D&D (2024) Comeliness and Representation in Recent DnD Art

[Clint_L]

I get the appeal of playing a persecuted minority fighting back against the oppressors. It's a classic trope (c.f. Knott the Brave in Critical Role, etc.).

As a DM, I don't much enjoy it, because I have to role-play the oppressors. RPing a bloodthirsty demon, scurrilous brigand, or power-hungry archmage is fun. RPing total racist/speciest, homophobe, or sexist is too close to IRL and makes me uncomfortable. Particularly if the oppressor is human, like me, or human-adjacent.

For example, one game led to the players concocting a scheme to get back at a sexist jerk. It was a bit unplanned - I had implied that he was a sexist but hadn't expected him to become a significant character in the adventure. However the party, three of whom are women, decided to involve this jerk in an elaborate set-up, and then I was stuck RPing him. Egged on by the players, I took him way over the top (I basically South Parked him), for laughs and to make his comeuppance that much more rewarding, and they loved it, but I still felt a bit icky.

 

[FrozenNorth]

I get the appeal of playing a persecuted minority fighting back against the oppressors. It's a classic trope (c.f. Knott the Brave in Critical Role, etc.).

As a DM, I don't much enjoy it, because I have to role-play the oppressors. RPing a bloodthirsty demon, scurrilous brigand, or power-hungry archmage is fun. RPing total racist/speciest, homophobe, or sexist is too close to IRL and makes me uncomfortable. Particularly if the oppressor is human, like me, or human-adjacent.

I definitely get this. I remember one game where a PC had a younger brother that was envious of his older brother and trying to screw him over. Both I and the player have younger brothers, and both our younger brothers were in the game!

Despite the fact that I had intended the younger brother to throw his lot in with the invader snd betray the heroes in the middle of a climactic battle, when the time came, I couldn’t do it and had the younger brother redeemed after a heart-to-heart with the PC.

I have a bit more distance from NPCs now, but I think there are definitely exceptions where I would have trouble playing an NPC as ruthless as they should be.

 

[michaeljpastor]

I definitely get this. I remember one game where a PC had a younger brother that was envious of his older brother and trying to screw him over. Both I and the player have younger brothers, and both our younger brothers were in the game!

Despite the fact that I had intended the younger brother to throw his lot in with the invader snd betray the heroes in the middle of a climactic battle, when the time came, I couldn’t do it and had the younger brother redeemed after a heart-to-heart with the PC.

I have a bit more distance from NPCs now, but I think there are definitely exceptions where I would have trouble playing an NPC as ruthless as they should be.

I'd argue that this is a very different thing than playing a socio-poitical movement.