Where I skim Tales of Gor

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He was wrong, or likely, didn't know a thing about RPGs:thumbsup:!
He certainly didn't know anything about RPGs; I doubt he had ever even heard of them. He did know a great deal about Tacitus, though.
 
Or fiction.
That, too.

He certainly didn't know anything about RPGs; I doubt he had ever even heard of them. He did know a great deal about Tacitus, though.
I suspected that would be the case - but I still disagree:shade:.

Also see: all the debate regarding historical settings. That's almost word-for-word one of the fallacies used in it:thumbsup:.
 
That, too.


I suspected that would be the case - but I still disagree:shade:.

Also see: all the debate regarding historical settings. That's almost word-for-word one of the fallacies used in it:thumbsup:.
First, thanks for doing this thread; I have no interest in reading the Gor books or even the RPG treatment, but it's interesting to learn about it.

Second, I'm not seriously arguing that one cannot have a Roman game because of Tacitus or a Gor game because of Tarl Cabot, or whatever. I just meant that my old professor did think that Tacitus 'had all the good stuff in it' so to speak.

I think it is true that some books/films/tv shows etc are more tightly tied to the plot arc of their main characters, while others present more room for parties of p.c.s to do their own thing, so to speak. Any historical setting tends toward the latter, in my opinion, since in fact there were lots of individuals pursuing their own lives in those worlds without much reference to the activities of the movers and shakers. Some fiction tends the other way, though. For instance, the comic series Monstress, which I've recently read through. It's an interesting world, but most of the cool things about it are tightly tied to the main character, who is very much a special snowflake. I'm not sure there is enough there to allow a satisfying game in the setting if one did not focus on her.
 
First, thanks for doing this thread; I have no interest in reading the Gor books or even the RPG treatment, but it's interesting to learn about it.

Second, I'm not seriously arguing that one cannot have a Roman game because of Tacitus or a Gor game because of Tarl Cabot, or whatever. I just meant that my old professor did think that Tacitus 'had all the good stuff in it' so to speak.

I think it is true that some books/films/tv shows etc are more tightly tied to the plot arc of their main characters, while others present more room for parties of p.c.s to do their own thing, so to speak. Any historical setting tends toward the latter, in my opinion, since in fact there were lots of individuals pursuing their own lives in those worlds without much reference to the activities of the movers and shakers. Some fiction tends the other way, though. For instance, the comic series Monstress, which I've recently read through. It's an interesting world, but most of the cool things about it are tightly tied to the main character, who is very much a special snowflake. I'm not sure there is enough there to allow a satisfying game in the setting if one did not focus on her.
Well, I haven't read Monstress, so can't comment. But IME, almost any setting, as opposed to adventure, allows you to do some interesting stuff:shade:.

There are possibly exceptions. I just can't think of any at the moment...after all, which setting doesn't have "lots of individuals pursuing their own lives in those worlds without much reference to the activities of the movers and shakers"?
Maybe some setting like Nobilis/Amber/Exalted, where everyone - at least from the PCs - is a mover and shaker? But then Exalted also has another several billions of people:grin:.
 
Well, I haven't read Monstress, so can't comment. But IME, almost any setting, as opposed to adventure, allows you to do some interesting stuff:shade:.

There are possibly exceptions. I just can't think of any at the moment...after all, which setting doesn't have "lots of individuals pursuing their own lives in those worlds without much reference to the activities of the movers and shakers"?

The way I see it, it is largely a question of information. A setting for an RPG needs to provide you with useful information that can be employed in games.

In a historical setting, that information (typically) extends far beyond the lives and activities of a few top people, i.e. the people who would be characters in a novel if it were set in that world. So, for instance, if you want to set a game in Ancient Greece c. 400 B.C., there is a fair amount of information that you can use to figure out what society and life will be like for people besides Socrates or Alcibiades (to name just two people we know a fair amount about).

