WFRP Social Justice & Representation

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Herr Arnulfe
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With the social justice movements of recent years (e.g. LGBTQ, MeToo, BLM etc.) where do you feel WFRP stands (or should stand) in terms of representation? Are you open to WFRP re-balancing racial and gender roles as Age of Sigmar did? How far should WFRP stray from medieval demographic simulation?

Have you explored any modern social issues in your games? If so, which ones and how? Theoretically the newer version of Chaos (WFB 7e/8e) seems ideal for games about punching nazis and misogynists in the face, but perhaps not so great for exploring moral shades of grey. Just trying to get a sense of the types of "human interest" stories WFRP should be exploring in 2020.
Robin
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I would like to see roleplaying in general have a far wider player base, so I'm all for increased representation in all areas. Some people might complain that it's unrealistic and breaks their immersion to see to an Altdorfian Watchwoman with Cathayan heritage... but I see a character with a story to be told. I can see a picture of this woman without thinking that the setting has been turned on its head. She's a minority in the setting, perhaps even a minority of one, but there's nothing wrong with her being depicted, especially if it says to a real person that someone like them can exist in the setting and be played by them.

As for moral greyness, that's slightly more of a challenge. The setting - or the way the setting is depicted in the supplements and scenarios - has to avoid causing offence, being deliberating provocative, or promoting problematic behaviour, while leaving room for GMs and players who want to deal with challenging issues (hopefully in a grown-up manner).

Regards,
Robin
Herr Arnulfe
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Robin wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:07 amAs for moral greyness, that's slightly more of a challenge. The setting - or the way the setting is depicted in the supplements and scenarios - has to avoid causing offence, being deliberating provocative, or promoting problematic behaviour, while leaving room for GMs and players who want to deal with challenging issues (hopefully in a grown-up manner).
I was thinking about this in the context of Covid-19 the other day. In the past I found Nurgle relatable in the abstract, but now that people are actually having "Covid parties" and cults of Nurgle are practically a real thing, I find myself not relating at all. But in the newer Warhammer canon Chaos is supposed to be alien and unrelatable (i.e. not integral to human nature as it was in previous canon). So maybe rather than exploring the loneliness that leads people into Nurgle's warm embrace, modern WFRP should be telling stories about punching anti-maskers in the face because they're agents of Chaos and therefore evil?
Robin
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Herr Arnulfe wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:28 am I was thinking about this in the context of Covid-19 the other day. In the past I found Nurgle relatable in the abstract, but now that people are actually having "Covid parties" and cults of Nurgle are practically a real thing, I find myself not relating at all. But in the newer Warhammer canon Chaos is supposed to be alien and unrelatable (i.e. not integral to human nature as it was in previous canon). So maybe rather than exploring the loneliness that leads people into Nurgle's warm embrace, modern WFRP should be telling stories about punching anti-maskers in the face because they're agents of Chaos and therefore evil?
Where's this new background coming from? I think I'm a bit out of the loop on this. Chaos being alien and unrelatable fits with the idea of WFRP being a bit Call of Cthulhu, but it doesn't really fit with the cosmology as I understand (or understood) it, which was, as you say, tied to human or mortal natures and emotions. It's a change I could work with, work around or subvert, but I could probably also just ignore it. The thing about WFRP is that it can be about so much more than just Chaos, which is part of what makes it great.

Regards,
Robin
Herr Arnulfe
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Robin wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:49 amWhere's this new background coming from? I think I'm a bit out of the loop on this. Chaos being alien and unrelatable fits with the idea of WFRP being a bit Call of Cthulhu, but it doesn't really fit with the cosmology as I understand (or understood) it, which was, as you say, tied to human or mortal natures and emotions. It's a change I could work with, work around or subvert, but I could probably also just ignore it. The thing about WFRP is that it can be about so much more than just Chaos, which is part of what makes it great.
I believe GW started shifting the definition of Chaos in the late 2000's with the 7e Daemons of Chaos army book. Here's an excerpt from WFB 8e Warriors of Chaos - I believe it was the 8e Daemons of Chaos book that called Chaotic emotions "alien". You're right that Chaos seems more Lovecraftian now.

