Use of BoEF, N&D, Nymphology or the GUCK

[Wombat]

A friend of mine picked up Nymphology. It appears to be a (very slightly) cute read, but otherwise of no real need or use in my games.

I can fathom no need or use for any of the others in any game I might potentially run. Yes, we occasionally have sexual and/or romantic interludes, but needing tables for that? Nah, it is strictly a story-telling moment.

Then again, I'm also not really a fan of the BoVD and see no need to pick up the BoED either.

More or less all of these fall into "Flavour" over "Crunchy Bits" for me 'n' mine...

 

[The Souljourner]

I voted "No. Sex and eroticism have no place in the game and I won't use any of these sources."

While that's not strictly true, about the most we get into is "I try to pick up the barmaid".

I play D&D with 4-6 other mid 20s straight men, and don't really feel comfortable going into the nitty gritty of sex in that situation. Come to think of it, I might be even less likely if females were present. I'm no prude, I like porn as much as the next guy, but it's just not something I'd do with a bunch of my friends.

Besides the fact, as Gez said... if something like pregnancy did come into a game (a possibility), there's no need for a huge book about what happens. There's a point where the rules have to stop and the DM has to fudge it. Rules should cover magic, movement, and combat, and that should be about it.

This is going to sound insulting, and I apologize, but I can't help but think that these are the types of things written by and for 13 year old boys. Who else would be so obsessed about this kind of thing in a setting like D&D?

If you want to play Viking and Villager with your spouse, go for it, but I think most people wouldn't do it in a group setting, and that's the kind of thing these books address.

-The Souljourner

 

[Teflon Billy]

I voted for the "no/best left to the imagination" option.

It seems to be the most popular one thus far.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Hunter seems pretty ... adamant ... about making sure people vote on "All Of The Products".

*shrugs*

You made the poll. If you don't want a "no" vote because three of the products we won't use and one of them we may pick up and read in a store and laugh at, then you should have included those options.

Telling folks their vote was "incorrect" because they thought one product was funny sort of invalidates your own choices. Personally I've never seen Nymphology or Naughty and Dice. I voted because I don't need them, even if I don't know what they are. If I see the funny one in a store, maybe I'll pick it up and laugh at it. Does that invalidate my answer? I don't think so, personally.

--fje

 

[Gez]

Besides the fact, as Gez said... if something like pregnancy did come into a game (a possibility), there's no need for a huge book about what happens. There's a point where the rules have to stop and the DM has to fudge it. Rules should cover magic, movement, and combat, and that should be about it.

Pregnancy is something big. Even without a book of rules, with month-by-month charts and modifiers, it's blatant a pregnant PC is going to be hampered in her capacity to adventure and do all the stuff adventurers do (sprinting, fighting, getting caught in fireballs, having rocks thrown upon by giants, riding, crawling, pickpocketing bypassers, sneaking inside a mansion, carrying dozens of pounds of loot).

So, if the story allows such a thing and the player wants it -- no problem. It has happened already, in Ars Magica games (but a covenant is a rather safe place, and several seasons may pass quietly).

If, on the other hand, it would just be harmful to the story or the player is opposed to, then no.

(Remember, by the way, that quality of stories in RPG is not necessarily litterary quality. First and foremost, it's the fun everyone has. It's a game, after all.)

As an example, I've a character that eventually wants to bear children. Being an aristocrat and all, it's her duty toward her family to make sure her bloodline don't dies out. But it's out of question as long as she's forced to exile and mercenary conditions, when she'll have gathered enough money to be "on vacation" in a small palace with numerous servants, then the conditions will be OK. Meanwhile, well, her and her husband just have to make sure their intercourses are not fertile. No need to describe anything, though.

 

[hunter1828]

Hunter seems pretty ... adamant ... about making sure people vote on "All Of The Products".

No, I simply want people to understand that I'm polling about more than just the BoEF. That's all. Nothing more. Don't read more into it than is there. Thanks.

Telling folks their vote was "incorrect" because they thought one product was funny sort of invalidates your own choices. Personally I've never seen Nymphology or Naughty and Dice. I voted because I don't need them, even if I don't know what they are. If I see the funny one in a store, maybe I'll pick it up and laugh at it. Does that invalidate my answer? I don't think so, personally.

--fje

I did no such thing. I asked one person if there vote was incorrect after that person indicated that two of the four items got "nods" from him for certain elements therein. I wanted to make sure we were on the same page. Again, don't read more into it than is there.

hunter1828

 

[hunter1828]

Pregnancy is something big.

Yes, it is. One of the PCs in my primary campaign became pregnant (will of the gods and a major part of the storyline). This was back in 2e and we used elements from the old GUCK (not the whole thing, just a few things) to figure in how the pregnancy would affect her. Luckily, the company was beginning winter camp when she became pregnant, so she didn't have to worry too much about riding horses, fighting orcs, etc. She ended up spending most of her time in a makeshift lab working on an original spell.

One of the hardest things for the player was actually making another player understand that her character couldn't just leap into the saddle and ride off like the wind when she was 7 months pregnant. He never quite got it. She did end up using Tenser's Floating Disc quite a bit to provide some mobility, which was very clever!

We didn't need the GUCK for the whole thing, but a few things in there certainly were used. I also made up a couple of things myself. If this sort of thing happens again (I'm not planning it) we will probably use elements from the BoEF if they fit what we want to do.

hunter1828

 

[Kahuna Burger]

You made the poll. If you don't want a "no" vote because three of the products we won't use and one of them we may pick up and read in a store and laugh at, then you should have included those options.

yeah, aside from the fact that people are going to answer based on their reactions to the majority of the product, not give a false endorsement of the whole group, the poll options were slanted towards talking about the mechanical and IN GAME applications of the content. If he wanted people to vote "yes" for humor value, he could have included the option... guess we need yet another poll to squeeze every possible yes vote he could get for any group that includes BOEF...

And hey, I love all the "don't read too much into it" responses. Why not just say "don't point out the blatant slant I'm putting on this and my obvious agenda... cause if I say its not you'll just accept that, right?" we're not reading in, we're reading.

kahuna burger

 

[hunter1828]

yeah, aside from the fact that people are going to answer based on their reactions to the majority of the product, not give a false endorsement of the whole group, the poll options were slanted towards talking about the mechanical and IN GAME applications of the content. If he wanted people to vote "yes" for humor value, he could have included the option... guess we need yet another poll to squeeze every possible yes vote he could get for any group that includes BOEF...

And hey, I love all the "don't read too much into it" responses. Why not just say "don't point out the blatant slant I'm putting on this and my obvious agenda... cause if I say its not you'll just accept that, right?" we're not reading in, we're reading.

kahuna burger

I have no agenda. I just wanted more choices. If that's an agenda...well, then more choices for everyone.

WTF? I mean, I'm trying to get a better feel for this thing (which has been working for me). I'm not trying to convince anyone I'm right. I'm not trying to point out people's opinions are wrong. I'm not trying to slant the vote (look at the voting, the majority still say no...but I have a better idea now of why they say no).

Jesus...



hunter1828

 

[fusangite]

I appreciate the additional choices; if they reflect a different agenda, I'm unable to perceive it. Could those who argue that there is an agenda spell it out a little more clearly for those of us slower on the uptake?