Fictional settings can provide some of that information—or not. It’s all a question of what sort of fiction it is and how it has been developed. Some stories focus so sharply on the protagonists that they give very little useful information about the rest of the people in the world, their societies, how they live, etc. Or (and this is the case for Monstress) essentially everything that is interesting about that setting is intimately bound up with the main character, her background, and her story. Trying to focus on the rest of the world and other people leaves you with (1) a lack of useful background and (2) no real idea what players might do in the setting.

So, yeah, in almost any fictional setting there is a fictional (and largely unseen) cast of thousands or millions in the background. But the fiction may not provide the information you need to deal with them, or really anything except the main characters in the novel/film/whatever and their stories.
 
The way I see it, it is largely a question of information. A setting for an RPG needs to provide you with useful information that can be employed in games.

In a historical setting, that information (typically) extends far beyond the lives and activities of a few top people, i.e. the people who would be characters in a novel if it were set in that world. So, for instance, if you want to set a game in Ancient Greece c. 400 B.C., there is a fair amount of information that you can use to figure out what society and life will be like for people besides Socrates or Alcibiades (to name just two people we know a fair amount about).

Fictional settings can provide some of that information—or not. It’s all a question of what sort of fiction it is and how it has been developed. Some stories focus so sharply on the protagonists that they give very little useful information about the rest of the people in the world, their societies, how they live, etc.
Agreed! But isn't that why we have, you know, gaming supplements for said settings:shade:?

Doesn't matter what the setting provides, what the author thought of. If it's licensed, contact him or her for more info if you must. If there isn't, well, present your own ideas, labelling them as such, and point out how to use them.


Or (and this is the case for Monstress) essentially everything that is interesting about that setting is intimately bound up with the main character, her background, and her story. Trying to focus on the rest of the world and other people leaves you with (1) a lack of useful background
OK, that's a weakness of the source material. Though who knows...maybe a future issue might provide more? Or another story in the same universe?

Coming back to the thread, Gor totally has no lack of such info. Starting at book 1 and going onwards, it pays lots of attention to the society and nature of the world, and how the characters interact with both.
And since protagonists have been known to come from all walks of life, and some have impersonated other Castes, you actually have info about being a Warrior, an Assassin, a Trader, a War Captive, a slave, a Tarn Trainer, a Peasant, a Hunter, a Jailer, and so on.
The lack of social mobility on Gor is a myth that they teach to children, because the society wants stability (and ain't nobody wanting to have all Peasants leaving their jobs:tongue:).
And yet it is known to still happen. What does that tell us? Coupled with the fact that there was social mobility even in the Middle Ages, starting with "running off to the Free City":thumbsup:? (Hint: to me, Gor - like Earth - is based on persuading the population that this is the Order Of Things As They Are, Were, Shall&Should Be, OOTATAWS&SB for short. As Confucius said, only when tradition and ritual are inefficient is there need for laws to enforce the same things:angel:).

First rule for interpreting what John Norman says: don't listen to what he says, look at what happens in the world he depicts. Especially among secondary characters/NPCs, and how they react to it.

So, yeah, in almost any fictional setting there is a fictional (and largely unseen) cast of thousands or millions in the background. But the fiction may not provide the information you need to deal with them, or really anything except the main characters in the novel/film/whatever and their stories.
Again, gaming supplements are meant for this exact reason. Otherwise you'd have a rulebook which has exactly one sentence for setting description: "Go read the books, we don't know anything outside of those":grin:!

Now that I think about it, it would be kinda cool. Impractical, sure, but it would be so fun to read the forums afterwards:devil:!
 
Tarnsmen are an elite group in Gorean combat, similar in prestige to a medieval knight or the trained samurai of feudal Japan.
A tarnsmen is anyone who can fly a tarn, the majestic "cavalry hawk" of Gor - and here it pays to remember that to Goreans, this cannot be trained - but it most commonly refers to those warriors who fight from tarnback. In the books, there have been plenty non-warriors riding tarns, but usually from the tarn trainers caste.
 
