Pirate No. 8 and Why He Is Important

This-particularly-rapid-unintelligible-patter-
isn't-generally-heard-and-if-it-is-it-doesn't-matter!
(matter, matter, matter, matter, matter . . . )

Big news!!!! We got to watch an entire musical while our daughter took an afternoon nap the other day. It was incredible. The quiet, two musical nerds singing along with the score, and quipping that, while enjoyable,  The Pirates of Penzance film is a bit dated (the fade-outs are kind of a give-away). Shocking that a film from the early 80s is dated, right? Anyway, as we watched Frederic, The Pirate King and entourage  dancing, strutting and singing (and can I just take a moment to acknowledge the legend that is Angela Lansbury?) . . . it struck me how avant garde it must have been to have a PoC in a major motion production of a musical in the early 80s.

For those of you who have seen the film, you might wonder who the hell I'm referring to? This guy:

And no, I don't know his name, which is a damn shame. If any of our readers do, please share! But here's why I think he's important: a lot of musicals (and theater-in-general) have had a dearth of minorities cast in historically-set roles (I'm not counting the ones that center on the black experience in particular). Just look at Trevor Nunn's defense for his recent all-white casting of The War of the Roses.

So the fact that this actor was cast in something that was not a "black" musical or perhaps even so-called "appropriate" type casting, well it sure was nice to see him back in 1983. Don't get me wrong, being Pirate #8 is not sensational, but to be on screen for all of the pirate crew scenes is something. To cast him with no focus on his color and to not reference it in any way, well, it pains me to be so excited about something that is really just a table scrap. It was kind of heartbreaking that I would even notice this fact.

But I have a glimmer of hope when I think about Hamilton (which I just missed seeing, as it moved from off-Broadway to on-Broadway during my weekend birthday tour of NYC), and how powerful of a message it sends by purposefully casting PoC in roles that depict white historical figures and letting their talent show, also showing that color lines can be removed. And should have been removed decades ago. Hell, they should have never existed but we can't deny reality. We can try to change it with our dollars, praise, and good words.

Did I mention, that I now have a wicked cool idea for a musical Cthulhu scenario? Maybe I will run it at GenCon 2016 or GaryCon 2016. Time to warm up the old vocal cords. Break out your earplugs.

RPG Fridays: Gone Fishing

Enjoy the Labor Day weekend, everybody. 

The N-Word in Gaming. Yeah, I Went There.

Okay readers, today's post is a little bit more serious than usual and a topic that I have been brewing upon for ages. In recent posts, I've written a lot of lofty thoughts about racism and how to equip my daughter with the tools she will need. And then I just finished reading Between the World and Me, a masterpiece by Ta-Nehisi Coates, that was like leaping into the TARDIS and reliving one of my previous regenerations. I won't delve into how amazing the book is, as there are gillions of reviews out there. Just know that I believe it should be mandatory reading for everyone, placed into school curriculum, and used to combat those attempting to whitewash American history. 

I have spent a lot of time running games (over 30 years, yikes), and have played with a number of white male gamers.  When I have encountered more diverse gamers (being PoC, women or LGBT), it has almost been like two Highlanders seeing each other and suddenly Queen is playing in the background. Often those encounters involve some serious sizing up of each other, trying to decide how this other gamer will shake out (but that is a future blog post).

An experience I'd rather not live through again . . . 

I want to take a little interweb space to recount one particular encounter of mine from about eight years ago. I recount it as one example of how I have heard the N-word used while gaming. I was running Dawn of Defiance (for the first time of four tries) for a group of gamers I had assembled from over the net. The party had about seven players, one of which was a couple. The session had been long, heated and had not gone in the party's favor for a number of reasons: bad planning, horrible dice rolls and trying to meta game the scenario instead of just playing. After a lengthy six-hour session on a hot July day, I called it.

I said my usually bit about hoping everyone had a good time and asking for feedback on the session. A couple of people asked questions or complained about needing to buy new dice; the couple did not say anything. I'm of the mind that gaming is a collaborative thing and helping people understand builds a solid foundation, and I really appreciate it when people participate fully. A few more questions later, people were packing up and I stepped out the room to grab a book for a player. When I came back in, out of view, it happened.

