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Diversity Dungeons : Worldbuilding & Game Design in the Safe Space Age Pay What You Want
Average Rating:3.6 / 5
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Diversity Dungeons : Worldbuilding & Game Design in the Safe Space Age
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Diversity Dungeons : Worldbuilding & Game Design in the Safe Space Age
Publisher: Postmortem Studios
by ian M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/23/2018 02:45:01

if you want to make even more things in your life about skin color



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
I think you missed the overall message, which was against that.
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Diversity Dungeons : Worldbuilding & Game Design in the Safe Space Age
Publisher: Postmortem Studios
by James H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/02/2016 08:25:15

I dont really understand the complaints in other reviews, the book is not a recipe book per se (and it doesnt claim to be), it is a discussion of how diversity can be implemented in gaming and the challenges diversity presents. Also of course how diversity issues can be used to drive campaigns. And I think it does that extremely well.

The text is short, I dont remember exactly how long but readable in a couple of hours and as such obviously does not cover all possible scenarios nor really inform on how a diversity oriented campaign or characters should be used, rather it gives thinking points, pitfalls and other info which might be used by a GM to develop those things themselves. If for example a GM wishes to have a campaign based loosely on a refugee situation, perhaps using goblins as a metaphor for misunderstood foreign refugees and to model issues of mistrust, injury, differences in religion, aceptance of foreigners, how to represent these things on charisma rolls etc then this is the resource to use as a starting point. If one simply wants to have some female characters and a way to make those characters noticably different but still balanced, this booklet describes how this might be done. Has a GM thought about the racial makeup of their world? Some 5% or so of characters might be gay, how do you use that to provide richer more interesting characters, without falling into stereotyping or contrived and hard to believe backstories. If its a grimy dark ages storyline, with war and suffering everywhere, do you have representation of the victims or is everyone living as happy as larry fit and healthy in idilic villiages which is somehow incongruous with the butchery going on supposedly arround them?

Look at this work as what it is. A collection of ideas, pointers, talking points and inspiration. Implement it ad hoc, as required and as makes sense in your setting. For the handful of dollars you might pay, it is well worth it as a useful resource.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Diversity Dungeons : Worldbuilding & Game Design in the Safe Space Age
Publisher: Postmortem Studios
by David P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/15/2016 00:06:02

This is not so much a tool for worldbuilding as it is a great reading in general to get a general understanding of and get some perspective on several aspects of discrimination, its causes, and its likely mechanical effects on Role Playing games.

A good, short reading overall, and provides an idea of the kind of pernicious attitudes seeping into gaming culture in general and the criticism toward gaming culture media.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Thank you so much, it\'s gratifying when someone \'gets it\'.
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Thank you so much, it\'s gratifying when someone \'gets it\'.
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Diversity Dungeons : Worldbuilding & Game Design in the Safe Space Age
Publisher: Postmortem Studios
by Selena M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/12/2016 22:31:27

Packaged as if it's about inclusiveness, but just offers charts and tables about how to make "realistic" stat rolls about how certain demographics would be held back in certain situations. If that's what you're looking for, great. If a GM wants to build a world where genocide is an actual thing, then sure, go for it. In an alternate history game world where Hitler wins, rolling a Jewish character is definitely going to come with baggage.

However, there's not a whole lot about the "allowances" it claims to have for players who wish to buck the trend; while theoretical scenarios are given in which demographics that usually held a person back could be beneficial, there are no likewise charts for that, making it rather one-sided.

If you are looking for ways to flip the script, I suppose you could take the charts here and apply them to different demographics; but honestly this isn't the first nor only publication to make said charts, so just be aware that's really all you'd be buying.

If you're looking for tips to take your game to a higher standard in terms of inclusivity, especially of players, this is not it.