Ubar is the entry for today. We're nearing the end!
"An Ubar is the leader of a city in times of war. The Ubar's power is absolute and they wear a golden chain with the symbol of the city to mark their rank."
(They're basically Roman dictators, with similar results:grin:! It's even in the name, IMO: Ub-Ar. Ar is the city that Norman uses as an expy for Rome on Gor. Ub easily comes form Uber. So, Uber Ar is what? First among equals, anyone?)

"Some Ubars continue their rule in peacetime, but rely on the loyalty of the warriors and their bodyguards in order to retain their power." We've never seen such people on Earth!

"An Ubar's sworn bodyguards are bound by honour to depose or slay him, should he ever act unjustly."
Well, Goreans apply honour everywhere:shade:!
 
V is for...hmm, for Veils, Vosk League or Voyages of Acquisition:shade:?

Vosk League, of course! (BTW, Vosk is a navigable river).

Vosk League: The Vosk League is an alliance of nineteen Vosk Towns, joined together. Ar's Station was officially left out under intense pressure from Ar, but unofficially are still considered allies and brothers to the League.
The League formed to defeat the river pirates that dominated the Vosk and since throwing them off have come together for mutual defense and trade.
Also includes a list of the 19 other cities comprising the Vosk League, but I see no need to copy it here:thumbsup:.
 
Wagon Peoples: The Wagon People claim the prairie land around Turia from the Thassa to the foothills of the Voltai range and north to the banks of the Cartius. They have a fierce reputation for raiding caravans but also raise large herds of bosk, living on the meat and milk from the beasts that they tend and follow.
There are four clans to the Wagon People, the Paravaci, the Kataii, the Kassars and the Tuchuks. The tribes meet once every 10 years. (Though I think the Gorean year is a bit longer).
The Tuchuk standard and brand is the four bosk horns, Kassars the three-weight bola, Kataii the bow and lance, and the Paravaci the bosk head, symbolized in a brand as a semicircle through a triangle.
Before a man of the Wagon People can be named, he must learn to use the lance, quiva and bow, and to ride the kaiila. Wagon People men wear scars on their cheeks, dyed and symbolic, given to them as rites of passage, while the women, unveiled, wear leather dresses and have nose rings. Few are litterate, preferring oral transmission of knowledge. Too, the men wear wind scarfs to protect them from the winds, which scour and dry.
They live in their huge wagons, carrying bosk-hide tents, which are quite luxurious inside, and scorn city dwellers. Once, they almost conquered Gor, reaching Ar and Ko-ro-ba, before being stopped by their armies.
Their warriors are organised in tens, hundreds and thousands (Or, Orlu and Oralu), and commanded by bosk horns and waved war lanterns.
 
Amusingly, there's no entry under X.

Yellow Knives: The Yellow Knives are a tribe of the Red Savages. Amongst their number their most prestigious warrior society is the Urt Soldiers.

Please note: Savage is a compliment on Gor.

And last, for Z...an animal. I've skipped a great many of them, and almost skipped this one, too. But the flora and fauna of Gor deserve more attention, and they get it in the books.
So here goes...

Zadit: The Zadit is a small, tawny desert bird that feeds on insects. It is a welcome sight as it particularly likes to alight on Kaiila to eat fleas, ticks and biting flies that torment the beasts and their riders.

And with that, my "skimming" of the World of Gor is complete:shade:!
 
I'm not sure I understand. Do you refer to the zadit, here?
I enjoyed the thread so I made what I thought was a slightly humorous reference to the alias that Tarl Cabot used at one point if my memory serves me. I've not read the books since the early 80's and started reading them in the 70's. Apologies that my humor attempt went astray.
 
I enjoyed the thread so I made what I thought was a slightly humorous reference to the alias that Tarl Cabot used at one point if my memory serves me. I've not read the books since the early 80's and started reading them in the 70's. Apologies that my humor attempt went astray.
Ah, yes, Bosk of Port Kar. Actually he uses it repeatedly, I just didn't make the connection, and assumed you mean regular bosks (which would be capitalized since it's the first word in the sentence:shade:).
Apologies, it was my mistake for not getting the reference:thumbsup:!

