Childbirth, Vision and Fairness

From: Paul2.Harmaty <Paul2.Harmaty_at_aig.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 1996 12:09:07 -0400


 Ian Gorlick writes:
>Historically childbirth has been one of the greatest, if not the greatest,
>causes of death among adult females. This makes childbirth a time of great
>concern for players. . . To make it safe and easy would eliminate all that
>believable human drama and, in my opinion, would add nothing.
 

Safe, say, in the same way RQ resurrection diminishes the fear of death for many players?
There's a tremendous lack of drama in death NOT being irreversible, yet, let's not lose that
sense of suffering when it comes to childbirth? Please forgive me while I laugh. That is truly
straining at a gnat while swallowing the camel whole.

The can of worms I've thusfar avoided is precisely the great risk of death that Earth women have
"historically" faced while giving birth. Why add this concept to a fantasy world? This surely adds
nothing while only penalizing women characters. It isn't needed and it's absence can easily
be justified as I've tried to illustrate in my previous postings.

I have terrible eyesight and I am not alone. Poor vision is not tied to a character's sex. Don't we
assume that all our character's have perfect vision? I certainly do! Why complicate my life or my
players' lives by having some of them arbitrarily have poor vision? Wouldn't that add drama?
Henrik can't use a bow, he's nearly blind past 10 yards! There's some real life drama we find easy
to live without.

Somehow, supporting a woman's right to suffer does not inspire my feminist spirit as much as
seeking to even the playing field does. IMO, even one female character dying in childbirth is too
many. I doubt the player of that character would appreciate the gritty reality of the situation. It would
feel arbitrary and unfair. How it could be otherwise? It's arbitrary and unfair in the real World. I don't
see the need for it in a fantasy world.

Paul Harmaty  


End of Glorantha Digest V3 #193


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