The Book of Vile Darkness -- bad idea?

[kenjib]

I'm not sure if it will hurt D&D politically. I'm also not fond of needless sexualization and I hope that the whole prostitution thing doesn't materialize as all that much when we see the book. I also hope it doesn't deal with rape, IMO that's not really something that should be played around with - however I doubt that the book will bring that topic up.

All that said, I do think that rules for human sacrifice and selling your soul to dark, demonic, forces are very important to a fantasy roleplaying game. They are archetypal villain themes central to sizable amounts of literature in the genre.

I'll have to wait and see before I can judge for sure since it's still kind of vague exactly what is in this book, but my prediction at this point is that the book is a good idea. Is it so wrong to be finally able to recreate someone like Mola-Ram from Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom for our heroes to destroy?

 

[Ulrick]

One more thing:

If anybody remembers (or cares), I posted something a while ago joking about turning D&D into a religion. I just went on about how it would worship Gary Gygax and so on...

Monte Cook was the High Priest.

Ulrick

 

[Brekke]

The right wing religious fanatics are to busy burning Harry Potter books to really care about Monte's new book. As a parent I would not have been thrilled for my son to read such a book when he was young. So I would not have allowed him to have it. But I would not have any problem with it being published.

When he was little I monitered the games he played in I would not have allowed him to play in a heavy evil campiagn. He usually played Ninja turtles.

I am looking forward to the book. Great villians make for better and exiciting role playing.

 

[Dahak]

So? The whole "D&D is Satanic!" fervor was the best marketing campaign D&D ever had!

There's a certain degree of truth to this. I specifically badgered my parents to buy me a D&D set in the early 80s, because I had read how it was satanic, and would make me commit suicide. Being the strong willed lad I was, I couldn't pass up THAT challenge. Little did I suspect I would actually like the game....

 

[Falanor]

"I'm also not fond of needless sexualization and I hope that the whole prostitution thing doesn't materialize as all that much when we see the book. " -- kenjib

On Monte Cook's site in the message boards he has talked about how the prostitution thing wasn't in the book and had no idea how that it would be in the book unless someone added something to it after he had turned it in. So, once more, according to Monte, prostitution will not be in this book.

 

[bondetamp]

1. Infernalism: The Path of Screams--this details infernalism in the White Wolf setting.
2. My Vampire: The Masquerade and Dark Ages books.
3. A Guide to Hell
4. Legions of Hell
5. Relics and Rituals--uh, that rune on the front looks like an altered pentagram.

All highly acclaimed books. Sometimes it seems that game designers make a special effort when dealing with something that they know is controversial. Shoah, Charnel Houses of Europe is very good too, even though it is probably the darkest subject ever to be dealt with in a game book.

I remember being very, very pleased with V: DA when I got it, even if I didn't really want to play a Dark Ages campaign.

 

[SSS-Druid]

Let's be honest, folks.

The majority of the world doesn't care. Our hobby is hardly the only one that deals with what some may consider distasteful subject matter. This is hardly going to turn some kind of spotlight on Dungeons & Dragons.

And, let's face it - the best thing, economically speaking, that could happen from this is there was a huge media outcry. Nothing fuels the seeminly inherent human need to be cutting edge, avant garde and rebellious like buying into That Evil Thing that 20/20, Newsweek, The 700 Club and Sally Jesse Whosyermama are screaming about.

Case in point: Marilyn Manson.

As for those fanatics who already hate us? Please. We could fill our hobby with Care Bears and Marshmallow Princesses, and they'd still despise us because we are a convenient scapegoat - we are small in number and, to some extent, already considered "not normal."

In short, they don't give a damn what our books are actually about - they have made up their minds, and we sure as hell aren't going to change them. So stop reacting to their vociferous shrieking and cringing at the possibility of their displeasure. It doesn't matter.

What we need to do right now is just focus on making damned good material used to run compelling and interesting games. I for one am sick of "evil" being a convenient game designation and its adherents being some kind of Snidely Whiplash, moustache-twisting, hand-wringing ninny.

Gimme evil, Monte. I'm a grown up. My mommy says so.

 

[Bran Blackbyrd]

Being too afraid of public reaction to innovate is a bad thing. Wait until it is out before judgment is passed, I say.

Naysayers = Blah, blah, blah.

If we had found out about this before it was already finished and on it's final road to distribution then maybe moaning about whether it's a good or bad idea would be productive. But to worry about it at this point is a waste of time. I think it sounds interesting, I do not know if I will get it, partially because I've spent a lot of money on D&D lately...

Only so much hot air... As always, buy it if you want it, don't if you don't.

 

[Numion]

I wouldn't want some US bigots to prevent me from getting my D&D fix of Evil. Isn't the saying 'Live and let live' familiar to anyone? If the whatever thing you are doing isn't harming anyone else besides you, then just do it..

And whats up with the word evil and americans? In Finland people seldom use the word 'evil'. I just can't imagine our president describing whole countries as evil, for example. So lighten up, people.

Yeah Monte, bring it on.

 

[DungeonKeeperUK]

Tricky footing this one, personally I don't have a problem with adn possibly may even buy it, I've already used such themes in my games over the years but would b einterested in seeing how Monte gets them down..

But... Not sure it was a good idea for WoC to knock something like this out, it may very well open the flood gates for less tasteful stuff to get onto the market..

There again... It was bound to happen one day, and if anyone can handle it the way we hope its going to be handled it has to be Monte with the WoC lawyers breathing down his neck to make sure its not too explicit.....