You Don't Talk Shop at the Dinner Table

[GQuail]

There's one guy in particular in my group for whom the topics of Politics and Religion are a disaster area. It's not that hte others don't have differing views with each other - it's that if I let him bring it up at any time, he will bring it up, and then go on at length.

For the most part, though, we have no hard and fast rules. We're all old friends so we know each other well enough to know better on some topics.

 

[The Human Target]

Most of my players have fairly similar views on politics/religion, but I've had one or two of em that stood out in that regards.

It was never an issue at the gaming table though.

The table at Applebee's waiting for dinner is another matter entirely.

 

[Turjan]

I wasn't allowed to talk about my research back when my monday mornings would routinely have ten lbs of intestines in a cooler waiting for me around 9am where I work.

Heh, I was so used to talk about removed intestines and whether they were sufficiently flushed or not during lunch break that I had to be reminded that not everyone likes that as conversation at the table .

 

[DragonLancer]

Nothing is restricted at my gaming table. Anything is there for discussion just as it should be anywhere.

 

[Dykstrav]

Discussing any subject at the table has never been taboo for my groups. I don't think it ever should be. Personally, I think one of the worst statements about your thoughts/beliefs is that you can't discuss them reasonably with other people. If you can't make your point without devolving into a shouting match, you're not doing a terribly good job of convincing me of anything. I'm certainly willing to entertain ideas vastly different than my own, and quite honestly, a game (or any other social group) where everyone else had the same ideas as me would be boring.

I'm a Prodestant Christian and somewhat conservative in my politics. I've played RPGs with alot of other Prodestant Christians, Atheists/Agnostics, Jews, Catholics, Taoists, Buddist/Shintoists, Wiccans, and Hellenic pagans. I've played with conservatives, liberals, moderates, self-avowed communists and socialists. These aren't people that I would see at church on Sunday morning, but so what? (As an aside note, the people I tend to get along with least are other Prodestants!) D&D isn't supposed to be a forum to discuss public opinion (at least directly). Whether or not I agree with these people on on religious or political issues has no bearing on whether or not I can sit beside them to roll dice and pretend like I'm killing a dragon.

I don't like saying that we can never talk about certain things, because by barring discussion, we don't change our ideas about them. Without communicating different thoughts and ideas, we are never challenged and we never rethink our lives.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Interesting topic. In the two groups I am in the views are pretty varied on both politics and relgion. Though the topics come up from time to time, I, as the GM in both groups am not concerned about the debates so much as I am the slowing down of the game. Besides, the people are very civil and never press their points. The only person who gets kind of obnoxious is this hardcore left wing person who considers everyone not on board with his agenda a right wing nut!

It is kind of cute, actually.

 

[Ibram]

The table is wide open, though my players are close outside of the game. We all share similar (though not identical) views on most major issues.

 

[Ranes]

Between twelve and twenty people turn up regularly for D&D at my group (with two or three concurrent games being run accordingly). About two dozen more show up occasionally. As a group, we have a fairly cosmopolitan demographic.

As far as I know, there are no taboo subjects. I'm also blissfully unaware of the political or religious views of most members of the group. I know that I personally won't tolerate any form of bigotry, whether it's directed at another group member or not. Given that I'm the group organiser and I'm not the acquiescent type, if I heard something I disapproved of, I'd do something about it. Thus far, however, it's all been good.

 

[Yttrai]

Everyone I play with has the same political and religious views and are friends outside of gaming, and I wouldn't want to game with them otherwise.

Variety = spice of life, dude!

Or is that melange......

My mature group and i don't discuss it, much, because i know full well our political views are WILDLY different. I am a frothing at the mouth feminist, treehugger, and scientist, and we have a military type, some republicans, and people who believe deeply in things i consider scientifically unsound. But we all respect each other, and so far other than a few "Oh, well, i _totally_ don't believe that but you certainly can!" we just don't get into it.

My immature group and i spend too much time being immature to get into "grown up" topics like politics or religion. Realism in the D&D cartoon is WAY more important

 

[orchid blossom]

Politics and religion are a no-no at the D&D game I play in, but not amongst the group of people I play with. If we're getting together for some other reason, football game, summer cook-out, whatever, both topics are fair game. But we stay away from them at game sessions since they're the topics most likely to take us farthest off topic for the longest amount of time.