Only fools claim to understand Chaos, for by definition, Chaos is inhuman and incomprehensible. Mortal sages and mystics who dare ponder the nature of Chaos are driven mad, or else succeed only in attracting the attentions of the fell creatures of Chaos. Many wise men have been carried alive and screaming to the charnel houses of the Realm of Chaos, there to writhe in eternal debate with the Daemons of torment.

Of those who do not heed the warnings, some have claimed that Chaos, in its eternal diversity, has spawned an infinite number of gods, each the collective mirror of one of the many survivalist emotions projected by intelligent beings in the mortal plane. Others say that all the apparently different gods are no more than aspects of one supreme being: The Great Unnameable One, The Abomination, The Eternal Destroyer, The Unspeakable Beast, The Chaos Undivided.

However, the true nature of Chaos is beyond any comprehension. No mortal can hope to understand these matters, and the wise do not puzzle too deeply into the nature of the Chaos Gods, or try to fathom their eternal wars, epic rivalries and ever-shifting bickering.
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Orin J.
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Herr Arnulfe wrote: Wed Jul 15, 2020 4:39 pm With the social justice movements of recent years (e.g. LGBTQ, MeToo, BLM etc.) where do you feel WFRP stands (or should stand) in terms of representation? Are you open to WFRP re-balancing racial and gender roles as Age of Sigmar did? How far should WFRP stray from medieval demographic simulation?

Have you explored any modern social issues in your games? If so, which ones and how? Theoretically the newer version of Chaos (WFB 7e/8e) seems ideal for games about punching nazis and misogynists in the face, but perhaps not so great for exploring moral shades of grey. Just trying to get a sense of the types of "human interest" stories WFRP should be exploring in 2020.
"re-balancing racial and gender roles" is, as the old dude who'd yell at anyone passing his house when i was a kid would say "White nonsense". it's only ever been a way for the privileged to ease the feeling of guilt for what's given them that privilege in society without actually addressing what's wrong. it's far batter to flatly express the racial and cultural moors and how they oppress the underclass groups than to try to find a way to whitewash them out of the setting.

it's a bit funny, really. warhammer is supposed to be "Grimdark" according to the fanbase but it desperately clings to keeping things PG-13 even with the forces of chaos, who are more saturday morning cartoon than anything else. i've done darker storylines in D&D just having the group resolve finding the king's daughter that's gotten lost in their castle.
Robin
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Herr Arnulfe wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:10 am Only fools claim to understand Chaos, for by definition, Chaos is inhuman and incomprehensible. Mortal sages and mystics who dare ponder the nature of Chaos are driven mad, or else succeed only in attracting the attentions of the fell creatures of Chaos. Many wise men have been carried alive and screaming to the charnel houses of the Realm of Chaos, there to writhe in eternal debate with the Daemons of torment.

Of those who do not heed the warnings, some have claimed that Chaos, in its eternal diversity, has spawned an infinite number of gods, each the collective mirror of one of the many survivalist emotions projected by intelligent beings in the mortal plane. Others say that all the apparently different gods are no more than aspects of one supreme being: The Great Unnameable One, The Abomination, The Eternal Destroyer, The Unspeakable Beast, The Chaos Undivided.

However, the true nature of Chaos is beyond any comprehension. No mortal can hope to understand these matters, and the wise do not puzzle too deeply into the nature of the Chaos Gods, or try to fathom their eternal wars, epic rivalries and ever-shifting bickering.
On the plus side, that sounds a lot like in-character narration, so I suppose we're still free to present it as we see fit within our own games. Obviously an issue arises if the nature of Chaos is formally spelt out as out-of-character cosmology or becomes explicitly pertinent to a scenario.

I guess for the writer of official material, the best approach is to avoid the issue altogether or be very subtle about it so it doesn't rock the boat with regard to GW's understanding of the setting.

Regards,
Robin
Robin
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Orin J. wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:46 am
Herr Arnulfe wrote: Wed Jul 15, 2020 4:39 pm With the social justice movements of recent years (e.g. LGBTQ, MeToo, BLM etc.) where do you feel WFRP stands (or should stand) in terms of representation? Are you open to WFRP re-balancing racial and gender roles as Age of Sigmar did? How far should WFRP stray from medieval demographic simulation?