Also, little fun tidbit which I'm not sure appears in World of Gor:
Gorean is written/read "as the bosk plows", that is, first left to right, then right to left on the next line, and you keep alternating:grin:!
 
Ah, yes, Bosk of Port Kar. Actually he uses it repeatedly, I just didn't make the connection, and assumed you mean regular bosks (which would be capitalized since it's the first word in the sentence:shade:).
Apologies, it was my mistake for not getting the reference:thumbsup:!

Also, little fun tidbit which I'm not sure appears in World of Gor:
Gorean is written/read "as the bosk plows", that is, first left to right, then right to left on the next line, and you keep alternating:grin:!
I have a vague memory of this thing about the reading/writing of Gorean, now I'm wondering if I read it in an interview with the author some years ago or some forum post/thread. I need to pick up the books again at some point. I lost a rather large library of books some years ago due to water damage in a storage unit. Rebuilding the library has been slow going.
 
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I have a vague memory of this thing about the reading/writing of Gorean, now I'm wondering if I read it in an interview with the author some years ago or some forum post/thread. I need to pick up the books again at some point. I lost a rather library of books some years ago due to water damage in a storage unit. Rebuilding the library has been slow going.
It's always sad when books perish:shade:!

Also, that part isn't from an interview or forum, it's from the books themselves, starting with the first IIRC.
 
Ah, yes, Bosk of Port Kar. Actually he uses it repeatedly, I just didn't make the connection, and assumed you mean regular bosks (which would be capitalized since it's the first word in the sentence:shade:).
Apologies, it was my mistake for not getting the reference:thumbsup:!

Also, little fun tidbit which I'm not sure appears in World of Gor:
Gorean is written/read "as the bosk plows", that is, first left to right, then right to left on the next line, and you keep alternating:grin:!
Ancient Greek was written like that. Or so I remember. Remember reading about it. I wasn't there.
 
So, guys, I'm curious...did anyone who was unfamiliar with Gor (or familiar from the pop-culture notoriety) change his/her opinion on the setting?
Ancient Greek was written like that. Or so I remember. Remember reading about it. I wasn't there.
I've said it 1234567890 times already: Gor is John Norman's take on a fantasy world inspired by Ancient Greece, Rome, the Vikings, the Zulu, and the Arab(ian Tales, I suspect), with added "benefits" to make the characters' lives a bit easier...like, I don't know, immortality, advanced medicine, reversible lifetime birth control, artificial light, and air transport:tongue:!
In light of this, and the fact that Goreans were Earth humans, and the culture is explicitly modelled after the "classical world" - up to and including the slavery (a part of the classical heritage many people want to forget about, it seems:devil:)...well, any similarities in the way Gorean and Ancient Greek are written, are probably not accidental!
Too, such makes total sense given Norman's classical education:thumbsup:!
 
So, guys, I'm curious...did anyone who was unfamiliar with Gor (or familiar from the pop-culture notoriety) change his/her opinion on the setting?

I've said it 1234567890 times already: Gor is John Norman's take on a fantasy world inspired by Ancient Greece, Rome, the Vikings, the Zulu, and the Arab(ian Tales, I suspect), with added "benefits" to make the characters' lives a bit easier...like, I don't know, immortality, advanced medicine, reversible lifetime birth control, artificial light, and air transport:tongue:!
In light of this, and the fact that Goreans were Earth humans, and the culture is explicitly modelled after the "classical world" - up to and including the slavery (a part of the classical heritage many people want to forget about, it seems:devil:)...well, any similarities in the way Gorean and Ancient Greek are written, are probably not accidental!
Too, such makes total sense given Norman's classical education:thumbsup:!

But it seems to be more of a monoculture than anything we've ever had. There were other societies much different than Greece, many of them, and some very important to the modern world. The Han were out there, the Greeks may have even known about them. Central Asia had societies very different from Greece or the Han. From what I remember, and I only read a couple of the books, it gave me the same feeling that whole planets with the same ecosystem do.
 
