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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shardstone" data-source="post: 9185226" data-attributes="member: 6807784">I think you are hung up on the "default" part. I don't think by default it will lead to improvements. I think by default, it gives you another set of eyes and an expert opinion to chew on. I don't believe in an artist making changes to their work that they don't think polishes or sharpens the vision. Sometimes, I've talked to sensitivity readers who helped me realize that I slightly more grounded take on a concept will improve my work. Others, I've gotten feedback that would have muddied the vision of the work and ignored it.I don't think there is anything sacred in any religion that should preclude it from being used in D&D. I believe that all aspects of culture exist to be manipulated, transferred to others, reimagined, and applied to art. To that end, it doesn't bother me to see demons or, in my case, Buddhist ideas, and so forth. What bothers me is when something like voodoo is only used for black magic and evil. That, I think, is trite, simple, and unfresh.Good literary examples are things like the book Siddhartha, which seperates the famed Buddha into two characters (Siddhartha and Gautama), with Siddhartha living an overall heathen life until he attains enlightenment at the very end of the story. This book was written by a German, but his understanding of the religion and myths associated with it allowed for him to create something fresh, compelling, and new.When it comes to the Hells, I think we're already very far separated from actual Christianity. After all, before Dante's Inferno hit mainstream a few hundred years ago, the idea of Hell and Satan were a lot different. I've done a lot of research into Christianity and how it has changed overtime, and the way its used now is in line with how its been reinterpreted in the past. I also understand that my views are my own and that numerous people in other cultures don't want their beliefs used to make Fantasy ideas. I think that's a fine thing, but I think what matters most is that you're not completely butchering an idea but instead reimagining it in a new context. In this aspect, sensitivity readers can help an artist polish their vision for said reimaging. Your mileage may vary. Oh and sorry for being snappy in my last post.</blockquote>

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