Why is The Book of Exalted Deeds for Mature Readers?

shadow · Oct 30, 2003

The official reason: BoED contains references and stats to real world religions (e.g. the stigmata feat, the "Shroud of Turin"-like artifact.)

The real reason: Putting a "mature audiences only" label on it is a sure way to increase sales.

RobNJ · Oct 30, 2003

mythago said:
1984 isn't a d20 product, it's a book. Most books are not rated.

As far as I'm concerned, there's no reason for d20 products to be rated, either.

Psion · Oct 30, 2003

RobNJ said:
As far as I'm concerned, there's no reason for d20 products to be rated, either.

Voluntary self-rating bugs you? Don't join the Science Fiction Book Club then. Many entries are listed with explicit situations/language - intended for mature readers.

RobNJ · Oct 30, 2003

Psion said:
Voluntary self-rating bugs you?

Yeah. It's often not fully voluntary but, rather, something more like "do it before we do it for you." Even if there's been no expressed threat, self-censorship is usually done out of a worry that there would be threats to freedom if the creative body doesn't do it itself.

Psion · Oct 30, 2003

RobNJ said:
Yeah. It's often not fully voluntary but, rather, something more like "do it before we do it for you." Even if there's been no expressed threat, self-censorship is usually done out of a worry that there would be threats to freedom if the creative body doesn't do it itself.

So addressing the desires of the community before it becomes a problem is a bad thing then? Since nobody is stopping you from buying anything, I fail to see how that's a problem. Lord forbid that we inform a potential audience of the nature of the contents of a product they are considering buying.

Faraer · Oct 30, 2003

It's not for the sake of the community, it's for the sake of a tiny minority of loudmouthed prudes.

Psion · Oct 30, 2003

You have demographics to back that up, right?

Even if true, I (again) fail to see the harm in actually communicating the nature of the contents of a product.

RobNJ · Oct 30, 2003

Psion said:
You have demographics to back that up, right?

Even if true, I (again) fail to see the harm in actually communicating the nature of the contents of a product.

I don't think this is going to be a fruitful discussion. I don't think that labels gain anyone anything, that they don't give very much information and instead mostly serve as a thin prophylactic over the fears of people who don't consume the product in the first place, and on the other side, publishers' lawyers.

I don't like warning labels because they remind me that right behind that veneer of voluntary cooperation lies vicious threat of legislation and moral censure. I don't believe they exist to inform the buying public, and I don't care whether publishers say that's their purpose. I don't believe them.

Psion · Oct 30, 2003

RobNJ said:
I don't think this is going to be a fruitful discussion. I don't think that labels gain anyone anything, that they don't give very much information

Not very much to you, perhaps, but a peice of information that I -- and other readers -- find important. I refer you again to the SFBC. Notices of mature content were appreciated by myself in the decision making process. Yet you would deny me that because you don't personally find it useful.

Trainz · Oct 30, 2003

Psion, it's a marketing stunt, that's all. There is nothing offensive in the BoED that is more offensive than the Monster Manual.

By your logic, they should have put a WARNING! on the MM. It does contain racy pictures. Hell, it deals with Demons and Devils. Demons and Devils are more offending to religious folks than Stygmata.

Dealing with religious issues is not a matter of maturity, it's a matter of personal values. Religious content might offend a 60 year old, while being O.K. to a 12 year old (I do not think that it will offend anyone, but I'm humoring you for argument sake). Note that the book doesn't promote a religion over another. It has a christian bent, but nowhere does it promote it against other religions.

Nudity, on the other hand, WILL have an effect on a 12 year old. As will profanity, and violence. Which is why warnings are issued on such products.

If they wanted to advise people about the religious content, they should have written :" Contains material dealing with religious issues ".

No, instead they put:

WARNING!
Content is
intended
for mature
audiences only.

That, my friend, is nothing but a big tease.