But it seems to be more of a monoculture than anything we've ever had. There were other societies much different than Greece, many of them, and some very important to the modern world. The Han were out there, the Greeks may have even known about them. Central Asia had societies very different from Greece or the Han. From what I remember, and I only read a couple of the books, it gave me the same feeling that whole planets with the same ecosystem do.
Ahem, that's really not true...
Tahari has a different culture. The Barrens another. Shendi yet another. The Wagon People yet another. Arguably the peasants who've mastered the longbow have yet another, and Port Kar is different enough - though linguistically the same - that it should count as a different culture, really (though it's been assimilated, in part). And then there are the Pani, and Torlvaldslend, and the northern hunters...I'm probably missing some people, too.
And all of the above are different from "mainstream Gorean" culture, though.
However - keep in mind that a) Goreans are the descendants of people who have been brought to Gor by the Priest-Kings. They didn't depopulate the regions they visited, either. So there are less cultures than there were on Earth, indeed! The Priest-Kings didn't make it a point to replicate Earth on Gor, it was to them an experiment (coupled with planetary defense exercise, I guess).
But you mainly see "mainstream Gorean" in the first books, because Tarl Cabbot is being deployed in this cultural region, with the probably correct assumption that he'd have an easier time operating there:thumbsup:.
 
In a way, I have a desire to play (GM) this game. It is something about presenting a world for the players that is unlike any other world that they've played in before. That tickles my interest because I want to do new and exciting things when I play and not the stale old D&D where adventures are just a chain of encounters until you face the big boss and either die on the spot or emerge victorious
It is at the surface a fantasy world, but without magic, that is really a science fiction game, but only a bit.
I've GM:ed games like Pendragon and Artesia that have their own particular brand of dividing the characters by sex and class without my players complaining. I've played in games set in the wild west with period correct levels of racism and sexism, but I've never run a game as extreme as Gor.
I doubt they'd enjoy playing something that could be misunderstood as ISIS or Talibans from another world. (thats probably the biggest hurdle. How to present them in a more flattering way )

I feel that in any case, since none of my players ever heard about these books or the game the best course of action would be to let them start off as a group of people investigating various disappearances on Earth and found out earth people have been abducted by "aliens"
That way the players learn about the world and their customs at the same pace as the characters.
 
In a way, I have a desire to play (GM) this game. It is something about presenting a world for the players that is unlike any other world that they've played in before. That tickles my interest because I want to do new and exciting things when I play and not the stale old D&D where adventures are just a chain of encounters until you face the big boss and either die on the spot or emerge victorious
It is at the surface a fantasy world, but without magic, that is really a science fiction game, but only a bit.
I've GM:ed games like Pendragon and Artesia that have their own particular brand of dividing the characters by sex and class without my players complaining. I've played in games set in the wild west with period correct levels of racism and sexism, but I've never run a game as extreme as Gor.
I doubt they'd enjoy playing something that could be misunderstood as ISIS or Talibans from another world. (thats probably the biggest hurdle. How to present them in a more flattering way )

I feel that in any case, since none of my players ever heard about these books or the game the best course of action would be to let them start off as a group of people investigating various disappearances on Earth and found out earth people have been abducted by "aliens"
That way the players learn about the world and their customs at the same pace as the characters.
Well...they can seem as the IS of another world to contemporary Westerners. Except for the religion part, where the Commandments are enforced by Blue Fire...and the part about complete personal freedom as long as societal obligations are met... and the part about learning being valued...

But really, Gor is about the Ancient World, except on a planet with man-ridden giant hawks, ridable reptiles, architectural wonders and ultra-developed medicine:thumbsup:! Now, the knowledge isn't really widespread, but the Caste of Doctors can do stuff that eclipses our current biotechnologies!
Now, the fact that Antiquity had its share of slaves, and women rights weren't understood as in today's North America - it is much closer to today's Middle East/Central Asia, though in the past that was more or less the norm everywhere - which is going to cause some cultural dissonance:shade:.
 