The husband of couple turned to his wife and said "Can you believe that cheating nigger?" That was really the last word I heard for a few moments, as a burning rage overtook me for the next few moments. A million ideas rolled through my brain about what I could do. More than anything, I wanted to toss this guy out of  the window, after he came into my home, disrespected me and insulted me with an accusation of cheating. 

Lucky-for-him, my cool (that thing that is so essential for African Americans to master in order to deal with life) came back to me. I know that I can't lose my cool; as a PoC, I don't have that privilege. If I made a scene, what happens next. A fight? The total disbanding of a group I worked to assemble? My arrest for putting a jackass in his place?

Instead, I saw everyone out, bid them farewell, and held my tongue (and my fists). What would you have done? Did I do the right thing? I still wonder to this day. What I did was contact him offline and let him know that what I heard his unacceptable and disrespectful and that they were not welcomed back. I may have also included a few other respectful and measured comments to end it. 

The N-word . . . so much power in just a simple word. Some black people have tried to take ownership of it but in my opinion, that is just falsely empowering people to say it while hurting a race of people trapped under it. 

Can I use the N-word in my game? 

Short answer? No.

It is never okay for a non-black GM to use it and even black GMs should be wary of it. Wait? What? It's just a game . . . are possibly the thoughts going through your mind. 

Let's assume that everyone who would want to say the word in the game is not racist or bigoted (that laughing you hear is my internal cynic). Even if all of that remains true, what does using the word really bring to a scene? Is it impact or shock your looking for? If so, that can be conveyed by the actions of your antagonist.

For instance, let's say you are running an 1850s Call of Cthulhu game set in the deep South. The racist plantation owner in reality would likely use the word but could just as easily call black people slaves, colored or other still insulting words. The horror and intensity will come from his action, through violence like whipping or having dogs chase the black investigators. Using actions to portray the plantation owner's racism (rather than words, and more specifically the N-word), provides a strong alternative that allows the GM to use third-person to illustrate the scene. 

Both approaches generate tension, but being action-oriented allows focus on the tension within game. The small group of players that are assembled need to feel comfortable with each other and the GM. By using the N-word, the GM automatically creates a divide in a room. I continue to look for ways to create a more inclusive space for my gamers, and recently discovered the X-Card. I plan to add it to my games, and hope it will make it easier for people to communicate their level of comfort during the game. 

The flip side of that coin, is that I do fervently believe the N-word should be used in other forms of media, such as a television and films. Of course, this can be a fine line to tread, but eliminating the word from all media has the potential to erase the truth. The N-word has power due to the ties of slavery, oppression and hatred. By totally ignoring it, we would disrespect those of us that came before and endured it. I see a key difference in other media: the setting is not nearly as intimate, and a live person is not using it to address someone in the room personally. 

This is the first post in what I hope will be a series of posts about the power of language and racism in gaming. Until then, just don't use the N-word. Cool?

RPG Fridays: Test Your Might!

This is less of a blog post and more of dream I bring to you. Gather round, players . . . 

Much akin to Lu Kang batting for the Earth Realm, I am looking for a real test of my GM abilities and improvisational skills. One of my GenCon sessions that had to start 30 minutes late was a nice dipping-of-the-toe into improvising, but it was not a true test. I would love for a couple of my players to randomly pick or purposefully choose a RPG from my endless collection, which ranges from Everway to Unknown Armies to Traveller, and give me three words. Just three words that give me a basis to run an entire session right then. No prep. No warning. Just skill and skill alone.

So . . . I challenge you, my fellow GMs, to ask your players do this. And to the players in my games, the gauntlet has been thrown.

Until then, even with project deadlines mounting. I plan to find a couple of hours to play Shadowrun: Hong Kong. 

Cheers! Game on!

Making Doctor Who For My Daughter (or any PoC)

My inspiration:

This video of my daughter got me thinking how I would make Doctor Who for her.  You may remember reading about my reluctance to show her one of my favorite TV series of all time. Well, here is my vision of a Doctor Who that would be accessible to people of color, deal with some of the horrors of history, and at the same time take aim at a brighter future. As the show runner, my philosophy would embrace the idea that we can't have a harmonious future without facing our turbulent past. 

