How to address racism in a fantasy setting without it dragging down the game?

Panda-s1 · Feb 28, 2020

Bedrockgames said:
It's still up to Gruumsh

Gruumsh doesn't exist in this setting.

lowkey13 · Feb 28, 2020

*Deleted by user*

Panda-s1 · Feb 28, 2020

lowkey13 said:
Are you going to tell him that?

how can I tell him if he doesn't exist?

Son of the Serpent · Feb 28, 2020

Panda-s1 said:
how can I tell him if he doesn't exist?

i've told a 14 year old (who i knew in school. i have no idea what drugs his parents took before conceiving him to make him dim enough to still believe in santa at that age) that santa claus didn't exist without needing him to exist in order for me to say that. i don't see why gruumsh not existing would be a road block to saying he doesn't exist.

Tonguez · Feb 28, 2020

Son of the Serpent said:
i've told a 14 year old (who i knew in school. i have no idea what drugs his parents took before conceiving him to make him dim enough to still believe in santa at that age) that santa claus didn't exist without needing him to exist in order for me to say that. i don't see why gruumsh not existing would be a road block to saying he doesn't exist.

I bet you wouldnt say that to Santa's face!!!!

Son of the Serpent · Feb 28, 2020

Tonguez said:
I bet you wouldnt say that to Santa's face!!!!

i would. and niklaus would thank me for defending his honor because he's way cooler than the fictitious character now representing him.

Bedrockgames · Feb 28, 2020

Son of the Serpent said:
i've told a 14 year old (who i knew in school. i have no idea what drugs his parents took before conceiving him to make him dim enough to still believe in santa at that age) that santa claus didn't exist without needing him to exist in order for me to say that. i don't see why gruumsh not existing would be a road block to saying he doesn't exist.

You ruined Christmas for a 14 year old. That is almost as bad as killing an orc

Son of the Serpent · Feb 28, 2020

Bedrockgames said:
You ruined Christmas for a 14 year old. That is almost as bad as killing an orc

it was around easter. anyway, a 14 year old. nah man. i made his life a lot better. better me than a bully making fun of him until he cries. 14 is way too old.

Son of the Serpent · Feb 28, 2020

Bedrockgames said:
You ruined Christmas for a 14 year old. That is almost as bad as killing an orc

ps. death to all orcs who aren't aspiring to become a demon or some other sort of elevated being. they are filth. elves are a most effective soap aparently.

Bedrockgames · Feb 28, 2020

Son of the Serpent said:
ps. death to all orcs who aren't aspiring to become a demon or some other sort of elevated being. they are filth. elves are a most effective soap aparently.

To be serious though, I prefer having both options for orcs available to me as a GM (and to game designers). I think there is a lot of fun with the classic, Orcs are evil monsters, approach, that can work. But it can be just as much fun to have more varied orcs (and to treat all humanoids as having a wide range of cultures). I want access to both. I think it gets dull if people are doing it all one way or the other, because sometimes I want something that feels like Three Hearts, Three Lions, and sometimes I want Orcs that are more like humans. It can also be fun to have Orcs who are generally menacing because of cultural tendencies or because they are simply in conflict with humans in the area, but have just as much free will as humans. I have to say though, I only rarely encounter the whole orcs are evil so it is okay to kill them and take their stuff in games. So many settings and modules get mileage out of making them more interesting in order to open up things like diplomacy in the dungeon. Some of the best adventures I played in allowed for this, and that wouldn't have really been possible using the cosmically evil orc approach.

For me the issue is when one style starts to dominate, it gets dull quickly. I like variety in this respect.