"Perils of GOR" RPG?

[Nifft]

To everyone relying to hong:

YHBT. YHL. HTH. HAND.

ITYM:

"YHBT. YHL. FOAD, YPW. HTH, HAND."

Rod of a.f.w-ly Mightily yours, -- Nifft

PS: I still want to know what the J.W. did to hong to make him compare them to the clams.

 

[mythago]

Imhotep, I suspect that's what the RPG is going to focus on--the heroic fantasy, not the softcore BDSM. I would also be willing to bet that there will be a section directing female PCs to choose to play "free women" (I forget what they're called in the Gor books), if they play females at all.

Though I suspect the LARP will be different...

 

[War Golem]

Gor…Hmmm…not much crunchy roleplaying goodness there…Tarl confronts the assassin on the roof of the Central Cylinder…frees the loyal war tarn in the Arena of Tharna…delves into the lair of the Priest Kings…the Plains of Turia…"I suppose that one has nothing better to do than stand around and improve one's swordplay while the bread is baking"…the Ubar's race and the Stadium of Blades…"Did you let him see the sea? Then we are your men"…"I was with you on the 25th of Se'Kara"…the stockade of Sarus…Kurii…the refusal of weregild by Ivar Forkbeard…the kidnapping of Hilda the Haughty…Zarandargar…"Half-Ear arrives"…"March again to Klima"…"the Old One"…Centius of Cos vs Scormus of Ar…The Delta…banishment…Cowignaka…Boots Tarsk-Bit…Talena of Ar…all this and more.

This is what I remember off the top of my head. Little I remember of slaves and masters.

I will buy it.

Ahhh! A distillation of so much of what IS good about the world of Gor! I have such high hopes for this product...

but I'm really worried all of this great setting material is going to get layered in and lost in all the garbage about female slavery and other BDSM stuff... just like in the novels.

Thanks for this little trip down memory lane, Imhotepthewise.

 

[War Golem]

Imhotep, I suspect that's what the RPG is going to focus on--the heroic fantasy, not the softcore BDSM. I would also be willing to bet that there will be a section directing female PCs to choose to play "free women" (I forget what they're called in the Gor books), if they play females at all.

If the authors of the RPG throw away, or at least severely minimize, the whole slavery aspect of Gorean society, and rework the world to treat females as more equal to men throughout society, then I would say the setting has tremendous potential to appeal to a very large section of the fantasy role-playing population. There is so much great stuff in the Gor setting that could be adapted to a fantasy gaming world! (See Imhotepthewise's previous post, although I suppose most of it won't mean much if you haven't read the series.)

The hardcore Gor fans would probably have a heart attack if the setting from the novels were reengineered so drastically, but I don't see any way this product has a snowball's chance in hell of selling beyond a very, very niche product if they keep Gorean culture and ideology fully intact.

Since it is a RPG, the first choice makes the most business sense to me, but I wonder if JN would sanction something like that. Probably not.... but I sure hope so.

 

[mythago]

I think it would depend on whether the (I'm told) increasing ratio of BDSM-to-heroic-fantasy material in the Gor series was something Norman did because he liked it better, or whether it was a marketing decision (i.e. the fans liked it better).

Given the level of pr0n marketing in, say, computer/console games, I think d20 Gor has a pretty good shot at breaking out of its niche if it gets some good artists.

 

[William Ronald]

War Golem originally posted: The hardcore Gor fans would probably have a heart attack if the setting from the novels were reengineered so drastically

And this would be a bad thing?

I only remember skimming through a novel or two and not caring for the writing or the portrayal of women. I know a few women who are gamers. If you suggested to them that they play in a setting where they should regard themselves as property, they would likely leave.

Also, I find the thought of an entire group of people being viewed as property and every one of them seeing themselves as property to be offensive. (To avoid shutting down this thread, I will not throw in rather obvious historical analogues. Out of respect to the people on this board, especially the moderators, I will try not to get this forced into Nutkinland.)

At least in the Conan stories, there were a few women who were the equal of the sandal clad destroyer of thrones.

There are a LOT better authors out there than John Norman. I say give some of them a chance for D20 settings.

Here are a few with a publishing history:

Lord Dunsany.
Stephen R. Donaldson (While I do not like the character of Thomas Covenant much, the Land has so many possibilities for adventure.)
Terry Goodkind (Yes, there are dark elements but women can have a place in society beyond a door mat or a foot stool.)
Poul Anderson
C.J. Cherryh
Harry Turtledove (World War against invading aliens, anyone?)
Morgan Llewellyn
Terry Brooks
David Eddings
Dennis McKiernan
George Martin
Fritz Leiber
Katherine Kurtz
Glen Cook (Ah, what Lady or Soulcatcher would do to good old Tarl. )

... plus any number of traditional tales and myths. So, to me, the only use of buying a Gor setting would be to have an intelligent party of heroes and heroines to over throw a corrupt social order.

 

[hong]

I dunno why everyone's so down on the BDSM schtick. I mean, it's tailor-made for the Book of Vile darkness. At last we will have a setting where we can use the nipple clamps of exquisite pain!


Hong "I only read the BoVD for the articles too" Ooi

 

[el-remmen]

First of all, let's chill with the religious debate/joke stuff -no need o step on anyone's toes by accident or anything. . .

Secondly, I have only read the first 2 GOR books - but by cheez whiz! I like 'em - I think they are a neat little exploration of a bizarre culture and just good ole popcorn pulp.

Was the view od women skewed? Hell, yes. . . But then again, so was Tolkien's. . .

 

[Tonguez]

I think it would depend on whether the (I'm told) increasing ratio of BDSM-to-heroic-fantasy material in the Gor series was something Norman did because he liked it better, or whether it was a marketing decision (i.e. the fans liked it better).

Given the level of pr0n marketing in, say, computer/console games, I think d20 Gor has a pretty good shot at breaking out of its niche if it gets some good artists.

Yeah like even Star Wars had Princess Leia as Pleasure Slave scenes (and can you imagine what Jabba could do with his combination Tongue and Tail position!

and isn't Leia Organa just a total P0rn name
Good one George really messing with our pubescent minds then weren't ya!

 

[hong]

First of all, let's chill with the religious debate/joke stuff -no need o step on anyone's toes by accident or anything. . .

Toe clamps of exquisite pain?


Hong "what does Nemmerle know that I don't?" Ooi