Have you explored any modern social issues in your games? If so, which ones and how? Theoretically the newer version of Chaos (WFB 7e/8e) seems ideal for games about punching nazis and misogynists in the face, but perhaps not so great for exploring moral shades of grey. Just trying to get a sense of the types of "human interest" stories WFRP should be exploring in 2020.
"re-balancing racial and gender roles" is, as the old dude who'd yell at anyone passing his house when i was a kid would say "White nonsense". it's only ever been a way for the privileged to ease the feeling of guilt for what's given them that privilege in society without actually addressing what's wrong. it's far batter to flatly express the racial and cultural moors and how they oppress the underclass groups than to try to find a way to whitewash them out of the setting.
I don't think it's an issue of removing, for example, bigotry from the setting. It's more to do with making real people feel welcome to the game. Representation in terms of art and characters doesn't stop bigotry happening within the game if individual groups feel comfortable with it.
. i've done darker storylines in D&D just having the group resolve finding the king's daughter that's gotten lost in their castle.
Indeed, which just goes to prove that softening some aspects of a setting's image doesn't prevent us from dealing with grimmer or more serious issues.

Regards,
Robin
Herr Arnulfe
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Orin J. wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:46 am"re-balancing racial and gender roles" is, as the old dude who'd yell at anyone passing his house when i was a kid would say "White nonsense". it's only ever been a way for the privileged to ease the feeling of guilt for what's given them that privilege in society without actually addressing what's wrong. it's far batter to flatly express the racial and cultural moors and how they oppress the underclass groups than to try to find a way to whitewash them out of the setting.

it's a bit funny, really. warhammer is supposed to be "Grimdark" according to the fanbase but it desperately clings to keeping things PG-13 even with the forces of chaos, who are more saturday morning cartoon than anything else. i've done darker storylines in D&D just having the group resolve finding the king's daughter that's gotten lost in their castle.
I agree with this to an extent. There ought to be some degree of social injustice in order for the setting to claim its "grim and perilous" title. If the default Empire society is progressive and inclusive, then bigots and murderers are pushed to the fringes. I'm just wondering if it might be possible to reimagine Chaos cults in that context so we can have it both ways. For example, rather than asking players to deal with casual racism in every session, perhaps the racists are secret Khornate cultists that you can uncover and punch in the face guilt-free.
Herr Arnulfe
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Robin wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:53 amOn the plus side, that sounds a lot like in-character narration, so I suppose we're still free to present it as we see fit within our own games. Obviously an issue arises if the nature of Chaos is formally spelt out as out-of-character cosmology or becomes explicitly pertinent to a scenario.

I guess for the writer of official material, the best approach is to avoid the issue altogether or be very subtle about it so it doesn't rock the boat with regard to GW's understanding of the setting.
That's just one quote, but if you read the newer WFB material the message is consistent. Norscans are barbaric monsters with no redeeming qualities. Anyone who came to Warhammer after 2009 would be likely to find Brian Craig-style philosophizing about relative morality jarring. Karl-Franz' mutant tolerance edit in TEW would clearly mark him as a Chaos sympathizer under the new Chaos canon IMO.
Robin
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Herr Arnulfe wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 8:41 amThat's just one quote, but if you read the newer WFB material the message is consistent. Norscans are barbaric monsters with no redeeming qualities. Anyone who came to Warhammer after 2009 would be likely to find Brian Craig-style philosophizing about relative morality jarring. Karl-Franz' mutant tolerance edit in TEW would clearly mark him as a Chaos sympathizer under the new Chaos canon IMO.
I'm must admit to disappointment with the way Norsca has gone over the years. My take is very firmly based on the early days of Warhammer, with the sublime absurdity of Norscans running around in furs and fighting frogmen and punk Amazons in a tropical rainforest.

Here's a simple magic item for you: the Norscan Fur Coat. Made of wolf or bear fur, Norscan Fur Coats are otherwise normal items of fur clothing that Norscan Seam-Enchantresses have stitched with Threads of Balance. Wearing such a coat means that regardless of environment, whether tropical or arctic, the wearer's body remains at a comfortable temperature.

