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TheLily

How do you go about telling someone that you want something less than PC into your game?

One of my table top games (nWoD) has gone through a couple of topics that I'm not sure that some people could handle, but my friends definitely can. I am comfortable with these people, and with these topics and them. They are mature adults and we can have discussions about hard topics, instead of arguing. We debate, and do not judge the other person. (For example in my group of friends, we have a pagan, agnostic, Catholic, Jew and an atheist. We talk about religion without fear of being punched in the throat - we bring what we can to table and not fight).

My problem is that on-line, I know it's harder to get people to act sane about topics like religion. What I want to know, is if someone played a character who had a plot heavy with religion and consequences to do with it, how would you react?

I ask this because I want one of my characters to be a former polygamist Mormon. Married as the seventh wife at age thirteen. She was taken out of the home and put into foster care and is now trying to lead a normal life, but of course her teachings of the principal of polygamy would still hold strong on her.

The people who come out of this religion fascinate me, and I role-play to get better insight on what they go through. Every time I try and imagine, I can't do it without thrusting myself into the life they must have lived, and I want to try that through the magic of role-play. I just don't know how to go about suggesting this to people without making them uncomfortable.

How should I go about this?
Darth_Angelus Moderator

If someone wanted to play a character who was heavily religious, it wouldn't bother me. Who am I to say what other people should do with their characters?

If anything, the interactions between them and the other characters would be interesting to play out. They are characters, not real. But even then, I'm pretty open minded about how other people and cultures like to exist.
Sanne Moderator

Just do it. It's a character, characters are meant to explore areas that you don't know yet so you learn more about them, generally speaking.

It's your choice, other people may dislike it, but they can just look the other way if that's the case.
Dragonfire Moderator

So long as you treat the topic - or any topic like this that incorporates some real-world seriousness - with some sensitivity and have done some research into it, I don't see how it's a problem to play.
Sanne wrote:
Just do it. It's a character, characters are meant to explore areas that you don't know yet so you learn more about them, generally speaking.

It's your choice, other people may dislike it, but they can just look the other way if that's the case.

Sanne, putting what I want to say into words!

But yes, that exactly as you see it. As a role-player you should be allowed to play any character you want. Yes, people are going to get offended-- this is the internet, it happens. Worse-case says that someone will get uber-offended and b***h you out for it, but if that's the case, they're the lesser person for their horrid behavior. S'long as you're mature about what you play, you're good in my book.

Weee I hope that made sense: I'll admit, I was typing this up with a bit of a lingering headache. It makes me spew words.

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