What We Lose When We Eliminate Controversial Content

[MGibster]

When I think of Bass Reeves, the fact that he was born into slavery is an interesting footnote, it does make his accomplishments a bit more remarkable, but even without knowing his origins it's still a compelling story.

 

[Kaodi]

If a bunch of PCs goes out after a dragon that's been ravaging the countryside, ... , there's no "historical crime" (as I think you are using the term) involved.

It cannot be a crime to be a flying lizard with big teeth but I would suggest that "ravaging the countryside" absolutely is a historical crime. When you are on fire I cannot imagine it makes much difference whether lizards or marauders did the deed.

 

[billd91]

It cannot be a crime to be a flying lizard with big teeth but I would suggest that "ravaging the countryside" absolutely is a historical crime. When you are on fire I cannot imagine it makes much difference whether lizards or marauders did the deed.

Well, it will be a historical crime. If the dragon is still actively doing it or it's very recent and could happen again, it's more of a contemporary crime.

 

[Umbran]

It cannot be a crime to be a flying lizard with big teeth but I would suggest that "ravaging the countryside" absolutely is a historical crime.

I don't believe, "it happened less than a week ago," is really what is meant by, "historical crime," but whatever.

When you are on fire I cannot imagine it makes much difference whether lizards or marauders did the deed.

Well, if you've been on fire long enough for people to write history books about how your being on fire has impacted the development of local culture, that's probably kind of relevant to everyone concerned.

 

[Kaodi]

I don't believe, "it happened less than a week ago," is really what is meant by, "historical crime," but whatever.

Ravaging of countrysides by armies has been the rule rather than the exception for thousands of years. The Transatlantic slave trade is relatively recent compared to the full history of ravaged countrysides. If you look back at the probably simplistic reasoning for the feudal contract it was that the peasants or serfs were trading their essentials freedoms precisely for protection from their countrysides being ravaged which would suggest to me that having your countryside ravaged by people rather than lizards was still pretty awful.

 

[Umbran]

Ravaging of countrysides by armies has been the rule rather than the exception for thousands of years.

Yes. Completely orthogonal to my point, though.

 

[MGibster]

At my request, I asked my brother-in-law to take me to the Game Workshop store while I was visiting in San Diego. My brother-in-law is a combat veteran who has killed people, had people try to kill him, has seen comrades die, and has seen the broken bodies of men, women, and children. What I'm getting at is the man knows first hand what war is like and visiting the Games Workshop store was interesting experience for the both of us.

What he doesn't know is a darn thing about table top war miniatures war games or role playing games, and he was a little taken aback. How could we have fun pretending to do something that has left so many dead or physical and mentally scarred? We had quite the conversation about it on the way home. Yeah, the games I play leave out the worst elements. If my tank misses its target, we don't see how many civilians are killed. We I take casualties, I don't have to deal with the Imperium Veterans Administration once my soldiers are discharged.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

See this right here is what's irritating... We have a black (African) figure known for an amazing thing, and who has so much capability and potential in his abilities and intelligence but you've tied his entire identity to slavery... do you know how often this happens to black historical figures, characters, heroes, etc. It's a tiring old trope. He isn't great because he was a slave... he's just a great historical figure who accomplished something amazing. If you enjoy this trope have at it but I think (besides placing him in the situation to become a samurai) you are giving way too much credit to slavery as opposed to the actual man.

Personally, the fact that he rose from the shackles of slavery to the rarefied air of being a samurai makes his story all the more impressive. Excising that element from his story diminishes his accomplishments, IMHO. Those hardships doubtlessly shaped his mind and willpower as surely as whetstones shaped the edge of his katana.

Cutting that it would be like cutting out Spartacus’ time as a slave. Or Andrew Carnegie’s time working as a coal miner.

 

[MGibster]

Personally, the fact that he rose from the shackles of slavery to the rarefied air of being a samurai makes his story all the more impressive. Excising that element from his story diminishes his accomplishments, IMHO. Those hardships doubtlessly shaped his mind and willpower as surely as whetstones shaped the edge of his katana.

The coolest thing about him is that he's one of those people a GM might say, "Your character is too unrealistic. Come up with a different more realistic background."

 

[Smackpixi]

How could we have fun pretending to do something that has left so many dead or physical and mentally scarred?

Was your brother-in-law unaware of Call of Duty as well?