Book of VD: How evil?

[SHARK]

Greetings!

I agree Dragongirl, they could include drawings of male nudity, just as they do with female nudity. However, I don't think most males view nudity in the same manner that females do. Certainly, many women become agitated whenever there is a lot of female nudity, but somehow I don't think males would react the same way. I think most men would be amused or indifferent at any inclusion of male nudity.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Dragongirl]

Greetings!

I agree Dragongirl, they could include drawings of male nudity, just as they do with female nudity. However, I don't think most males view nudity in the same manner that females do. Certainly, many women become agitated whenever there is a lot of female nudity, but somehow I don't think males would react the same way. I think most men would be amused or indifferent at any inclusion of male nudity.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

I have to disagree with you. Just a few months ago Dragon Magazine had a relatively handsome male on the cover with little clothing. The magazine recieved quite a few complaints about it from male readers.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I have to disagree with you. Just a few months ago Dragon Magazine had a relatively handsome male on the cover with little clothing. The magazine recieved quite a few complaints about it from male readers.

I suspect it is more accurate to say that the magazine PRINTED quite a few complaints about it from male readers.

Every time you mention this it seems like you're somehow finding fault with the men who wrote in. I would think you'd have more rapport with them than with all the men who didn't complain. (Hope that makes sense...)

I mean, you don't like female nudity, they don't like male nudity--kindred spirits.

Wulf

 

[Dragongirl]

I suspect it is more accurate to say that the magazine PRINTED quite a few complaints about it from male readers.

Every time you mention this it seems like you're somehow finding fault with the men who wrote in. I would think you'd have more rapport with them than with all the men who didn't complain. (Hope that makes sense...)

I mean, you don't like female nudity, they don't like male nudity--kindred spirits.

Wulf

Oh I just think it is hypocritical that it is ok to have female nudity all over the place and then when there is a barely clad non-conan type male shown that there are complaints. I don't have a problem with the men complaining. I also don't have a problem with nudity, but it should have something to do with what is going on, either in the movie, book, etc. I can think of any number of men I would love to see nude, but I don't want to see them on my copy of Castles of the World.

 

[Nightstorm]

Please dont speak for every male. As a gay male (and theres more of us playing D&D than you think) I for one would have loved to see some male ass.

 

[KingOfChaos]

The book is so evil it made me yawn

 

[SHARK]

Greetings!

I see your point Dragongirl, and I agree that there shouldn't be a double standard. Personally, I don't understand what the males complained about the Dragon cover for. I have them all, and I didn't give it a second thought. I happen to like Conan, and nudity in general--whether male or female--doesn't happen to bother me in the slightest.

I do however, appreciate it being tastefully done with appropriate subject matter, as opposed to just plastering it all about with no ryme or reason. You mentioned "non-conan male" as being half-clothed. I'm wondering--what would supposedly make that artwork offensive, while a drawing of Conan wouldn't be?

Nudity--whether male or female--is a long-standing part of the sword & sorcery tradition, and I think some people may be too sensitive about the matter. Just my opinion--and maybe I'm oblivious, or just not sensitive enough--but it just doesn't seem to be that big of a deal to me. I have a hard time imagining why someone--anyone--would want to put that much thought and energy into the silly artwork that some magazine or game company does for its books or magazines. Then again, maybe I'm jaded. I have seen far worse, and I haven't seen much in this format that would even register on my radar as anywhere near offensive, let alone cause me to give any thought to it and become emotional to worry about it--let alone actually take the time to write a magazine about some cover.

I've been reading Dragon since--oh, I don't know--issue 21 I think or something, and it's just a cover. One among hundreds. It just seems like a lot of energy being put into something that seems more like making a mountain out of a mole hill. I have a job, school, family, and far too many important things that demand my attention to worry so much about how clothed a fictional character is or isn't on this month's Dragon magazine. You know? It would be cool if the publishers make the artwork relevant to the text and all that, but sometimes it won't be. That just seems to be the way it is.

I don't really understand why people would actually get all worked up over something like a Dragon magazine cover. I didn't know there were that many males that were bothered by the Dragon magazine cover, especially enough to write a letter of complaint. Gee whiz!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Dragongirl]

I'm wondering--what would supposedly make that artwork offensive, while a drawing of Conan wouldn't be?

Just that that in my personal opinion, men in general are used to seeing Conan-like figures in noting but a loincloth.

 

[John Crichton]

So HOW EVIL is the Book of Vile Darkness?

I voted Dastardly Diabolic.

Good resource from what I've read so far (which consists of the 1st chapter, the magic section and some skimming). Not great for every group but certainly good for an extreme campaign where ya just gotta have something REALLY evil and want it statted out for you.

I tend to run a very gray (as opposed to B&W) campaign so I won't be using much from the book immediately but I can see it making it's way into a future game. Plus, the book has some good ideas and points in it (opening chapter's explainations of vile evil vs. regular evil vs. good). Any product that does that has done it's job.

So if it's job was to be evil than it certainly fit the bill.

... heck, I went out and slaughtered a whole group of innocent children just after opening the cover ....

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

Just that that in my personal opinion, men in general are used to seeing Conan-like figures in noting but a loincloth.

Probably true. It tends to slide right off our radar. The half-naked waif-guys, however, give a certain kind of person the heebie-jeebies.

Psychologists would tell you it has something to do with latent homosexuality. ::shrug:: Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. It's pretty silly either way though. If they can look at a picture of Guldar the Buff Barbarian and be comfortable with it, I can't see why Isendir the Willowy Archer is a problem for people.