This is the tenth in an ongoing series aimed to provide the overworked DM with ready-to run encounters. The PCs encounter a deceitful Bog Witch who serves Zuggtmoy. A CR 7+ encounter.
The encounter includes:
- History/Background for the Bog Witch.
- Encounter guide.
- New Monsters: Bog Witch, Bog Ogre, Bog Giant and Bog Zombie
- Two Color Maps.
The companion ZIP file contains:
- JPEG and Campaign Cartographer versions of the maps (with and without grid).
- Hero Lab file for the encounter.
- Word file of the encounter.
- PDF of the character sheets for all the monsters.
Quite racy cover art, Mike. We will need to adjust the MPAA rating of your blog from G to PG.
Interesting point. Several of my classes address this kind of hyper-sexualized design in game art. This image is comparatively tame, but it does tend to lean toward the “boys-will-be-boys” market for games, something the industry is trying to break free from in search of a broader market.
Although I’ve been teaching these topics for nearly 20 years, only recently have these conversations come under the scrutiny of Human Resources and Title IX – another example of how challenging ideas and the discussion of sensitive topics are starting to take a back seat to “safe spaces” and the delicate nature of student comfort-zones. If I were to bring up images like this one in class for legitimate discussion of a valid, relevant topic, I would not be surprised to hear from HR, who at the very least would caution me about what can or cannot be said in their regard. In fact, it has happened.
There’s definitely push-back on that, though, and I remain hopeful that the pendulum has swung to its extreme and a reasonable common ground will be found.
The fact is that there are very few studios who like to see that kind of artwork on student applications. When we speak with recruiters, art directors, and producers with regard to their expectations for portfolio submissions, we are often told that the inclusion of this kind of character is one of their benchmarks for dismissing a portfolio on the first round.
The game industry (along with the broader animation industry for film and television) is addressing these issues internally. While at a university there is a top-down “policy” dictated, motivated by ideology, the game industry is motivated by profit and market. And the truth is that they seek to expand these markets so their games are equally attractive to a female customer base, and they seek to include more women among their artists and developers. Thus the question of Lara Croft’s bust, and the design choices thereof, are questioned as to their relevance to the strong, independent character she is.