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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 7396927" data-attributes="member: 3400">It's all about the audience. You don't have to establish your bona fides with your regular group - if they believe you when you say you aren't trying to stereotype a culture, they'll accept that even if your research could go farther. But with a general public audience, you have to establish your bona fides anew and constantly and, undoubtedly, with people who are going to have tougher standards (some, even impossible standards - those you should rightfully ignore). The fact is, in today's climate, it will be literally impossible to please everyone with your efforts because there are people who will treat incorporating a culture into a campaign as cultural appropriation if you are not from that culture or descended from that culture no matter how much you research it and no matter how hard you try to give it appropriate gravitas. And while I don't agree that not making a particular cultural analog in your campaign constitutes erasure (you can't erase something that isn't there), today's climate also presses for inclusion - giving characters (and their players) something culturally relevant to them to engage them in the hobby. This is why this is an impossible standard. You can't faithfully serve both ideals to the fullest - so you have to compromise and you are justified in doing so. Don't let anxieties keep you from trying your best at producing a good campaign setting where each culture you incorporate is represented with good faith effort and dignity.</blockquote>

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