Well...they can seem as the IS of another world to contemporary Westerners. Except for the religion part, where the Commandments are enforced by Blue Fire...and the part about complete personal freedom as long as societal obligations are met... and the part about learning being valued...

But really, Gor is about the Ancient World, except on a planet with man-ridden giant hawks, ridable reptiles, architectural wonders and ultra-developed medicine:thumbsup:! Now, the knowledge isn't really widespread, but the Caste of Doctors can do stuff that eclipses our current biotechnologies!
Now, the fact that Antiquity had its share of slaves, and women rights weren't understood as in today's North America - it is much closer to today's Middle East/Central Asia, though in the past that was more or less the norm everywhere - which is going to cause some cultural dissonance:shade:.

I think it hinges on how one presents the "garment of concealment" that the free women wear. If as a GM one is to describe them as a Hijab or Burqua I think the association would be a hard one not to make.

It doesnt help that there are no pictures in the main book. There is one in the adventure Tower of Art however. It looks more Greek or Roman which would help the GM get the feel across that this is more of a ancient mediterranian culture than anything from the present day. The actual historical dresses, not the skimpy modern fancy dress party ones. Although those would suit enslaved girls, modest enough to cut down on the nudity (not that my players are prude, more for my own sake)

Speaking about the commandments and Blue fire, I've only read the first few novels so I am only at the point where the Priest-Kings (the few of them there are left) have stopped or very rarely enforces directly, relying on their zealous initiates to punish lawbreakers in their stead.
Sure earthling, I see you brought a AR-15 to Gor. I'm sure it will help you slay many a young warrior. But in time your bullets will be depleted, and then your body will be impaled. You would have begged for the mercy of the Blue fire.
 
I think it hinges on how one presents the "garment of concealment" that the free women wear. If as a GM one is to describe them as a Hijab or Burqua I think the association would be a hard one not to make.
Almost everything in our hobby depends on how the GM presents it...:thumbsup:
Also, Robes of Concealment kinda are partially hijab/burqa, since they are worn for the same reasons - to keep potential kidnappers uncertain whether the booty is worth the risk (in a time and place where "potential kidnappers" were a more than real risk). But my argument is that even if Free Gorean Women wear hijab, that doesn't make Goreans religious terrorists.
After all, any Gorean Warrior would consider IEDs dishonourable.

It doesnt help that there are no pictures in the main book. There is one in the adventure Tower of Art however. It looks more Greek or Roman which would help the GM get the feel across that this is more of a ancient mediterranian culture than anything from the present day. The actual historical dresses, not the skimpy modern fancy dress party ones. Although those would suit enslaved girls, modest enough to cut down on the nudity (not that my players are prude, more for my own sake)
Possibly. I haven't read most of the adventures, as you know.
But if that picture works for your presentation, by all means, use it! In fact, I'd say "find others in the same style", it's not like Ancient Mediterranean dresses would be ignored today!

Speaking about the commandments and Blue fire, I've only read the first few novels so I am only at the point where the Priest-Kings (the few of them there are left) have stopped or very rarely enforces directly, relying on their zealous initiates to punish lawbreakers in their stead.
Sure earthling, I see you brought a AR-15 to Gor. I'm sure it will help you slay many a young warrior. But in time your bullets will be depleted, and then your body will be impaled. You would have begged for the mercy of the Blue fire.
The Blue Fire is actually a very real possibility. It's just that the satellites aren't that numerous, so you can get around for a time.
In one of the much later books there's a villainaous group which uses guns, but keeps them hidden. They managed quite well, and gunshots made them really terrifying...right until they got murdered by people.
Personally, I'd make it a random chance to be discovered by minute anyone in the area is brandishing a gun - say "16+ on 3d6 if you are using a small gun, 15+ for a long gun". Keep in mind, merely wearing them is enough - the satellites have shape recognition, and they're usually monitored by a Priest-King...who isn't going to mistake any kind of gun for something else. They've probably seen gun models that we haven't created yet:devil:.
And if the roll comes with the required number? Fire Death. They're literally killing you for orbit to be sure. The fire is going to destroy the weapon(s) as well, and keep in mind - anyone wearing a gun, dies. More or less at the same time.

