Greetings!

So, in one of my campaigns, the group is entering a new region, which features an enormous city that is an ancient crossroads for many cultures and peoples in the region, and a city of dazzling wealth and opulence. The city is host to four major human cultures, the Sindhu, the Kharzakh, the Tarkhu, and the Jhaandar. Then, there are several secondary, smaller ethnic communities present, that are quite influential: The Haldan, the Yoggu, and the Zhaan. These cultural groups are all human cultures. There are also yellow humanoids, and steppe-bison humanoids. There is a vast slave population, composed of the Bharjin, various ethnic groups of humans, as well as many Bhojuu. The Bharjin are a race of primitive Boar-like humanoids, simple, rugged, and strong. The Bhojuu are humanoids that are part human, and part Bharjin. In recent years, there has also been an influx of Half Orc slaves, as well as Bhojuu Orcs--Orcs that have been mixed with Bharjin.

Beyond these different cultures and races, there are also the dominant presence of three major human religions, and a significant number of smaller, secondary religions, both human and humanoid. Prevailing cultural customs that embrace slavery, polygamy, concubines, a taste for luxury of all kinds, a civic custom and expectation of people going about the city unarmed, and unarmed, perfumed and well-groomed, and dressed in stylish robes are standard. Likewise, many men have full, neatly-groomed beards, and women are distinctly feminine, wearing bright, flowing dresses, exotic perfume and cosmetics, and fine jewelry. The music is distinctly different, as well as the cuisine, and drink.

The players are in some ways like kids being let loose in a candy store, while others are emotionally and morally traumatized.

How have you included different elements of diversity in your campaigns, and how have your players reacted to such diverse elements?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

It's hard to say which is going to be the biggest cognitive shock for a current-day player: open slavery, or open polygyny. Especially if the former is clearly socioeconomic and not divided along racial lines. Blowing their Modernist and Postmodernist minds, indeed!

Yes. Use the concept of culture shock as it were for certain kingdoms and cities in my campaigns. Places were what are normally considered monsters are mingling and getting along, more or less, with other races.

Or places where the moral fabric is so thin you can see EVERYTHING. (insert trauma therapy here.)

In BX we played up that Specularum was a very open city. Long as you behaved you were welcome. So orcs, gnolls, lizard men, and even undead could be seen mingling on the streets and in taverns.

Quote from: RandyB;1129268It's hard to say which is going to be the biggest cognitive shock for a current-day player: open slavery, or open polygyny. Especially if the former is clearly socioeconomic and not divided along racial lines. Blowing their Modernist and Postmodernist minds, indeed!

Greetings!

*Laughing* Indeed, RandyB! Yeah, slavery is merely a status, a socio-economic reality. Anyone--or mostly so--from any race can become a slave. There are many kinds of slaves in the city, as well as prosperous farms out in the countryside. Some people even sell themselves into contract slavery voluntarily. Such Slavery Contracts are usually for periods of noted years, say 5, 7, 10, 20 years for example, for whatever reasons. Typically to pay off debts, provide for a better life for children, and such like. Likewise, various government officials, magistrates, and courts can impose criminals to a specified term of state-sponsored slavery, for various crimes. Slavery is officially regulated, with different laws for different kinds of slaves.

Polygamy is definitely a culture shock to many. Many prosperous men have several wives, as well as a gaggle of favoured concubines. Monogamy is a strict requirement for women. Men, of course, commonly avail themselves of several wives and entertaining, attractive concubines. For such cultures, this social custom has always been a constant reality.

Of course, the fierce competition between various jealous wives and concubines is also a reality as well, as they scheme and maneuver to gain more favour and influence with their husband. The children born amidst such relationships also must deal with their father's divided attention and affection, and the ambition, pride, and scheming of their respective mothers, as well.

The women in my group will no doubt howl at such customs for certain!

Then, of course, there are restrictions on wearing armour and weapons in the city. That custom won't likely go over well with most of my players. Yes, people will fight and kill over such things. I can foresee blood being spilled, and dangerous struggles with city police forces and magistrates.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

How about the notion of "racial diversity" in a game (D&D) with "monsters" (a term that refers to everything in the Monster Manual including elves and human bandits) is nonsense.

SJWs just want to change the language enough to control the discussion. When you correct their definitions, they fall apart and begin attacking you personally. Then, you point out the attacks out while revisiting their failed argument.

Then, they vanish, like a banished demon.

In the real world, diversity is an issue. In fantasy games with elves and dragons and magic, it's silly, unless your setting embraces it.

