The Book of Erotic Fantasy - Where did it go wrong?

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

If you think BoEF was kink for the sake of kink - head out to find Black Tokyo in PDF at the enworld store. *cringe* If there was ever a book that reeked of prepubescent male misogeny - that is it.

While I have never even bothered with BoEF, I've found that for most of the RPG world - sex in gaming is not a subject that can be authored with taste, dignity, and actually be able to sell copies. Let's face it - the sick stuff is what makes people buy it. Nobody bought BoEF for a table do randomly determine sex of an unborn fetus - they bought it for scantily clad fantasy chicks slinging spells called "DO ME, BABY!"

I think I at least partially agree with you, but I say that the artwork didn't work for this case. I prefer chainmail bikinis, bare-riff armor and translucent mage robes over leather fetish even for this purpose.

 

[jezter6]

Yeah, I agree. Chainmail bikini is far more tongue in cheek than whips and magic sex toys, and I would consider buying something more in the quiet genre than open elf BDSM pr0n.

 

[JDJblatherings]

Nobody bought BoEF for a table do randomly determine sex of an unborn fetus - they bought it for scantily clad fantasy chicks slinging spells called "DO ME, BABY!"

I didn't notice much in the way of scantily clad chicks, I saw leather fetishist hemaphrodites with all the fun bits exposed cutting themselves.

 

[jezter6]

I didn't notice much in the way of scantily clad chicks, I saw leather fetishist hemaphrodites with all the fun bits exposed cutting themselves.

Which is why it was a letdown for most people...

 

[Kilroy]

Not long ago, I saw a written version of the unwritten rule that every group I've been in since middle school used.

Fantasy violence is ok because no one really gets hurt.
Fantasy sex is stupid because no one really gets laid.

 

[Rogue765]

Kilroy for teh win.

 

[ardentmoth]

I have read and re-read this book a few times (don't lawl; if you own it, you probably have too) looking for a reason to use it's contents. Aside from ONE PrC (the name of which escapes me at the moment), I have come to the conclusion that this is a book that is best used by someone who absolutely MUST have all the rules and setting planned out entirely. For those with a penchant for Myers-Briggs, an INTJ would love this book.

I personally don't.

I find the pictures silly (which isn't much of a problem, considering some of the core-books' silly artwork at times), the magic ridiculous (have the authors ever actually HAD sex? it's ridiculous to say that someone could want to do something other than sex, like cast a spell, while doing so, for starters), and the information (like racial views on sex and taboos) MORE than obvious.

Score: 2/5