Game WISH 75: Religion and Controversy
WISH 75: Religion and Controversy
A lot of neogamers I play with are uncomfortable with taking real religions and putting them into play. With all the “Satanist” backlash against D&D that there’s been, do you feel comfortable having any religion in your games? Do you scrub it of anything controversial?
Does the “Satanist” backlash even really still apply in any meaningful way, or has it faded so far from mainstream thought (sites like this and this sure aren’t mainstream) that it doesn’t even matter to most gamers anymore?
Anyway, the subject of including real religions in a game is, of course, a delicate one. I think the important thing is to know your gaming group, and be aware of when you might risk offending someone. It would almost seem to go without saying that you should avoid any of the obvious religious stereotypes when portraying a PC/NPC, since that’s just lazy roleplaying even if no one in the group is personally offended. Beyond that it becomes trickier, and there aren’t any hard and fast rules to follow. It would seem a shame to just skip the subject entirely though, as it can certainly add another dimension to either a character or a campaign.
December 7th, 2003 at 12:31 pm
I don’t think that even if it still were an issue that offended certain people it would really matter in the long run. One of the reasons that I personally don’t use “real world” religions in my games is that Earth’s religions aren’t really geared to “deliver the goods” in a real and regular sense. Most if not all of the world’s religions focus on miracles as subtle or all pervading things that cannot neccessarily be focused and pointed at. I’m not sure that the doctrines of Faith in the absence of evidence would stand up against the “reality” of everyday visible, lasting miracles (healing, summonings, fiery blasts, etc.)
Besides, who want’s to be a cleric for a god that doesn’t tell you directly, regularly, and in no uncertain terms what they do or don’t want done?