D&D 5E African campaign setting, "Wagadu Chronicles" being developed by Twin Drums

[slipshot762]

If it were true that naysayers had this elusive power you assign to us
This isn't elusive, I've already pointed out one example; white folks get to name a popular football time "The Washington Redskins," and Native Americans don't get to do the same.

Is it "white folks" who own the team and get to name it? all of them? sounds mighty racist to me that you broadbrush it so...maybe examine the ethnic makeup of the team owners, sounds to me more like the wealthy get to name it...are you seriously saying native americans cannot purchase a sportsball team? with a straight face, even?

This is power dynamics.

ah yes, derived from the power plus privilege tripe that leads ultimately to anti-semitism...yeah, that is simply not valid my friend.

the thoroughly bogus concept of cultural appropriation as measurable harm
The measurable harm is that white folks get to keep using a racist term as a popular football team's name. This dehumanizes Native Americans as less than whites.

Yes, it is only "white folks" that get to keep using a term deemed by the council on racist terms as racist, and further it "dehumanizes" native americans as "less than white"; actually, as "different than white" which is the same I suppose if you are a racist. And "get to?" How arrogant of you.

throng of people insisting we sacrifice figurative virgins to the allegorical volcano in order to appease the gods
Change the football team's name to something else. It's not exactly hard; the Oakland Raiders are moving to Vegas, so are now called the Las Vegas Raiders. The Supersonics basketball team moved to Oklahoma, and are now the Oklahoma Thunder. No need to throw anyone in a volcano.

Or you could quit being ultra sensitive and lamenting faux dehumanization from one corner of your mouth while doing just the same yourself out the other; "redskin/redman/whiteskin/whiteman".

Give it up already only the blind are buying it.

 

[Morrus]

OK, folks. We are going to drop the cultural appropriation topic, please, and just discuss this new D&D setting.

 

[bedir than]

I'm simultaneously desiring a narrow focus on a few cultures, or a pan-Africanism that includes things like the Barbary Coast, the Horn of Africa, and other bits of Arab-Africa.

A narrower setting for a launch is a good test of the creator's abilities to have influences that are starting points, not end points.

The broader setting brings in a wider base of readers, but doesn't allow the amount of exposition due to page count

 

[BrokenTwin]

I know very little about ancient African mythologies (except Egypt, which I feel doesn't reeeally count?), but I'm interested in seeing what type of setting develops with African mythos as its source of inspiration.

Honestly though, I'd be happy with anything that isn't based off Norse or Christian mythology at this point. I love me some viking runes as much as the next guy, but I feel like they're rather oversaturated right now.

Setting-wise, I wonder if they're going to do the standard 'modern Western morals with a thematic paint job', or if they'll actually delve into the social structures and attitudes of the era(s) they're referencing? The latter is immensely more interesting, but it's a LOT easier to get player buy-in with the former.

 

[Beleriphon]

I'm simultaneously desiring a narrow focus on a few cultures, or a pan-Africanism that includes things like the Barbary Coast, the Horn of Africa, and other bits of Arab-Africa.

I'm interested as well. I liked Nyambe (I think that was the one) that focused mostly on eastern Sub-Saharan inspired cultures. Looking at the west African inspired cultures would be interesting as well.

I know very little about ancient African mythologies (except Egypt, which I feel doesn't reeeally count?), but I'm interested in seeing what type of setting develops with African mythos as its source of inspiration.

I'd think it does, with the oft ignored 25th Dynasty, who were all Nubians. The areas south of the Upper Nile worshipped the same gods as the Egyptians. In fact there is some suggestion that they might be imports from area that became Nubia.

 

[BrokenTwin]

I'd think it does, with the oft ignored 25th Dynasty, who were all Nubians. The areas south of the Upper Nile worshipped the same gods as the Egyptians. In fact there is some suggestion that they might be imports from area that became Nubia.

Huh, interesting. I think I'd prefer if the creator stayed away from Egyptian mythos for the setting though, if only for similar reasons to my opinions on Norse and Christian mythos. Interesting, but overdone. Maybe as a "their analogy exists in the setting, but isn't the focus". I'd love to see some lesser known mythologies get explored.

Also curious as to how they're going to handle monsters. Refluffing monsters into their setting-equivolent versions would probably be the easiest way. A beastiary of enemies inspired by the same mythos used for the rest of the setting would be fascinating. As would a list of sources from where the author is drawing their inspiration from. But that's just the mythology geek in me.

 

[Minigiant]

Setting-wise, I wonder if they're going to do the standard 'modern Western morals with a thematic paint job', or if they'll actually delve into the social structures and attitudes of the era(s) they're referencing? The latter is immensely more interesting, but it's a LOT easier to get player buy-in with the former.

Yeah. It is hard to tell at this point. However I would doubt someone would do all this work and research to create paladins in colorful metal riding magic zebras, gnu-elves, and dragons with lionheads.

Though it would be easier for player buy-in. It would be lame. Doesn't look like that though.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Stolen!, this is going to be be used for my Chult/Shining Lands/Turmish (and Katashaka) from my Faerun Year 0 games.

 

[happyhermit]

The relationship with animals in Wagadu is special. They can often speak and are protected by spirits. A hunt is a spiritual affair, typically consensual and does not end with the death of the animal but a material or spiritual exchange.

Hrm, this seems is troubling. I can see where they are drawing from and this is fantasy, but it certainly doesn't reflect the vast majority of African culture, particularly pre-colonization. Spiritual, absolutely. Consensual, I can see as a perspective. But the hunt was very much a real affair, as real as it gets.

I hope this doesn't point towards a product with a lot whitewashing or disney-fying of African cultures to make it more palatable to modern American and European audiences.

 

[generic]

Hrm, this seems is troubling. I can see where they are drawing from and this is fantasy, but it certainly doesn't reflect the vast majority of African culture, particularly pre-colonization. Spiritual, absolutely. Consensual, I can see as a perspective. But the hunt was very much a real affair, as real as it gets.

I hope this doesn't point towards a product with a lot whitewashing or disney-fying of African cultures to make it more palatable to modern American and European audiences.

I don't see why it would be bad to mix cultures together a bit in the context of a completely fictional world, but yeah, the concept seems a bit odd.

Edit: Is it a fictional world, or historical fiction?