top Gun).

 

[the Jester]

While I think that is a great way to run it, I would be a little surprised if that was the intended subtext if only because it was published by TSR in 1979, and based on the even-earlier home campaign of Gygax.

That's pretty much how I see it too, which is why I didn't actually make the assertion myself. But since I saw the idea, I can't unsee it, and I'll probably run them as a couple whenever I run T1 in the future.

Because of the nature of coding in the 70s and especially the 80s, it's often difficult to separate things that are obvious now (see, e.g., practically anything put out by George Michael) as opposed to those things that seem insanely obvious now but ... weren't intended (see, e.g., Top Gun).

Well said, and very true.

 

[billd91]

While I think that is a great way to run it, I would be a little surprised if that was the intended subtext if only because it was published by TSR in 1979, and based on the even-earlier home campaign of Gygax.

Because of the nature of coding in the 70s and especially the 80s, it's often difficult to separate things that are obvious now (see, e.g., practically anything put out by George Michael) as opposed to those things that seem insanely obvious now but ... weren't intended (see, e.g., Top Gun).

Rufus and Burne are recipients of pretty much the same subtext projection as Bert and Ernie. They're two guys who live together and don't actively engage in obviously heterosexual behavior (though Burne does hang out at the bar - so maybe he's open to hook-ups of an undefined nature).
I think it's mainly a bit of harmless fun, though it does get a bit tiring about Bert and Ernie because it's so commonly used and kind of obscures the more overt example that the Muppet duo serves - how two people who are SO different can still be best of friends.