Regards,

Robin
tadcan
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Most of this is from my experience from mostly writing one-shots for conventions and some campaigns.

Maybe it's just me, but I've always ran/viewed WHFRP with moral shades of grey. While there are big epic battles with Chaos the main viewpoint is medieval village/city life with people trying to survive, sometimes by making morally dubious choices that can involve making deals or just doing bad stuff. The duality between that and how people are supposed/outwardly behave to keep up appearances is a core part of how I approach the setting, and try and build into my scenarios.

At Irish cons writers, maybe five/six years ago to put both male and female names on a character sheet and let the player choose, before that some writers would have one token female character which a player of either gender might feel pigeon holed into. This also meant that as I wrote the character background I was writing from their role in the group and how they got there. There is a difference between empathy and personal understanding of a situation which comes up in who plays what role in a media/representation, but this can be overcome a bit with theatre of the mind and as I said before writing from a solid perspective. Some of this was expressed in setting as racism towards elves and nationalism against the Empire or Bretionia, which is something that fiction has done, to present that kind of conflict through a lens that doesn't exist in our world. In the 1980's when much of the early WHFRP stuff was being written there was fights between neo-Nazis and riots from disadvantaged people in Briton that would have been in the news, so there maybe more of a historical influence into the setting that can be used in the current age as well as stereotypes that came through which don't fit any more.

To enhance a campaign background I’d do some online research into Medieval Europe to get tidbits that could be used to enhance the setting and what became apparent is that while their world has lots of horrible stuff, some of the horrible things we face today didn't exist then because they had a different perspective. For example Homophobia, anti-abortion as expressed now comes a lot from the last century of American conservatism.

Other things like up to 10-15% of medieval armies could women fighting, dressed as men. They didn't have a fixed idea of gender the way we did now, so acting like something=you are that and I presume the need to fill the ranks helped that. People were also much more valuable then, without all the labour saving devices, there was always stuff to do. After the black death were women who became doctors because of a shortage in labour, after the crusades which killed many nobles there were more female nobles who rules an area of land. Which in some readings of history helped kick off the witch hunts as a patriarchal power grab of what they perceived as theirs.

Ultimately what matters is between the frame of the game, so it doesn't matter what society thinks about x, these characters are stuck in a situation and they can only solve this by working together. By doing my best to provide each character a point of view, an objective they want to achieve and a sense of agency, which all fits into the narrative of the story with as little bias as I can manage and let the player do the rest. Even if I could magically write characters from these very specific points of view for a one shot that doesn't work as players have different styles of playing and it's better to have room for interpretation. I'm not of the right generation to have a personal understanding of these struggles, especially among the LGBTQI community, as a teenager hearing, ‘that’s so gay’ was a playground insult, but would it have made any more sense or even less sense five hundred years ago then it does now? All I can do is try to have empathy with someone's struggle for identity and a place in the world because as nebulous as that is, it's the nearest frame of reference I have.

The medieval world could be a strange mix of wanting to follow precedent with how previous treaties/agreements were made, but could get bits of different treaties, mash them together and find a new practical solution, which I find strangely relevant as the world changes. Nothing happens cleanly, power doesn't give up without a fight, as history shows and by looking at things like the peasants revolts where ordinary people fought the power for equality, we can find things that reflect the current day through a different lens and provide, like good fiction can, similar themes through a different lens.
Capitaneus Fractus
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There is a contradiction between artists who want to establish coherent and credible universes, build on their own fashion. For artists, what is important is the universe in itself...

... and salesmen who want universe adapted to current fashions, in order to get the broadest audience possible (in order to get as most money as they can). Obviously, it please to most, the universe have to reach the smallest common denominator, id est to become mediocre, and sometime incoherent and not credible (as fashions evolve). For salesmen, what is important isn't the universe anyway, but its popular success.

That is what mostly happened to Warhammer Fantasy since the 1990's.

The question about social justice, social injustice and representation of the universe's society isn't really a consequence of that: It is as much possible to play a woman character, a foreigner or a religious minority in 1980's Warhammer Fantasy, than it is in 2020's Warhammer Fantasy. It is rather that, since the 1990's, Warhammer Fantasy turned from an adult grim baroque very low fantasy to a shining and puerile high fantasy, for the commercial reasons...

