I’ve been into gritty fantasy settings since I was young (thanks to my parent not checking content warnings properly) and it’s still my preferred genre today. But lately I keep running into players who think that having a “dark and brutal setting” means they can act inappropriately or be offensive at the table.
This really bothers me because these people are ruining the reputation of the entire genre. Now when someone suggests running a grimdark campaign, players assume it’s going to attract problematic people. And potential game masters avoid hosting these types of games because they worry about being associated with that crowd. It’s frustrating to see something I love get this kind of reputation because of a few bad actors.
Yeah it’s wild how some people think grimdark equals edgelord behavior. I’ve had to drop out of campaigns because players confused brutal worldbuilding with being personally obnoxious. The best grimdark games I’ve played had respectful tables where everyone understood the difference between fictional darkness and real-world decency.
I feel you on that. It’s like some folks think being in a grimdark setting gives them a free pass to be rude or act out. The real depth in these stories comes from exploring light amidst the dark. It can be frustrating having to filter through players to find the ones who just want to enjoy the experience without the drama.
Honestly ruins some great settings when people think gritty world means they can be creeps at the table. I’ve seen amazing grimdark campaigns fall apart because one person couldn’t separate fiction from basic respect.
Same issue here. The worst part is explaining to new players that grimdark doesn’t mean no table etiquette. Really kills the mood when you have to babysit adults.
I get that, it’s such a bummer when toxic players tarnish a genre. It’s good to have conversations about boundaries from the start so everyone’s on the same page and can enjoy the game without the nonsense.