So no, there's not going to be any "bringing equality to Gor via guns":gunslinger:. It would only end in ashes:devil:!
 
I'm inclined to agree with Edgewise and others that my patience for politics disclaimers in RPGs has long since worn away. I'm inclined to agree with Aaron the Pedantic's excellent thread about them. The gist of it is that people in the Twitter era of politics have lost sight of the difference between overt messaging and political themes. "No Nazis" disclaimers in RPG books are unprofessional and a waste of page space.

Now getting this thread back on topic.
Also, I didn't get far enough to discover how the sexuality comes into play, but I literally can't think of anyone who I know that would want to role-play in a fantasy game that prominently features BDSM.
I think you would be surprised, Edgewise. One of the huge advantages of playing online via text chat rather than in person is the degree of separation between player and character it enables. Suddenly a whole bunch of scenarios become playable and not just the mushy stuff. Now you can play a scenario of rescuing a lost child from a coven of witches for example without having to listen to 310 lb Gary doing an incredibly unconvincing falsetto.

The Second Life Gor RP community is still quite large and have essentially been keeping that ancient, creaky thing on life support for the last 20 years. Now that Second Life is reaching the end of its. well, life, those Gorean Roleplayers are going to need an outlet somewhere. With most tech companies today trying to keep their platforms aggressively PG, they don't exactly have a lot of options.
 
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I think you would be surprised, Edgewise.
Ditto. Merely googling "ERP forum" would find quite a few places dedicated to it.

Tales of Gor could fit right in, except the whole concept of Gor is FUCKING TAME compared to some stuff I've read on such forums:devil:. Yes, I play on such forums as well...though not under the same nickname.
 
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Ditto. Merely googling "ERP forum" would find quite a few places dedicated to it.

Tales of Gor could fit right in, except the whole concept of Gor is FUCKING TAME compared to some stuff I've read on such forums:devil:.
I happen to frequent a couple of those communities and let me tell you, most of the posters in those sites find Gor boring for precisely that reason.
 
I happen to frequent a couple of those communities and let me tell you, most of the posters in those sites find Gor boring for precisely that reason.
Ditto, and the rest of them haven't read it at all.
The amusing part is when someone who regularly plays in games considered extreme on ERP sites tells you he avoids Gor "because it is misogynistic". Man what:grin:? Your own writing leaves Gor so far behind it's not even a spot in the rear mirror, and Gor is too much for you? Going by hearsay much?
 
Ditto, and the rest of them haven't read it at all.
The amusing part is when someone who regularly plays in games considered extreme on ERP sites tells you he avoids Gor "because it is misogynistic". Man what:grin:? Your own writing leaves Gor so far behind it's not even a spot in the rear mirror, and Gor is too much for you? Going by hearsay much?

While I have only read a few books so far I expected it to be much worse.
 
While I have only read a few books so far I expected it to be much worse.
The parts that draw most outrage start after circa book 8 or 9, though:devil:.

Though to be honest, Tarl is boring. My recommendation is to find the trilogy Norman has written, one of the books was named Fighting Slave of Gor, and read those three. They're a very decent "quickstart" on Gorean culture, and what happens when people "go native"...which is also the development that awaits Tarl:shade:!
 
The parts that draw most outrage start after circa book 8 or 9, though:devil:.

Though to be honest, Tarl is boring. My recommendation is to find the trilogy Norman has written, one of the books was named Fighting Slave of Gor, and read those three. They're a very decent "quickstart" on Gorean culture, and what happens when people "go native"...which is also the development that awaits Tarl:shade:!
Bosk not boring....

