Poll: Rating your D&D game based on criteria in Monte Cook's article in Dragon #300

[ruleslawyer]

Immature/tasteless sex in Moorcock?!

Apart from his name, I've never encountered such a thing, and I've read pretty much all his books. He's a strongly feminist author, albeit he doesn't create much in the way of interesting female characters. I don't recall _any_ sex in Moorcock beyond 'we made love' - what do you mean?

As for Leiber, the only sex I recall that could fit your description would be the Mouser/Hisvet/maids voyeur scene in 'Knight & Knave of Swords', Leiber's final work.

Pick up Blood, Gloriana, or the Dancers at the End of Time books to see what I mean about Moorcock. I'm not talking about Moorcock's most famous S&S stories (Elric, Corum, Erekose, Hawkmoon), but the more outre stuff.

Leiber does this a bit earlier as well, in Swords of Lankhmar. Actually, Fafhrd and the Mouser spend more than a little time in bawdy houses throughout their adventuring career. You are right, though, that I was mainly thinking of Knight and Knave of Swords; the description therein is a bit more than just a "scene," as well, since I distinctly recall paging through episode after episode of smutty stuff within the context of that story.

 

[S'mon]

Pick up Blood, Gloriana, or the Dancers at the End of Time books to see what I mean about Moorcock. I'm not talking about Moorcock's most famous S&S stories (Elric, Corum, Erekose, Hawkmoon), but the more outre stuff.

Leiber does this a bit earlier as well, in Swords of Lankhmar. Actually, Fafhrd and the Mouser spend more than a little time in bawdy houses throughout their adventuring career. You are right, though, that I was mainly thinking of Knight and Knave of Swords; the description therein is a bit more than just a "scene," as well, since I distinctly recall paging through episode after episode of smutty stuff within the context of that story.

I haven't managed to read through Blood & Gloriana (not my favourites, I guess) but I've read the 'Dancers' series and there was no graphic sex in them, just "X took Y laughingly to his bed" AIR - of course X & Y could well be same-gender, if gender even means anything in that setting.
I think in K&K it really was just a scene, but it did go on a very long time!

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Why would mature be a seperate catagory? Can't you run a mature, but lighthearted game? Why does mature always get tagged on stuff that is gory and filled with sex? Are those "mature" topics?

My game is pretty standard, mature at times, silly at others.

 

[Celebrim]

I'm going to use the system suggested by seasong to describe my setting since it is seeminly more descriptive than Monte's.

Adult Situations: Overall Strong
Amount: Strong
Graphic Depictions: Strong
Taboos: Strong, due to references to
Pregenancy, Abortion, Rape, Divorse, Child Abandonment, War, Genocide, Refugees, Starvation,
Plagues, Death, Crime, Slavery, Spousal Abuse, Torture, Murder, Treason, Betrayal, Tyranny, etc.

Adult Language: Overall Mild
Amount: Mild (Tolerated only in places where it would be tolerated in literature. I use the 'Princess Bride' standard.)
Graphic Depictions: Mild
Taboo: None

Violence: Overall Strong
Amount: Extremely Strong
Graphic Depictions: Moderate, usually one sentence. Details only focuesed on if they are relevant clues.
Taboos: Strong, due to references to:
Eviceration, Decapitation, Mutilation
Other forms of exotic death and disfigurement

Nudity: Overall Moderate
Amount: Moderate, things are frequently nude or depicted as nude
Graphic Depictions: Mild, things that are nude are refered to as nude but never described luridly. Sexual organs are generally not refered to, it being assumed that the person across the table can imagine what they like.
Taboos: Moderate, due to references to:
nude Children*

*In a medieval setting this was not at all unusual.

Sexual Content: Overall Mild
Amount: Mild, generally rare event
Graphic Depictions: None, always occurs offstage. References are usually implied rather than explained.
Taboos: Strong, due to references to:
Prostitution, Various Deviations From Norm,
Rape or coersion

Romance & Relationships: Overall Moderate
Amount: Moderate
Graphic Depictions: Moderate
Taboos: None

Crime: Overall Strong
Amount: Strong
Graphic Depictions: Strong (tend to research how crimes are commited)
Taboos: Strong, due to inclusion of:
PCs Are Criminals
Criminals Who Do Not Pay For Their Crimes
Decadent & Corrupt Authorities
Glamorous Criminals

Grossness: Overall Moderate
Amount: Strong
Graphic Depiction: Mild, precence noted but not described luridly
Taboos: Moderate, due to inclusion of:
Disease, Filth, Feces, Urine, Slime
Vermin, thier eggs, and larvae

Religion: overall Strong
Amount: Strong, very pervasive in the campaign
Graphic Depiction: Strong, rituals are sometimes described in detail. PC's are sometimes expected to attend services if not partake in them.
Taboos: Moderate, due to inclusion of:
Hundreds of fictional gods*
Servitor beings that fulfil the role of demons
Animal sacrifice
Human sacrifice
Temple prostitution

Actually, I'd only see reason to be offended if the gods weren't clearly ficticious.

All this is subjective. I voted mine as a standard campaign, but I don't have alot of a way to know. Some people might think it vile; others might find it vary light hearted (and hopefully infused with morality). Alot of things are included but I try to handle the situations sensitively and not luridly dwell on them.

And for the record, I agree with Flexor. The most mature aspects of my game are not the ones having to do with sex and gore.

 

[optimizer]

Howdy!

My games tend to be standard, with perhaps some leaning to light-hearted. They have been that way since we started playing in the late '70s and is a level that we are all comfortable with.

Mike

 

[I'm A Banana]

My campaigns would be rated "R."

Not NC-17, probably. Most of the really horrid stuff happens off-camera (though I don't shy away from it...I just don't like to conjure up the image). But, well, we had a really schlocky "Rain of Blood and Body Parts" recently...and we've got a city run by hobgoblins interested in the Equus PC women...and even the dude.

Definately not, according to generic American Movie standards, something that most people under 18 should probably see. But not enough penises to get that crucial NC-17.

The most vivid description I've had of a sexual encounter was a night where all the young girls in the village were "coming of age" and the PC's came in to help initialize them. And since that went horribly, horribly wrong (the girls turned into some Cthuluoid monstrosity), well, it turned into more violence than sex.

I've got blood. I've got guts. I've got sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll. Heck, it's hard not to when playing something heavily inspired by normal mythology. But it doesn't need to be graphic. It doesn't need to revel in it. It just needs to sort of...be what it is. This fantasy-reality, without any sort of filters. I don't revel in it. I just accept it. Meh.