D&D 5E What’s So Great About Medieval Europe?

[Guest 6801328]

That's the kind of costume I'd expect to see someone wearing in a costume party themed around sexual fantasies...

Yeah, that's pretty much how this particular guy sees Halloween.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Likewise, Rocket Man received criticism from groups in the US because the actor playing Elton John is not gay in real life.

You know what pisses me off? When they let non-ninjas portray real ninjas in martial arts films.

 

[MGibster]

Let's take care and not make light of the very real problems with portrayals of individuals and groups that has given rise to the backlash against cultural appropriation. I might not agree with a blanket condemnation of appropriation when it's directed in only one direction, but I can see that such belief didn't arise in a vacuum without cause.

 

[Imaro]

However, there's not a good general way to define what should and shouldn't be culturally offensive for a society comprised of multiple cultures as a whole.

Ding, ding, ding. And this is why it's important to have (preferably multiple someones) from the culture you have chosen to use as the basis for your pastiche fantasy rpg writing for it and if that's truly not an option try to consult with some members of the culture in question before publishing it.

It's not about having enough academic knowledge (which usually has it's own bias viewpoint) to create a realistic or super accurate facsimile of the culture (does anyone really believe D&D, especially in its current edition is an accurate European life & culture simulator?). It's about understanding the cultural mores, landscape, history of the people as well as how they think and feel about their representation by others well enough that you do not offend them with how you choose to structure your pastiche of their culture but also (at least in the case of a D&D-esque rpg) empower them through their own lens and ideas of cool to be the heroes of said pastiche.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

And DnD is not monolithic neither.
Persian, Chinese and Japanese culture at this time have much more to offer to DnD fantasy than European.

Im hoping this is some weird kind of sarcasm. If not its just a really weird comment. I found it funny. If it is meant to be sarcastic thumbs up even though i dont fully get it. If not, well, like i said, weird. Im really unsure what this comment is though. You do you.

 

[Jester David]

More than said my piece on the subject of cultural appropriate and this thread, so I think I'll walk away now before I get irritated and bow out by saying "Watch Baahubali."

It's two films. Both were on Netflix. It's like 300 but over two generations and with song-and-dance numbers.
You'll want to forget everything I said about cultural appropriation (if you already cared) and run a game in fantasy India.

Watch Baahubali.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Ding, ding, ding. And this is why it's important to have (preferably multiple someones) from the culture you have chosen to use as the basis for your pastiche fantasy rpg writing for it and if that's truly not an option try to consult with some members of the culture in question before publishing it.

It's not about having enough academic knowledge (which usually has it's own bias viewpoint) to create a realistic or super accurate facsimile of the culture (does anyone really believe D&D, especially in its current edition is an accurate European life & culture simulator?). It's about understanding the cultural mores, landscape, history of the people as well as how they think and feel about their representation by others well enough that you do not offend them with how you choose to structure your pastiche of their culture but also (at least in the case of a D&D-esque rpg) empower them through their own lens and ideas of cool to be the heroes of said pastiche.

No. It is about having the "academic knowledge" as you termed it. All the other information you later mentioned can still be considered "academic knowledge". If you know something you know it. If you dont you dont.

 

[Argyle King]

Ding, ding, ding. And this is why it's important to have (preferably multiple someones) from the culture you have chosen to use as the basis for your pastiche fantasy rpg writing for it and if that's truly not an option try to consult with some members of the culture in question before publishing it.

It's not about having enough academic knowledge (which usually has it's own bias viewpoint) to create a realistic or super accurate facsimile of the culture (does anyone really believe D&D, especially in its current edition is an accurate European life & culture simulator?). It's about understanding the cultural mores, landscape, history of the people as well as how they think and feel about their representation by others well enough that you do not offend them with how you choose to structure your pastiche of their culture but also (at least in the case of a D&D-esque rpg) empower them through their own lens and ideas of cool to be the heroes of said pastiche.

True, though that runs into a problem I mentioned in a previous post. Is there some objective measure of whether or not an individual is enough of an authority -or a genuine enough member of a group- to be deemed appropriate?

While I do agree that it is important to have different perspectives, I also imagine that an rpg supplement written by Kanye West may be drastically different than one written by Zora Neale Hurston. Would one be viewed as more correct than the other?

 

[Imaro]

True, though that runs into a problem I mentioned in a previous post. Is there some objective measure of whether or not an individual is enough of an authority -or a genuine enough member of a group- to be deemed appropriate?

While I do agree that it is important to have different perspectives, I also imagine that an rpg supplement written by Kanye West may be drastically different than one written by Zora Neale Hurston. Would one be viewed as more correct than the other?

Can you tell me why you'd think that? Honestly it seems too vague a question...an rpg supplement on what?

EDIT: To further elaborate on your question that's why I said multiple people of said culture... in the same way you would playtest a games mechanics with multiple people... no one person will give you a good grasp of a culture as a whole.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

More than said my piece on the subject of cultural appropriate and this thread, so I think I'll walk away now before I get irritated and bow out by saying "Watch Baahubali."

It's two films. Both were on Netflix. It's like 300 but over two generations and with song-and-dance numbers.
You'll want to forget everything I said about cultural appropriation (if you already cared) and run a game in fantasy India.

Watch Baahubali.

1. i ignore all concerns about cultural appropriation. No offense. I just disagree with the idea.

2. Ancient india is one of my favorite inspirations for settings in my d&d cosmology. I in fact have run games that are heavily inspired by india. Its mythology is beautiful and has close mythological ties to ancient norse myth (which is the primary mythological inspiration for my overal cosmology). Ancient hindu religion and ancient norse religion are basically siblings.