Book of Erotic Fantasy previewed at GenCon

[Buttercup]

However, the pictures aren't real either. They're staged...unless Valar is somehow dealing in snuff or something illegal.

Well of course. Perhaps I should have said that they felt too real to me. I thought that was implied. If it wasn't, sorry.

However, that's adding your own personal take to it.

What other take would I add? I was asked to explain myself, and I did, while attempting to remain discrete. I thought it was obvious that I was talking about my opinion. If it wasn't, again I'm sorry.

However, if you deem one kind of "fantasy" to be wrong, then what's to say that your brand of "fantasy" isn't wrong either?

I didn't say it was wrong. I said it made my flesh crawl. I said I didn't actually examine the text of the book, because I couldn't get past the pictures. I said I wouldn't have it in my house. I also said I thought there was a market for the product, albeit not a large market. All of these are clearly my opinions. Also clearly, none of these are statements that imply that someone who thinks differently is wrong.

And thanks, Piratecat. You hit the nail on the head.

Now, I think I won't come back to this thread. I shouldn't have started it in the first place.

 

[Harlock]

Which in end, is the point I guess I was trying to make, but never got around to doing so. Everyone has their own pesonal take on roleplaying and what it entails. I just still do not understand how someone who can feel so strongly against the book would take the time to post a thread about it. Yes, I know Buttercup said she had data on the book now and that's why she posted this thread. Yet, she didn't have data. With all due respect, all she had was data on the images and her personal reaction to them. Nothing whatsoever about other details I have heard mentioned elsewhere that were contained within the preview book. Thus, again, I don't understand why someone would post a thread about something they felt so strongly against, unless it was a disguised rant or simply a desire to call attention to themselves.

Now this is interesting to me. I didn't get that out of her initial post. See, I just thought she saw a book, rememebred that there was great interest in it, made a post about it (granted, she was negative about it, but it is an opinion anyway) on a messageboard all about discussing gaming, specifically d20 products and left it at that.

I guess you really know more about these things than me, Sirius_Black. For some insane reason I thought messageboards were all about the expressing and sharing of opinions, ideas and advice, both positive and neagtive, for the sake of mutual enlightenment. D'oh, I've had it wrong all these years!

 

[Aeolius]

I have to admit that, when I think of erotic, I don't think of bondage and body piercings. I saw the photographer's website and considered it to be too goth for my taste. Erotic, to me, is the nymph illustration in the 3.5e MM, or Darlene's succubus in the 1e DMG.

 

[Qlippoth]

Thus, again, I don't understand why someone would post a thread about something they felt so strongly against, unless it was a disguised rant or simply a desire to call attention to themselves.

What about responding to a thread? Is that also necessarily rant-based or inherently self-centered?

*poof*
ENWorld disappears in a puff of logic.

 

[Henry]

There's something VERY ironic about this being the first thread I see at the top of the boards, the first time I get on them after Gencon...

FIRST, I have been impressed with the decorum in both referring to the book, and to the subject. However, let's please keep personal insults to a minimum. I haven't seen any yet, but let's remember that we're all people here, and have different tastes in games and gaming.

SECOND, I purchased a copy of the preview, more on curiosity than anything. What comments follow are my direct impression of the work, and others' opinions will certainly vary, but I will try to be as fair and factual as I can.



I believe that curiosity will drive this book much more than actual need for the product will, but I also believe that there are people who will use this material. The game mechanics were sound (as in the case of the spells, feats, and prestige classes I saw), but they were not particularly inspired. (Using sex to get bonuses to intelligence or wisdom, spells which cause sex reactions in targets in combat, etc.). There were some... innovative uses for the Command spell, but not a lot of the mechanics struck me as revolutionary or stood out.

The pictures, while certainly R-rated, were not any worse than that. The photo-style definitely unnerved me more than a pure drawing would have, for certain. I do not see anything in the example photos any more graphic than, say, Nine and a half weeks, or The Matrix Reloaded.

And then was the flavor text. It struck me as being directly analagous to an "adult" romance novel, or a "dear Penthouse" letter, in terms of style, but adapted to a fantasy setting. I won't go any more detailed but to say that if you have ever read either of my example references, you get the general idea.

Is it for me and my group? No. We don't add these elements to our game, and do not plan to. But I wish Anthony, Gwendolyn, etc. well, and if nothing else it may well spark more interest in the d20 movement. I just don't see it as being a tremendously damaging thing to the RPG scene - no more so than the Book of Unlawful Carnal Knowledge or any other previous RPG material in that vein.

 

[Mark Chance]

And then was the flavor text. It struck me as being directly analagous to an "adult" romance novel, or a "dear Penthouse" letter, in terms of style, but adapted to a fantasy setting.

So then it is pornography.

 

[Angcuru]

So...the majority of the photography is like the stuff on the guy's own personal site? As in bondage, S&M, and other fetish-style pics? If so, I think to myself: "Ok, perhaps that sort of thing would take place in a D&D setting just like IRL, but....why write stats for it?"

The closest I have ever come to statting out sexual themes in my game is contemplating adding an attractiveness/comliness Attribute. An idea which I said 'no' to about three seconds afterwards, since physical beauty is relative. One man's otyugh is another man's nymph, and vice versa, y'know?

When, IF I ever decide to add sexuality to my game outside of the occasional whench/whore incident, I will do so in the form of descriptions of the situation, and nothing more.

In my opinion, if someone needs so roll a die to see how well they manage to pleasure the babe they just met at the local tavern, they are either rules-lawyers beyond saving or losers beyond saving. OR they are just curious, you know, try anything once sorta deal....OR they have a kinky DM.

But that's just me.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I picked up the preview and it is a love hate type of thing. I like the material, which is very playable in a game. I disliked the art, whick I felt went too far and could have been presented in a different way.

 

[shadow]

I don't want to be judgemental, but I'm wondering what the whole appeal of this bondage and S&M thing is. Is erotic now defined as seen a helpless girl tied up and beaten (or vice-versa)?

NOTE: I have NOT seen the BoEF yet, so I won't say anything about it. However, I previewed the Hypnox web site and was pretty shocked by it. I just hope that the photos in BoEF are a little more tasteful than the hypnox site.

 

[hunter1828]

The photos on Hypnox's web site and the photography he has done for the BoEF (at least those seen in previews so far) are so completely different. What he does for himself and others is not necessarily what he is doing for the BoEF.

Also, bondage does not always mean women tied up. Bondage can also mean men tied up.

hunter1828