The Plan

I have a five-season plan for the 13th Doctor that involves the return of the Key to Time and the Guardians. The first season would be the gradual revelation of what is going on, and the first part of the Key falling into hands of a regenerated Rani, Monk or Drax, all of whom would have fought in the time war and are now free because of the Doctor's actions of returning Gallifrey to our galaxy. This would be the last image of the last episode of Season 10.  

The 13th Doctor

I would go back to the basic idea of The Doctor being Time's Champion, similar to the 7th Doctor toward the end of his television run or the New Adventures book series. All of the new Doctors seem to call upon certain aspect of previous Doctors (10th, the 5th; 11th, the 2nd; etc.). This would make him a more active protagonist as compared to some of the recent Doctors, and less inclined to just randomly bump into trouble, as he plays a cosmic game of chess.

Casting for the Doctor would involve a shortlist of some of my favorite black actors. My first choice for the 13th would of course be Idris Elba, who would bring a level of seriousness and worldliness to the role. A close second would be Paterson Joseph, who would bring an effortlessness to dialogue with an understated sense of humor; he has also been on the show before, which would follow a popular Doctor Who model of recycling characters (look at Amy Pond or the 12th Doctor, both in the "Fires of Pompeii"). And lastly, but certainly a worthy actor,  Adrian Lester would bring a ton of charm and makes that musical episode a possibility.

Costume: slightly crumpled white suit, black tie and overcoat with combat boots

Companions

While the Doctor is perfectly fine on his own, he works better with companions. The companions are nearly as essential as the man himself. I have always been a fan of the larger TARDIS crew, as it enhances the drama, tension and allows for multiple perspectives on everything they encounter. 

Langston McShane: The son of Dorothy "Ace" McShane grew up hearing stories about the Doctor. He has spent his life knowing that he is destined to be a companion, and has been preparing himself and waiting. He is a young man in his mid 20s living in Washington DC, close to his mother Dorothy. Only one actor comes to mind: Tyler James Williams.

Costume: leather half waist duster, backpack (w/Nitro-Nine), jeans and converse

Romana: She is a Timelady that is smarter than the Doctor, has been around since the 1970s, and is severely underused. She would have recently regenerated. Episode 4 would be a Romana-only episode with her fleeing Gallifrey via a time-ring, discovering that the Doctor is a prisoner of a Rutan scout, and rescuing both the Doctor and Langston at the end of the episode. This new Romana would be one of two or three actresses: Emma Thompson, Helen Mirren or Sarah Lancashire.  (We would plan for a Romana spin-off series at the end of Season 12.)       

Costume: immaculate red and white pant suit with trench coat and runners

Wei Kane: She is a warrior from an alternate-future Earth that was overrun and on the brink of destruction. She would join the crew around Episode 8 and have historical knowledge that seems to line up perfectly with Langston's timeline. This would mean that the Doctor has failed, and it becomes a race to discover what is going on and to not make whatever the mistake was. One actress would be perfect for this: Crystal Liu Yi Fei.                                                                                          

Costume: black military fatigues with combat armor, weapons and boots  

Captain Jack: Around Episode 10 of the first season, the Doctor would realize that something is going on and he will need Jack. So, he travels to him and asks him for help. Whenever Jack travels with the Doctor, it allows him to be lighter and funnier, as the Timelord carries the heavier burden.                                                  

Costume: current look

Season 10: Opener

"The Blood Equation": This would be a three-part episode focused on the new Doctor, him meeting Langston, and them dealing with a factor of vampires that escaped from E-Space (as shown in the episode State of Decay, the Timelords are an ancient enemy of the vampires). As a nod to the past, the episodes would feature a guest appearance from an old companion, Ace (the proto-Rose, an independent, combative and capable young woman). This would be a passing-of-the-torch moment to start the series with a current day backdrop to increase accessibility for new fans. 

There is a lot more, but that would involve spoilers. The show would be a muddling of the past with the present, and after establishing the baseline, would easily lead into one-off episodes that would happen when the crew travels to say 1223 England or 1957 Alabama. This approach would allow for some incredible drama, teaching history (as the show was first created to do), and taking it to a larger audience. Television is one of the most influential media in modern day and can be used for more than just entertainment. 

Steven, BBC TV, Mark . . . I am here and happy to share my ideas to turn this show I love into something for my daughter (she does look way cute saying the word TARDIS, doesn't she?). Help me to help you make this show better and more relevant for our lives.