D&D 4E 1/2 Orcs in 4E (Rich Baker scoop)

[Professor Phobos]

Forgive me if I don't see how unprovable interaction with supernatural beings is in any way comparable to the very provable and very real violation of another person.

It's not even about proof. You will almost certainly never meet someone whose been possessed by a demon; and if they claim such they should be seeking serious psychiatric help. Rape victims or people who know rape victims (in fact, anyone with more than five female friends will, statistically speaking, know at least one who has been the subject of assault or abuse) are common enough you need an extreme amount of care and tact if you want to introduce it into a leisure activity. Even if you're not gaming with someone directly or indirectly affected, it's something that engenders strong emotional reactions from everyone. Demonic possession might do the same for a tiny minority who are almost certainly not playing Dungeons and Dragons anyway.

I only did it in one game, years ago, after extremely careful deliberation. And I probably wouldn't do it again- insofar as I thought the story worked from an "artistic" perspective, it wasn't worth all the worry over how to do it right.

 

[Rechan]

I just have a harder time believing that an entire race is spawned from rape. It's just... Really?

 

[Professor Phobos]

I just have a harder time believing that an entire race is spawned from rape. It's just... Really?

As I recall there weren't supposed to be all that many half-orcs. Not enough to really have a society or culture.

 

[Wormwood]

I just have a harder time believing that an entire race is spawned from rape. It's just... Really?

I see 3e's slavering ape-wolf hybrid and I simply cannot believe that consent is the norm.

Seriously, look at the artwork. Chimpanzees appear closer to human than they do.

 

[Captain Tagon]

If you want to roleplay a PC who is an outsider in his culture, why not just make a human or elf or whatever that doesn't fit in for one reason or another.

I mean tons of people around the world today are social outcasts and none of them are half-orcs.

 

[Tewligan]

2. Do not even think about it for a second if any gamer at your table has ever experienced it personally.

Except you may well not even know if it's happened to one of your players.

 

[Professor Phobos]

Except you may well not even know if it's happened to one of your players.

Which is why you imply, and if you notice someone becoming uncomfortable, you drop it.

Or not do it at all, which is the risk-free option and always a good idea.

 

[Rechan]

I see 3e's slavering ape-wolf hybrid and I simply cannot believe that consent is the norm.

Seriously, look at the artwork. Chimpanzees appear closer to human than they do.

Didn't look like wolves to me. But I can think of a few reasons, in all honesty, where consent can happen.

My issue is that an entire PC race in the core books is attributed to something as infrequent as rape. That's like a PC race in the Core Book being 'You were conceived under a meteor swarm while your dad yodelled the HMS Penafore and your mom drank apple juice." It's just too rare to be worth space in the PHB.

 

[Professor Phobos]

Well...

1. It wouldn't have been that infrequent in the world in question, with regular raids into human territory by Orcs.

2. Sizable numbers might occur after towns or villages or cities were overrun, even if "random raiding" was rare. It occurred after real conquests in history, and given Orc psychology/culture...

3. They weren't meant to be a race equal in number to the rest of them. No cities, or societies, or culture, but a distinct outcast group of individuals people might be willing to play. As in Eberron- there aren't really that many Warforged. But Warforged are interesting, so they're optional.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

I just have a harder time believing that an entire race is spawned from rape. It's just... Really?

As I noted, in some worlds - like the D20-ified Warcraft game and Eberron setting, orcs have some lovin' at times....

However, as a band of generaly unpretty brutes and a decided agressive bent in base D&D, well...