[DitV] Homosexuality and perceived heavy-handedness

[Darren Hill]

Here's what I'd do: have another town with a similar situation later on where the homosexual character is a jerk. Not a criminal, but a jerk. He's ugly, he leers at the handsome young men, he's always the last one to the field and the first one in for dinner. Have his only sin be his homosexuality, but make it easier not to like him.

The question the Dog's gotta be asking (assuming that he gives a less favorable judgement to the second guy) is if he judged right the first time, or the second time. Cuz if it was because he thought the girl was nice, and he thought the guy was a jerk, then he's not doing his job. Being a jerk isn't a sin, so he's gotta have a talk with the King about what's right.

Then again, he may come up with the view that male homosexuality is a sin, and female homosexuality isn't. I know a lot of blokes who could agree with that view!

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Then again, he may come up with the view that male homosexuality is a sin, and female homosexuality isn't. I know a lot of blokes who could agree with that view!

Yeah, so keep pushing it! Have an analogous situation later with a female. Or make the above female. Whatever. Find out where he draws his lines.

[Simon Kamber]

Here's what I'd do: have another town with a similar situation later on where the homosexual character is a jerk. Not a criminal, but a jerk. He's ugly, he leers at the handsome young men, he's always the last one to the field and the first one in for dinner. Have his only sin be his homosexuality, but make it easier not to like him.

The question the Dog's gotta be asking (assuming that he gives a less favorable judgement to the second guy) is if he judged right the first time, or the second time. Cuz if it was because he thought the girl was nice, and he thought the guy was a jerk, then he's not doing his job. Being a jerk isn't a sin, so he's gotta have a talk with the King about what's right.

Hey, wait a second here. The dog's job isn't to fight sin, it's to keep the faith together. And he represents the King of Life. That means that A) If the girl is nice and friendly, and the guy is tearing the community apart, then it seems like a fair thing to let the girl go on and stop the guy and B) His judgment is final. If he thinks being a jerk is a sin, then it is. I don't see anything in the setting, nor in the rules supporting that a dog can be "not doing his job" unless the player says it is so.

Also, as a sidenote, if it was me, I'd let the girl go and punish the boy, all else equal. The boy is proud, and pride leads to injustice leads to sin. The girl's only problem is the problems people might have with her. And while it might be easiest to solve the problem through her, but they're the problem. (Then again, if she's not willing to help solve the problem, is she really that nice?)

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Hey, wait a second here. The dog's job isn't to fight sin, it's to keep the community together. And he represents the King of Life. That means that A) If the girl is nice and friendly, and the guy is tearing the community apart, then it seems like a fair thing to let the girl go on and stop the guy and B) His judgment is final. If he thinks being a jerk is a sin, then it is. I don't see anything in the setting, nor in the rules supporting that a dog can be "not doing his job" unless the player says it is so.

That's what I'm saying: put the Dog in a position where he'll make that decision. That makes his first decision right, and homosexuality not a sin, in that case. So he made the right decision. Voila! You can have towns where the problem is that people think homosexuality's a sin and they're gonna burn some kid for patting his friend on the ass.

I'm not saying that the Dog is doing something wrong. I'm saying the player has to make the choice and the GM has to react to those choices.

Also, as a sidenote, if it was me, I'd let the girl go and punish the boy, all else equal. The boy is proud, and pride leads to injustice leads to sin. The girl's only problem is the problems people might have with her. And while it might be easiest to solve the problem through her, but they're the problem. (Then again, if she's not willing to help solve the problem, is she really that nice?)

Sure, why not? That seems good. But the problem was that he was complaining that he liked the "antagonist", and I think that's kinda weird. So the stories should center around that; put the player in a position to define that for himself and his brother.