D&D 5E (2014) Dark Sun, problematic content, and 5E…

[overgeeked]

So in your poll, do you mean there would be a canon adventure path where the PCs ultimately succeed in overthrowing slavery and other things that are "problematic"?

I'm asking a general question. You said it was hard to answer, so I provided an example.

 

[Emoshin]

Does there need to be? Again, can't people decide on how to handle these sensitive issues at their own tables?

I'm asking a general question. You said it was hard to answer, so I provided an example.

Fair enough. So my answer to the poll is "I don't know, it depends" (followed by a bunch of questions, like "what is problematic", "what is "acceptable and for whom", etc.). (Sorry if that's annoying, but that's the best answer I could give)

 

[overgeeked]

I think the problem is the OGL and Creative Commons license... WotC may present the problematic content as explicitly evil and meant to be fought but there's nothing stopping anyone else from publishing the Dark Sun Guide to Being a good Slave Master or the Dark Sun Halfling's Guide to Food Preparation. That's the problem... they don't have control over what's done with it.

Not really. Because Dark Sun isn't OGL nor is it Creative Commons. It's intellectual property that WotC still holds 100% control over. It might be a problem if they opened it on the DM's Guild, but community standards there would catch any instances like that and remove them, as they have with other problem releases.

 

[Vaalingrade]

People say 'meant to be fought', but from my limited experience with DS (read a few books, owned the 4e book), it's... not?

Like sometimes you free an important NPCS because you need them for plot, sometimes and NPC is an abolitionist in the same way another might be a hopeless romantic (in that the game doesn't actually care). Most of the time it's just background radiation from Conan as if you can't have sword and sandal without some good old fashioned institutionalized person owning.

 

[MGibster]

People say 'meant to be fought', but from my limited experience with DS (read a few books, owned the 4e book), it's... not?

I believe you are correct. Slavery in DS is a ubiquitous evil that the PCs just have to tolerate much of the time.

 

[Imaro]

Does there need to be? Again, can't people decide on how to handle these sensitive issues at their own tables?

As a black gamer in America the last thing I want to do is be in a game shop and hear slavery jokes, acting out of slavery, etc. because the group playing at the other table decided for themselves it was something that was ok... much less end up in a game where that behavior isn't stopped or is deemed acceptable.

 

[Imaro]

Not really. Because Dark Sun isn't OGL nor is it Creative Commons. It's intellectual property that WotC still holds 100% control over. It might be a problem if they opened it on the DM's Guild, but community standards there would catch any instances like that and remove them, as they have with other problem releases.

What exactly are the community standards?

 

[Burnside]

Are you asking what's acceptable in terms of ideas and themes you choose include at your table in your personal home game, or what is advisable for WotC to put in an official product? Because those are very different questions.

 

[overgeeked]

I believe you are correct. Slavery in DS is a ubiquitous evil that the PCs just have to tolerate much of the time.

I guess I'm more of a "what matters is that you fight, not that you win" person.

 

[MGibster]

I guess I'm more of a "what matters is that you fight, not that you win" person.

There's nothing wrong with that. For me, D&D especially, is not that kind of game. It's a fairly heroic game where Good beats Evil. Some properties turn that on its head a bit, but for the most part G vs. E with G winning.