Author: Mike (---.comcast.net)
Date: 05-10-2002 20:34
As much as I enjoy roleplaying, most people I've gamed with have used sex in the campaign for entertainment and some (really, really odd) comic relief. Note that this was by the consent of the group, which was evenly split men and women, and not just adolescent male fantasies.
I wouldn't be opposed to a campaign that involves pregnancy, children, and family. Many roleplaying games and gamers, in my not so humble opinion, don't give nearly enough attention to their characters reasons for adventuring. If you're just doing a dungeon hack, it's sufficient to state that Throk the barbarian just decided to grab his stone ax and go bash things for fun.
But most people will not willingly risk their lives against dangerous foes on lengthy, difficult quests without really powerful motivation. Most of your standard archetypical characters don't want adventure, battle, and hardship. They want wealth, fame, and power, with as little risk to their necks as possible. Even warriors usually fall into three groups: those earning a living (motives of cash), those defending their homeland (motives of patriotism) and those seeking to loot and pillage (motives of spoils). Even for them combat is the means, not the end.
That's where family comes into play. A woman will be more likely to go questing after the cure for a plague if her brother is infected. A man is more likely to take up swordsmanship if his family is at risk. A thief might plan the perfect heist in the hopes that her daughter has a better childhood than she. A young wizard might drive himself harder than all of the other students in a desperate attempt to impress his overly demanding father. Someone that has despaired since they lost their family to disease might seek combat with reckless abandon, since they have nothing to lose.
Want to make Thrak a real hero? Give him a barbarian wife and children that he really cares about. Watch him become truly heroic, because now he has a lot more to lose.
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