Also, it claims to be agenda free, but by the end of it, a very clear opinion starts to shine through. Just a warning.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
I suppose if you count presenting \'is\' over \'ought\' as an agenda it\'s disappointing, but regarding that as an agenda is _itself_ very disappointing. The charts are really only meant to illustrate the discussion (as is said in the book) via a common gaming language.
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Diversity Dungeons : Worldbuilding & Game Design in the Safe Space Age
Publisher: Postmortem Studios
by kara s. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/07/2016 15:57:43

From the title, I was expecting tips and discusion on catering to more diverse players. What the contents are are tips and ideas about in story inclusion of such. Diversity is offered more in penalties than empowerment though and I'm afraid that while provoking discusion, this wont be recieving in-game use at my table. I got my first dissapointment in the gender section where a rather large penalty to strength stat for women is proposed along with tiny boosts to a couple other stats, while men get a more random roll for the disproven idea that mostly men get autism. No mention of transgender identities in this section. Race gets the most effort and content in this document. Though focusing on penalties and fetishization does strike me as not the way to encourage diversity at my table. I did find the section interesting though and would recomend a read. The sexuality provides some historical examples of lgbt right next to historical pedophelia. Transgenderism is mentioned once in context of sex work, and several single sentance lists of cosmetic transition options, one per setting. The infirmery section was my highest disapointment though with romanticised views of hook hands and peg legs, various prosthetics, but total dismisal of mobility devices as something to be included in play. Then a section of defensive politics similar to the product description. As a disabled autistic white trans woman, who plays with neurodiverse, POC, trans, and disabled players (most 2 or 3 of those), I cannot recomend this for use, though please do read. I am encouraged to write my own content on these themes now at least.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
If you read closely the point of the stat section in gender is basically illustrative as to why it\'s not a good idea - and it\'s not disprove but rather challenged that men necessarily have more autism, the proposed explanation being that women are better at hiding it. The point of the booklet, as explained fairly early on, is not to encourage or deny diversity etc, but rather to discuss it from a different context than the usual way in which these discussions are centred. I think you came at it expecting something other than what the product was intended to be, which explains your disappointment. If you felt I missed something feel free to get in touch to offer suggestions.
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Diversity Dungeons : Worldbuilding & Game Design in the Safe Space Age
Publisher: Postmortem Studios
by Stuart N. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/27/2016 07:25:12

Pros:

A well laid out, thoughtful and interesting read, covering some particularly difficult areas to address with nuance when world-building. It discusses race, gender, sexuality and infirmity, in general terms and in more detail looking at fantasy, modern and the SF genres (while noting that these often provide ways of exploring real world themes through proxies).

I liked the idea of social consequences related to these areas, and the recognition that these consequences could be overcome during the course of an ongoing campaign.

Cons:

Trying to make attributes conform to reality is, in my opinion, a wasted effort. And the discussion of how male and female stat blocks should differ was unhelpful.

The later sections of the book, which reference some of the author's own experiences were less useful to me, but I can appreciate its use as a salutory lesson.

Overall:

From a world-building point-of-view, I did find this book quite interesting, particularly in terms of using the ruleset to highlight a character's social difficulties. However, I'm not really sure how much milage my gaming group would get out of the ideas presented within.

Because I am not a publisher, that part of the book was of academic interest only and as such I found it a mixed bag of the very sensible/useful and, for me a least, at times verging on over-sharing.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. The stat blocks etc were - as I believe was stated several times - never intended to be an actual, practical suggestion for anyone to use, but rather as a demonstration of the issues and what such might look like.
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Diversity Dungeons : Worldbuilding & Game Design in the Safe Space Age
Publisher: Postmortem Studios
by Shane B. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/26/2016 12:03:46

The author feigns conscientiousness in matters of race, gender, and the like, yet clearly has a divisive right-wing agenda. The content is not nearly as instructive as it pretends to be where it attempts to address inclusion and diversity. It reads more like a guidebook for racists and sexists on how to deal with uppity liberals in their gaming group.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Thank you for illustrating some of the points I raise in the booklet in such a stark way. FYI I\'m a far left anarchist - ideologically - and a socialist pragmatically. I occupy the far bottom left on the political compass. I agree with most of the goals of the genuinely progressive left but find the excesses of \'SJWs\' and the Regressive Left to be antithetical to left-liberal values. For this dissent, it seems, you\'re just going to get called \'right wing\' even though it is (literally) the furthest thing from the truth. Again though, I thank you for making my point for me. Cheers.
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