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<blockquote data-quote="Baron Opal II" data-source="post: 8508121" data-attributes="member: 6794067">I think that most important rule of D&amp;D is &quot;Don't be a jerk.&quot; It's a social activity with current or potential friends as much as it is a game.When looking at, say, rashashas and coatls, they have a particular place in the stories and myths of the cultures that they came from. I certainly encourage reading stories from and about those cultures, they're quite engaging! Should you do so, you then have the opportunity to look at the game interpretation of those creatures as represented by their stats and see if it is a faithful enough representation. If so, good. If not, make changes.It is important to note here that what we are discussing are monstrous creatures. These aren't humans that might reinforce objectionable stereotypes (the Vistani) or another culture that's been insensitively coded as a monstrous humanoid (hobgoblins as Mongols). These are mythical creatures that have a non-human physique and a substantially supernatural aspect to their being. If you wanted to place the nation of Vendhya in that tropical region over there, fine! This gives you an opportunity to think about why this collection of supernatural beings adopted some of their dress and perhaps culture. I don't believe that simply having a monster from a different culture is insulting or problematic. You are also (presumably) not writing something for publication. Don't use the culture's monster as representitive of the culture itself, and you're fine. If someone from that culture tells you there is a problem, listen of course. Otherwise I think you should be good.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Baron Opal II, post: 8508121, member: 6794067"] I think that most important rule of D&D is "Don't be a jerk." It's a social activity with current or potential friends as much as it is a game. When looking at, say, rashashas and coatls, they have a particular place in the stories and myths of the cultures that they came from. I certainly encourage reading stories from and about those cultures, they're quite engaging! Should you do so, you then have the opportunity to look at the game interpretation of those creatures as represented by their stats and see if it is a faithful enough representation. If so, good. If not, make changes. It is important to note here that what we are discussing are [I]monstrous creatures[/I]. These aren't humans that might reinforce objectionable stereotypes (the Vistani) or another culture that's been insensitively coded as a monstrous humanoid (hobgoblins as Mongols). These are mythical creatures that have a non-human physique and a substantially supernatural aspect to their being. If you wanted to place the nation of Vendhya in that tropical region over there, fine! This gives you an opportunity to think about why this collection of supernatural beings adopted some of their dress and perhaps culture. I don't believe that simply having a monster from a different culture is insulting or problematic. You are also (presumably) not writing something for publication. Don't use the culture's monster as representitive of the culture itself, and you're fine. If someone from that culture tells you there is a problem, listen of course. Otherwise I think you should be good. [/QUOTE]

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