Fantasy Sex Roleplaying Game Releases October 2003

[Piratecat]

Given the book of Vile Darkness I find WotC's reaction to be pure hypocracy...

It's one thing to disaprove of this kind of material... but when you've already put out something on the same level, you have no room left to speak...

It would be like Larry Flint accusing Hugh Hefner of moral indecency.

Err - Arcady, have you actually read the BoVD? I was surprised how non-vile most of it was; with the exception of rolling my eyes at a few items and one spell, it didn't bother me in the least. More importantly, it provided me with a plethora of good gaming rules and plot hooks. As a result, I have to think that your comparison - however pithy - is flawed.

Will the Book of Erotic Fantasy match the BoVD is fun, usable game rules? I have trouble seeing how. Thus, I'll be surprised if I purchase it. Mostly, I just find the concept sort of embarrassing for our industry.

 

[Geoffrey]

I can imagine all kinds of stuff in this book that could be used in a game:

1. Rules for seduction for beautiful evil witches and such. Can your paladin resist?

2. Magical spells that require sexual components.

3. Magical spells that enhance one's sexuality or beauty in various ways.

4. Anatomical details for various races. Just where do elves have hair, for example? How long is their gestation period? What is their cultural view on homosexuality? Abortion? Pre-marital sex? Polygamy? Etc.

5. Rules for strengthening one's abilities through indulgence or abstinence from sex.

6. Rules for sex and fertility goddesses.

7. Evil magic devices that involve sexual torture.

8. Good magic devices that can restore sexual purity.

9. Rules on sexual rites and beliefs in various religions. I can imagine, for example, that some good religions would be very promiscuous while others are very abstinent. Evil religions would also be varied. I can imagine an evil religion that forbids all fertility and all pleasure (including sex).

10. Etc.

 

[Simplicity]

Geez, ENWorld, backlash much?

It's obvious WotC did not endorse this product. The said as much in their response. I think the D&D reference may have just been a screw up, personally. (Kind of ironic that AV was getting so mad at other companies... but whatever.)

Let's say that WotC DID endorse this product. What's the big deal?

Do you actually feel that companies either have to be "family-friendly" or not? Do you only buy movies from "family-friendly" studios? Do you only watch news on "family-friendly" networks?
Maybe you'd like to see Walmart (infamous for censoring anything they don't approve of) as the only store around, but this sort
of thinking really worries me. A company should not be forced to enforce some sort of moral code on all of their customers.

A company produces many products, and those products can be for many audiences. In fact, any company that doesn't try to reach out to new audiences will likely die. Why do you care that
a company produces things that you don't like, for some audience that you're not a member of, when you know that they also produce things that you do like for your audience?

 

[Shadowdancer]

The important question is: Will this product turn the Orc and Pie adventure into something out of "American Pie?"

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Seriously, I realize this is one of those knee-jerk reaction topics for many people, but I don't see a problem with it as long as it is handled in a mature fashion. People who want to use this product in their games will. People who don't want to use it won't. It's as simple as that.

As far as people outside the hobby using it as ammuntion against us, this sort of subject matter (sexuality, fetishism) has been creeping into mainstream popular culture for years. It should be no surprise that it is showing up in D&D. After all, D&D is showing up more and more in popular culture as well.

You don't have to like it. But you do have to respect the rights of those you do want the product. As long as they don't try to force it upon you, they have the right to explore those topics.

 

[Mark Chance]

You don't have to like it. But you do have to respect the rights of those you do want the product. As long as they don't try to force it upon you, they have the right to explore those topics.

That sounds disturbingly similar to recent legal arguments in favor of virtual child pornography.

Slippery slope, and all that.

Again, I'm reminded of Moynihan writing about how American culture consistently defines deviancy down.

 

[Balsamic Dragon]

Oh come off it. The BoVD did not have anything in it to do with sex. if demon worship isn't an appropriate topic for a fantesy game, then i don't know what is (and most of the book is more or less about that topic when you get down to it).

This book, at elast from the write up, is going to have sex rules for DnD. What did the BoVD have that compares to that? indeed.

I disagree with your view that the BOVD did not have anything to do with sex. I have skimmed through it, although I don't own it, and I read the support articles in Dragon.

However, that's a discussion for a different thread.

Balsamic Dragon

 

[pennywiz]

I'm reminded of Moynihan writing about how American culture consistently defines deviancy down.

He's dead, Jim.

 

[Simplicity]

Again, I'm reminded of Moynihan writing about how American culture consistently defines deviancy down.

Maybe that's because American culture has realized that the
very concept of deviancy is a poor one.

 

[Danyon Dehlmari]

Well now... I'm not even sure where to begin.

First off- I'm all for a book that handles the subject in a tasteful way that will benefit a campaign world, give greater depth to character relationships etc....

--I'm all for it.

HOWEVER.....

I looked at that website of the photographer. Some of that is just outright disturbing. They still have time. I can't suggest enough to find a new photographer and to not support someone who produces those kind of pictures.

And, if it really IS being done in a tasteful manner--

I'll expect NOT to see pages and pages of nudity, as that's not worth my money.

Ed Stark once said that the BoVD would be like what "Saving Private Ryan and BlackHawk Down" are to movies.

I think I'd like to hear the movie comparison for this book.

 

[Olive]

I disagree with your view that the BOVD did not have anything to do with sex. I have skimmed through it, although I don't own it, and I read the support articles in Dragon.

However, that's a discussion for a different thread.

Balsamic Dragon

I can't help myself.

a) you broght it up, i was simply responding
b) The dragon articles and the book itself were pretty different, by different authors. I don't think that the stuff in dragon was NEARLY as bad as people made it out to be, but i thought some of it was a bit dumb. That being said, I'm planning to use the spell searing seed some time. I think it helps make sense of a few things.