Next topic.

Quote from: Omega;1129277Yes. Use the concept of culture shock as it were for certain kingdoms and cities in my campaigns. Places were what are normally considered monsters are mingling and getting along, more or less, with other races.

Or places where the moral fabric is so thin you can see EVERYTHING. (insert trauma therapy here.)

In BX we played up that Specularum was a very open city. Long as you behaved you were welcome. So orcs, gnolls, lizard men, and even undead could be seen mingling on the streets and in taverns.

Greetings!

Very cool, Omega! Yeah, I think having interesting races of creatures mixing with normal populations is always an eye-opener! Especially so if the group is more or less accustomed to seeing mostly humans, maybe some dwarves, and a few halflings.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

For culture shock to work, the PCs have to come from an equally well defined culture and players used to having their PCs immersed in that culture enough so when they visit this new strange place with new strange customs, they can experience the differences in that context.

Creating various defined cultures for your game world is significant work, but then there's the player buy-in for roleplaying their PC in their culture.

Shark, what's your secret for getting player buy-in to learn about their PC's culture enough to represent it/understand it/utilize it during play?

Quote from: Spinachcat;1129352For culture shock to work, the PCs have to come from an equally well defined culture and players used to having their PCs immersed in that culture enough so when they visit this new strange place with new strange customs, they can experience the differences in that context.

Creating various defined cultures for your game world is significant work, but then there's the player buy-in for roleplaying their PC in their culture.

Shark, what's your secret for getting player buy-in to learn about their PC's culture enough to represent it/understand it/utilize it during play?

Greetings!

Hey there my friend! Well, I use a broad Culture Lore Skill. It's a base catch all skill for their own primary culture, but also a vehicle for learning and gaining knowledge and expertise of other cultures. Beyond the proficiency bonus, and any appropriate attribute bonus, they can simply devote 100 Gold per week of study, and 12+2d6 weeks of time to gain expertise in some additional culture. They can also devote 12+2d6 weeks to gain familiarity and fluency in a foreign language. All such additional cultures and foreign languages are then made note of in their Character sheets, as they progress and achieve them. Having knowledge of different cultures and foreign languages often provides numerous advantages, both small and large, to all kinds of activities and interactions.

From this, I typically allow them the benefit of Advantage on whatever checks are appropriate. In addition, players that get into their own culture, cultivating knowledge of it, roleplaying appropriately, or at least consciously--they not only gain a variety of benefits--but just as importantly, they avoid suffering penalties in the social interactions and reaction rolls, on everything from testimonials to a city guard as to what happened in a tavern murder, to interacting with merchants at a bazaar, or rubbing shoulders with courtiers at a noble ball. Just about anything you could think of outside of just bashing someone's head in with a lead pipe.

For players that embrace learning about their own primary culture, and seek to play in a skilled manner, as well as learning foreign cultures, I also award them experience point bonuses.

Having said all that, they gain an enormous advantage in gaining stronger, more loyal allies, friends, and romantic relationships. Not much different from the broad range of benefits a person gets in the real world, from being broadly educated, demonstrating deeper cultural knowledge, and being familiar with one or more foreign languages, as appropriate. Fortunately in my experience, most players don't like being limited to being a simple, uneducated Hick!:D Occasionally some obnoxiously love doing so, but most are aware how possessing such deeper knowledge and skill in their own culture is a great benefit, beyond what they may learn of foreign cultures and languages. These dynamics become especially noticeable when they are mixing with higher class, educated members of their primary culture, as well as when they visit or travel through distant, foreign lands and kingdoms.

I also often feature foreign cuisines of food and drink during our lunches and dinners, as well as world music from different cultures and time periods, showcasing different genres and styles. I also provide them with some perusal of books from my own library where besides my own descriptions in-game, they can actually look pictures of people dressed as ancient Greeks, Romans, northern and eastern Europeans, Africans, Egyptians, Persians, as well as people in Central Asia, India, and China. That always inspires them, while listening to strange world music, and eating exotic food.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: Spinachcat;1129352For culture shock to work, the PCs have to come from an equally well defined culture and players used to having their PCs immersed in that culture enough so when they visit this new strange place with new strange customs, they can experience the differences in that context.

Creating various defined cultures for your game world is significant work, but then there's the player buy-in for roleplaying their PC in their culture.

This is a very good point. It doesn't work nearly as well if your main setting is just "generic ren-faire with 21st century values" flavor.