D&D General (Anecdotal) conversations with Asian gamers on some problems they currently face in the D&D world of RPG gaming

[Remathilis]

So, would this also apply to Al-Qadim, Maztica, Van Richen's Guide to the Vistani, the Old Empires, and The Horde? Asking for other minority groups...

 

[Undrave]

So, would this also apply to Al-Qadim, Maztica, Van Richen's Guide to the Vistani, the Old Empires, and The Horde? Asking for other minority groups...

Probably yeah... depending on the depiction. I know the Vistani are already contentious.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Yeah I can grok that... I just feel that it runs into the issue of putting undue pressure on publishers to stand by decisions not made by anybody currently working there and to keep their ENTIRE catalog current at all time...Hosting PDFs is cheaper than printing book, but it's not FREE either.

I think a way to solve this problem would actually involve a reform of copyright laws so that when a publisher abandons a work, anybody else can pick it up if they wish to do so.

I would have no objection to that. In addition, if you would like to look at more substantive issues, please refer to my prior posts, or to Pemerton's excellent writeups regarding OA.

The short version is that while the title and back cover (which was not written by Dave Cook) have objectionable material, it was, overall, remarkably progressive and well-researched, especially for its time. That does not make it immune from criticism, but it does mean that a lot of the criticism seems odd.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Probably yeah... depending on the depiction. I know the Vistani are already contentious.

it has been ages since I read it but one thing I think a lot of readers today might not pick up on with Van Richten’s guide to vistani is Van Richten is an unreliable narrator of because his views of the are extremely bigoted (it goes back to early in the line as a running feature of his character, but it is very much front and center in that book). And the reader is not meant to sympathize with his views. Van a Richten himself is somewhat the butt of the joke in that book. Personally I have no issues with Vistani, I think they are a big part of what makes the setting work

 

[Stefano Rinaldelli]

Probably yeah... depending on the depiction. I know the Vistani are already contentious.

So for the fear of appearing racist they end up being fascist...

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

it has been ages since I read it but one thing I think a lot of readers today might not pick up on with Van Richten’s guide to vistani is Van Richten is an unreliable narrator of because his views of the are extremely bigoted (it goes back to early in the line as a running feature of his character, but it is very much front and center in that book). And the reader is not meant to sympathize with his views. Van a Richten himself is somewhat the butt of the joke in that book. Personally I have no issues with Vistani, I think they are a big part of what makes the setting work

Eh, the Vistani (who are just called "Gypsies" in the original I6, Ravenloft) are not .... well, they haven't aged well at all, IMO.

I haven't kept up with the different iterations in D&D, but the Romani people (the Roma) have suffered terrible discrimination, often because of the "Gypsy" trope.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Eh, the Vistani (who are just called "Gypsies" in the original I6, Ravenloft) are not .... well, they haven't aged well at all, IMO

I think they are fine

 

[Undrave]

So for the fear of appearing racist they end up being fascist...

No... it's just capitalism.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I think they are fine

I would not remove prior products because of it.

But I would not include Vistani that have stereotypes of the Roma without careful thought and consultation with someone familiar with those issues .... moving forward.

 

[Stefano Rinaldelli]

No... it's just capitalism.

for WoTC to remove a book is capitalism. For a third person to approve it or request it is fascism, maybe unintentional.
For we are not talking about inclusivness, we are talking about REMOVING books already written. It is very very serious.