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lol
 
I'm inclined to agree with Edgewise and others that my patience for politics disclaimers in RPGs has long since worn away. I'm inclined to agree with Aaron the Pedantic's excellent thread about them. The gist of it is that people in the Twitter era of politics have lost sight of the difference between overt messaging and political themes. "No Nazis" disclaimers in RPG books are unprofessional and a waste of page space.

I agree. I am an adult and more than capable of drawing my own conclusions about things. I'm certainly able to differentiate between fiction, purposeful messaging, artistic intent, and the realities of history.
 
Also, I didn't get far enough to discover how the sexuality comes into play, but I literally can't think of anyone who I know that would want to role-play in a fantasy game that prominently features BDSM.

Since I am a long-term member in my local BDSM community, I know quite a number of people who very deliberately play with BDSM and highly explicit sexual things in their rpg games. I frequently see people recruiting for kinky D&D games. I have watched more than my fair share of Gorean "scenes" at dungeon parties, as well.

The Gor books are really popular among the "Gorean" subculture of BDSM. I never really cared for the series, or Norman's writing style in general (and I'm not "Gorean"), but back in the pre-ebook days when the books were out of print I made some good side money digging them up at used bookstores, putting together complete runs of the series (sometimes combined with "Imaginative Sex"), and then selling them to Goreans. I had plastic totes full of them at one point.
 
I agree. I am an adult and more than capable of drawing my own conclusions about things. I'm certainly able to differentiate between fiction, purposeful messaging, artistic intent, and the realities of history.
And this goes in my signature, if you don't object:thumbsup:!
 
While I have only read a few books so far I expected it to be much worse.

The later books definitely have a number of pornographic S/M scenes.

Here is a sample I've posted before on here.

On the interior of my left thigh, reddish brown, dried now, lay a streak of blood, my virgin blood, which never again would I be able to shed. He, as in a primitive rite, I being only a slave, had forced me to taste it. He had taken it on his finger and thrust it roughly in my mouth, smearing it across my lips and tongue and teeth, making me take into my own body the consequences of his victory, my ravishing, my deflowering, and then, as he held my head in his hands, forcing me to look into his eyes, swallow, I would never forget the taste, nor the calm way he looked upon me, as a master. Then though my body was still sore from his first assault upon me, again he pleasured himself, like a lion, in my vulnerable, raw softness; I was shown no consideration, for I was a slave. I clutched him, loving him. Much service did he get from his girl that night.
- Page 71 Slave Girl of GOR

Not as hardcore as pulp or literary S/M pornography but probably a bit much for your average paperback fantasy fan.

Notably the S/M activist and writer Pat Califa wrote the introduction of Norman's Assassin of Gor (1970, I believe it is the 5th book in the series) when it was republished by the pornographic publisher Masquerade Books.

I have no issue with either pornography or S/M but the later books are definitely for more niche tastes, just like Samuel Delany's S/M-oriented S&S fantasy series.
 
I have no issue with either pornography or S/M but the later books are definitely for more niche tastes, just like Samuel Delany's S/M-oriented S&S fantasy series.
Samuel Delany has a S/M series:shock:?

And yeah, the above is pretty...tame in comparison to what I've read on ERP forums. I'll abstain from posting the stuff, but remember the infamous description of THAT Poison'd session? I've seen such on said forums (and before you start backing away slowly, I've never been in such a game myself:shade:).
 
Samuel Delany has a S/M series:shock:?

And yeah, the above is pretty...tame in comparison to what I've read on ERP forums. I'll abstain from posting the stuff, but remember the infamous description of THAT Poison'd session? I've seen such on said forums (and before you start backing away slowly, I've never been in such a game myself:shade:).

Oh yeah, Delany has written three overtly pornographic and Sadeian novels: Equinox, Hogg and The Mad Man. I've read Hogg, it is grotesque and heavy. Those books make Norman's books read like YA in comparison.

Neveryon is the sword and sorcery series with slavery and S/M dynamics as strong themes, Norman may even be an influence on the series, Leiber definitely is.

I've only read the short stories but the books have a good reputation as some of the more accessible work of late Delany.
 
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