D&D 5E D&D Promises to Make the Game More Queer

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Sorry, I was a bit behind in the thread...

I am also sorry to see Hemlock go. And I think that even though I strongly believe that [MENTION=56324]tombowings[/MENTION] was wrong, some people were pretty sloppy in how they presented his arguments/position and extrapolated it into something it wasn't.

really par for the course these days. People, and I'm sure I've done this myself now and then, argue the position they are reading into someone else's comments regardless of what the person is saying often taking things way over the top in order to further their arguments.

 

[FrogReaver]

Consider the following:

Imagine a story about a Jewish character, written from a Jewish perspective by a Jewish author. For the hell of it, imagine that it is both neurotic and funny, though that's terribly cliched. Now imagine some random goy reads it and makes the following comments:

"It was okay but it was Jew propaganda."

"I don't mind reading about Jews, except for the Jew ideology."

"I felt like it was normalizing Jews."

How do those comments read to you? (note my use of the Oblique Godwin...).

Very badly. Now it's your turn.

Imagine the next story in a running series where a character was Jewish written by a Jew. Heck it doesn't even have to be the main character. Imagine it's a very memorable and well crafted character for the story.

Now imagine reading that the Author comments:

"I wasn’t about to have this book go out and not acknowledge that people like me exist"
“all of our new adventures contain jews"
"It’s important to many of us personally in the company for the series to acknowledge our existence"

How does that read to you?

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

My opinions is still being misrepresented and my posts still quoted and I can't even write a comment to clarify them without braking the rules.

*sigh*

Probably best to back out of this thread slowly....

 

[BookBarbarian]

Well, since I too invoked Tolkien...

Eowyn is an amazing character... But she is a woman because she had to be one, plot wise.

It tells us that Tolkien definitely was no woman-hater. But is it not curious that every character is male except those who *have* to be women?

This is what I fear happens when we include a character characteristic "because it works with the story " as opposed to mundane considerations such as "half of people are women". We end up with every character being as what the author sees as being the norm, which for Tolkien (or me, or the others who thankfully have admitted to the same) are white straight cis men.

To break that habbit needs a contious decision.

I think Luthien didn't *have* to be a woman. I think the character grew out of his deep admiration for Edith. However I think your post is pretty spot on.

Tolkien was heavily influenced by Northern European Myths which by and by have far more stories about male characters than female characters. And just like him what we take in around us is what influences our thoughts, writings etc.

So it's common that a person that is part of a majority can't easily understand what it's like to not be in that majority. I've caught myself making this mistake all the time. Like you said, it takes a conscious decision. I have to often remind myself that just because something is not in the majority doesn't mean it's not "normal". And quite frankly, normal doesn't matter.

I can go on being a Cis white male no matter how many Queer NPCs, PCs, or players are in adventures, settings, or games.

Hell, bring on the game setting where heterosexuals are in the minority. As long as I'm sneaking around the woods and swinging a Longsword at orcs I think it'd be swell.

 

[Lylandra]

well... and Pathfinder even put up an all-inclusive class (Oracles who can be blind or deaf or otherwise handicapped and draw great strength from it) and no one bats an eye

 

[BookBarbarian]

Thanks. You left off Mother when you quoted me.

Whoops. I tried to only quote the relevant text, but it looks like I need to learn how to use the backspace button better. Sorry.

 

[BookBarbarian]

well... and Pathfinder even put up an all-inclusive class (Oracles who can be blind or deaf or otherwise handicapped and draw great strength from it) and no one bats an eye

I remember looking at the optional rules for lingering injuries in the 5e DMG, and thinking for my game I'm not going to have physical handicaps make a difference mechanically unless the player asks for it. I mean if a player wants to make a one-handed Great Weapon Fighter, would it really break the game? I don't think so. She could just have a cool backstory about becoming as good as fighters with two hands.

 

[hawkeyefan]

When Crawford publishes the module with the gay villain then I will raise a toast. Until then, the only acceptable villains are straight. Because reasons.

Strahd had a male harem member....a vampire named Esher.

Cheers!

 

[Ancalagon]

Strahd had a male harem member....a vampire named Esher.

Cheers!

"raises a glass of spritz"

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using EN World mobile app

 

[Yaarel]

[MENTION=57112]Gradine[/MENTION]

Tolerance must be reciprocal.

There is no paradox with regard to tolerance.

A person who makes the effort to be tolerant of others, deserves to enjoy tolerance from others.

A person who is intolerant of others, deserves to suffer intolerance from others.

It is simple. And logical.