Playing a woman, a foreigner or a religious minority in a superstitious, inegalitarian and subjugating society perfectly fit with 1980's grim Warhammer Fantasy and is political, mature, subversive, enlightening and edifying... including for player who might better understand their own world. It is where role playing game might be an art and a real game of society for adults.

Playing a woman, a foreigner or a religious minority in a society who is immaculate of any gender, sexual or ethnic prejudice, is commercial: the willingness to please everyone, to not hurt anybody, to avoid any serious subject and to hide real world problems (who happen to not be immaculate of those prejudices). It is where role playing games became commercialised entertainment for teenagers.

Hence, the whole question isn't about social justice and representation, but about how is it thought and covered...
Veniam, Duelli Malleum, phantasticum ludum personae uidebo, in fera terra periculosorum aduenturorum ludebam.
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Toby Pilling
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Herr Arnulfe wrote: Wed Jul 15, 2020 4:39 pm With the social justice movements of recent years (e.g. LGBTQ, MeToo, BLM etc.) where do you feel WFRP stands (or should stand) in terms of representation? Are you open to WFRP re-balancing racial and gender roles as Age of Sigmar did? How far should WFRP stray from medieval demographic simulation?

Have you explored any modern social issues in your games? If so, which ones and how? Theoretically the newer version of Chaos (WFB 7e/8e) seems ideal for games about punching nazis and misogynists in the face, but perhaps not so great for exploring moral shades of grey. Just trying to get a sense of the types of "human interest" stories WFRP should be exploring in 2020.
You haven't mentioned humour and black comedy much, which is the main way I introduced social justice movements into my games. My last TOBCON scenario changed Karl from The Thousand Thrones into Karla - a Greta Thunberg clone. Her followers were busy trying to tear down a statue of Sigmar, daubing it with slogans labelling him a warmongering rapist and Imperialist. I've always found extremist Shalyans make great Antifa type facists too.

There's so much fun to be had playing around with the races of the Old World and transposing the madness of the equality fanatics - somewhere, Ogres self-identifying as Halflings are going to have to enter some kind of physical contest (or vice versa).

As for Wuhan Flu parallels, I'd prefer to have a Tzeentch led plot to mask everyone in face-nappies against a non-existent threat, so as to better control the populace. Those Shalyan nutters can then be punching the few un-muzzled individuals not cowering in fear, safe in the knowledge of their own righteousness.

Let's bring back the sense of the ridiculous!

Toby
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Hyarion
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I have no qualms about changing written source material to in order to set the tone that I want in the setting that I want to tell the story that I want with the group that I have. As I suspect that many WFRP GMs already do with the way that Bretonnia, Norsca, Chaos Cults, etc have changed over successive editions of WFRP. To change it in terms of inclusivity, either more or less, is no different.

Whether or not WFRP is made more inclusive, or C7/GW make statements regarding their corporate positions on relevant issues of the day doesn't matter to me except insofar as it makes my job of telling a good story as a GM easier or harder. In the end, well written characters and well written stories will stand quite well on their own regardless of whether or not the characters are of different races or species or gender or any other factors.
I hold the glaive of Law against the Earth.
Herr Arnulfe
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tadcan wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 10:50 amIn the 1980's when much of the early WHFRP stuff was being written there was fights between neo-Nazis and riots from disadvantaged people in Briton that would have been in the news, so there maybe more of a historical influence into the setting that can be used in the current age as well as stereotypes that came through which don't fit any more.
True, racism isn't a new issue by any means, but I think you're right that the nature of the conflict has changed since the 80's. Survey data shows that Canadians' attitudes to immigrants have steadily improved for decades, which suggests that Canadian racists are a shrinking minority of assholes becoming increasingly vocal. I could see something like that working with Chaos cults in WFRP.
tadcan wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 10:50 amI'm not of the right generation to have a personal understanding of these struggles, especially among the LGBTQI community, as a teenager hearing, ‘that’s so gay’ was a playground insult, but would it have made any more sense or even less sense five hundred years ago then it does now? All I can do is try to have empathy with someone's struggle for identity and a place in the world because as nebulous as that is, it's the nearest frame of reference I have.
The notion of gender as non-binary is a very new concept in science. Nevertheless, gays and transgender people have existed forever. I'm not sure whether I'd want to deal with in-game homophobia or transphobia if I was a gay or trans gamer, but having some interesting gay or trans characters in WFRP couldn't hurt IMO.
Herr Arnulfe
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Capitaneus Fractus wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:25 pmPlaying a woman, a foreigner or a religious minority in a superstitious, inegalitarian and subjugating society perfectly fit with 1980's grim Warhammer Fantasy and is political, mature, subversive, enlightening and edifying... including for player who might better understand their own world. It is where role playing game might be an art and a real game of society for adults.

