Is D&D getting more "edgy"?

[Karanov]

Although I like a bit of darkness in any RPG, the is a dark side to every soul and thus to every story. I do not play D&D to have a But this is not why I play D&D. I play D&D for heroic fantasy. If I want horror roleplaying I turn to White Wolf games or Call of Cthulu.

I don't agree that roleplaying an 'evil' character degrades your morality in RL. In a Werewolf game I play a character who is, to put it plainlym a racist bastard. I was initially rather shocked at how easy it was to get into this character. In the end it only made me more alert to the fact that racism and prejudice in general can pop up very easily. I learned a valuable lesson playing this character.

 

[Tonguez]

Um sorry to tell you people but the only people who think dark and vile is edgy is a pack of geeks who like to sit around wearing black making up stories about vampires hiding out amongst the city rooftops....

ie all the Book of Vile Darkness tells us that the teenage geeks who started playing HacknSlash DnD in the 80s are now 30 - 40 yr old geeks who want something a bit more mature in their Roleplaying...

PS Yes I too am a geek and proud!

 

[Buttercup]

IMHO this is a nonissue. If a DM wants to run an edgy game, nothing is stopping them, even though BoVD hasn't come out yet. If the Book of Vile Darkenss has content that said DM finds offensive, said DM can just not buy the book.

It's all about options. Find a group that wants to play the kind of game you like, and have fun.

As for society as a whole caring about D&D, hah. We aren't even on most people's radar.

 

[Uller]

Let's remember something people...the 1e books had NAKED CHICKS in them...3e is not pushing the envelope in any way. Sure...demons and devils are back. But other than that, the games and themes are pretty much right where other entertainment forms are.

 

[Fenes 2]

Yawn. I would hardly call my own campaign "edgy" just for being a bit more realistic in the portrayal of evil people, slavery, vices and human nature in general, but apparently some people think using historical facts in gaming is "edgy".

Newsflash: I hardly need a D&D product to come up with "mature" themes - my education (history), my job (Law) and modern media would present enough inspiration.

If D&D is becoming more edgy, then it is because not everyone wants to play D&D as if it was an american PG-prime time tv-series (i.e. violence is ok, but not procreation), especially here in Europe.

I still wonder how anyone can be concerned about "mature themes" in a game that is centered in the opinions of many around "kill monsters and take their stuff".

 

[S'mon]

The idea that the inclusion of "nasty stuff" in a game makes it "non-geeky" is very strange! As has been pointed out, White Wolf fans are just as geeky in their own way as people playing D&D according to the old TSR ethics code. Porn, no porn, drugs, no drugs, graphic violence or not - none of this changes the perception of RPGs as an essentially geeky pastime. So is trainspotting, historical wargaming, model building, stamp collecting... obsession with football/soccer/baseball stats... heavy metal music... all geeks.

 

[Zappo]

The idea that the inclusion of "nasty stuff" in a game makes it "non-geeky" is very strange! As has been pointed out, White Wolf fans are just as geeky in their own way as people playing D&D according to the old TSR ethics code. Porn, no porn, drugs, no drugs, graphic violence or not - none of this changes the perception of RPGs as an essentially geeky pastime. So is trainspotting, historical wargaming, model building, stamp collecting... obsession with football/soccer/baseball stats... heavy metal music... all geeks.

Is there any way of not being geeky?

 

[Umbran]

A single book, a piece of artwork, and a spell or two do not a trend make. Especially not when all of those things are in optional books.

Much as you might disbelieve, but many people won't buy the ELH, or the Book of Vile Darkness. Of those that do, many won't use them. I doubt that one book and a couple tidbitsfrom another are really going to cause a notable shift in how the game is played, or viewed by the public.

And, I expect the folks at WOTC are aware of this. The Book of Vile Darkness is not an attempt to make the whole game more edgy for everyone. It's an attempt to give some people a little more of what they want. There's a difference between trying to make the whole game dark, and giving people a few dark options if they want them.

 

[R.X.DIEM]

The Darkness....It's always been there!

I believe that although the machanics of DnD have changed considerably over the years, the "edgy darkness" has always been there. Some of my 1st Ed games were far scarier and dark than some of my 3rd Ed. games. Really, people are about the same now as back then. We might be a little more sencitive or watchful for certain things in our lives but as humans we haven't become that deranged in the 20+ years..... We've always been this (a matter of perspective) deranged. All the "vile darkness" has always been there, it's just a little easier to access, or utilize, or talk about. It's alway been inside of us and alway will.

 

[Krug]

I wonder if we'll see the equivalent of a Black Dog studio for D&D products...

I don't find the products mentioned particularly 'edgy' though. The Book of Vile Darkness has been watered down, and should be renamed The Book of Mildly-Naughty Darkness instead.