Playing a woman, a foreigner or a religious minority in a society who is immaculate of any gender, sexual or ethnic prejudice, is commercial: the willingness to please everyone, to not hurt anybody, to avoid any serious subject and to hide real world problems (who happen to not be immaculate of those prejudices). It is where role playing games became commercialised entertainment for teenagers.
Personally I thought WFRP 1e was pretty egalitarian in terms of gender roles. It was the testosterone-fuelled WFB imagery that drove women away from the setting IMO. Meanwhile, the Bretonnia sourcebook for WFRP 2e was overtly sexist in its design, but failed to provide any fodder for gender politics gameplay (I believe the only female NPC was a prostitute).

Did you see the Inclusivity Statement that GW released a month or so ago, which basically said they're no longer catering exclusively to white cis-males? At the end of the letter was a statement to the effect of "if you don't like our new position you won't be missed". I'm curious whether you thought that statement was released for commercial, artistic or ethical reasons?
Last edited by Herr Arnulfe on Thu Jul 16, 2020 4:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Herr Arnulfe
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Toby Pilling wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 1:59 pmYou haven't mentioned humour and black comedy much, which is the main way I introduced social justice movements into my games. My last TOBCON scenario changed Karl from The Thousand Thrones into Karla - a Greta Thunberg clone. Her followers were busy trying to tear down a statue of Sigmar, daubing it with slogans labelling him a warmongering rapist and Imperialist. I've always found extremist Shalyans make great Antifa type facists too.

There's so much fun to be had playing around with the races of the Old World and transposing the madness of the equality fanatics - somewhere, Ogres self-identifying as Halflings are going to have to enter some kind of physical contest (or vice versa).

As for Wuhan Flu parallels, I'd prefer to have a Tzeentch led plot to mask everyone in face-nappies against a non-existent threat, so as to better control the populace. Those Shalyan nutters can then be punching the few un-muzzled individuals not cowering in fear, safe in the knowledge of their own righteousness.

Let's bring back the sense of the ridiculous!
Brilliant stuff! I agree, social justice gameplay can be enhanced with appropriate dark humour and use of substitutes for emotional distancing. I do like your ideas around role-reversal too, although as Robin pointed out earlier, a printed adventure (fan or official) could be misconstrued as supporting a dubious cause if the irony isn't crystal clear. That's why I'm increasingly tempted to use the new "dumbed down" Chaos as a foil for RW social justice villains - it could remove a level of stress from the writing process second-guessing whether you're being adequately explicit about your own moral position.
tadcan
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If your familiar with 2000AD and Judge Dredd it also came out of the late 70's with a similar dark, subversive humour that reflected rise of Thatcher and Regan, ongoing in universe storylines and with pop culture references.
tadcan
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Herr Arnulfe wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 3:56 pm The notion of gender as non-binary is a very new concept in science. Nevertheless, gays and transgender people have existed forever. I'm not sure whether I'd want to deal with in-game homophobia or transphobia if I was a gay or trans gamer, but having some interesting gay or trans characters in WFRP couldn't hurt IMO.
It'd be more hesitant with dealing with these issues with someone who identified from that community without having a discussion beforehand about what approach is ok. In other games people have talked about no pvp or no graphic violence, anything against children etc before hand, so in an ideal world this should be no different. With the non-binary identification, there are cultures that have had the concept of a third sex or similar which matches that experience.
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