mood: quixotic quixotic music: Placebo - "Sleeping With Ghosts"





Like sex itself, however, overtly erotic roleplaying is never truly “safe.” While Fantasy books and films are (like other erotic pastimes) essentially solo acts, roleplaying is (like still other erotic pastimes) interactive. And whenever stupid primates gather around erotic subjects, the stupid and primitive elements often win out.





(Nothing to see here - move along...)





Is that the ways things always go? Of course not. Like any other art form (and yes, RPGs qualify as an “art form”), Fantasy gaming can address sexuality in all its myriad contradictions. It can be cheesy, playful, tragic, offensive, sensual, comedic, and often a mixture of all of them and more. Toss in the subtle sublimation and balls-out kinkiness of various Fantasy genres, and all potentials go through the roof. Although most groups prefer to apply some self-imposed element of “taste” to the proceedings, the line between “tasty” and “tacky” is very much in the eye (and other body parts…) of the beholder.







(Don’t even ask about Beholder sex. It’s tacky.)



Though young men present the obvious Erotic Fantasy fans, anyone who’s read Let’s face it: Fantasy is kinky. Even without the overt eroticism of bondage death–traps and chainmail bikinis, the Fantasy tradition (and its incestuous cousins Horror, Romance, SF, and Badass Action) brims with sublimated sex. Swords, wands, cups and caves, virile heroes and hungry heroines, vile wretches and lusty wenches – the tropes and characters of Fantasy provide exciting exorcism for our carnal urges. For obvious reasons, these elements crop up (so to speak…) in various forms within Fantasy-based roleplaying groups.Like sex itself, however, overtly erotic roleplaying is never truly “safe.” While Fantasy books and films are (like other erotic pastimes) essentially solo acts, roleplaying is (like still other erotic pastimes) interactive. And whenever stupid primates gather around erotic subjects, the stupid and primitive elements often win out.Is that the ways things always go? Of course not. Like any other art form (and yes, RPGs qualify as an “art form”), Fantasy gaming can address sexuality in all its myriad contradictions. It can be cheesy, playful, tragic, offensive, sensual, comedic, and often a mixture of all of them and more. Toss in the subtle sublimation and balls-out kinkiness of various Fantasy genres, and all potentials go through the roof. Although most groups prefer to apply some self-imposed element of “taste” to the proceedings, the line between “tasty” and “tacky” is very much in the eye (and other body parts…) of the beholder.Though young men present the obvious Erotic Fantasy fans, anyone who’s read









(Yeah, I got yer "straight male gamer" right HERE!)





Mass-consumption Fantasy hovers between a Some Adult Content, No Sex, or Cheesecake City approach. Gamers, though, like to tailor our worlds to personal tastes. And so, as with most forms of real-world sexuality, Erotic Fantasy gaming plays out across a spectrum of explicitness and consent. Pondering such dynamics at Stupid O’Clock this morning, I conceived of Satyr’s Mighty FantiSex Gaming Spectrum: a reflection of my personal experiences and observations about sex, gaming, and the way things go when eros and Fantasy gamers collide.



Not limited to the range between Harry Potter and hairy hentai, the Mighty FantiSex Gaming Spectrum depends on the desires and boundaries of all participants. At the top end, everyone’s on board for high-octane fun; at the lowest extreme, one or two group members traumatize the rest until the group implodes. Ideally, the balance should be easy to maintain; in real life, things often slide along the spectrum, hopefully asserting a comfortable dynamic wherein good times are had by all.



And so, we reveal Satyr’s Mighty FantiSex Gaming Spectrum. Feel free to comment, link it, re-post it with attribution, and generally meme the fuck out of it. Sex usually works better when we understand what we’re doing.



Enjoy!



SATYR’S MIGHTY FANTISEX GAMING SPECTRUM







CARNAL PARTY



Generally common within adolescent all-male gaming groups (maybe adolescent all-female ones, too), the Carnal Party presents an erotic free-for-all wherein participants happily live out whatever sexual fantasies they please. Huge-cocked barbarian dudes pound away at melon-chested wenches (or perhaps other huge-cocked barbarian dudes) while nubile slave girls scrub one another’s carpets clean. Real-world consequences like pregnancy, disease and gravity are pretty much ignored – save for jealousy or betrayal, which make lovely plot devices. Everybody's nekkid and nobody cares.



The traditional dynamic within large segments of the Sword-and-Sorcery and Action Badass genres, Carnal Party is consensual, explicit, and in no way realistic. Typified by the Eros Comix approach, such Fantasy can be straight, queer, kinky, or whatever flavor floats the common boat. Unlike dynamics at the other end of this spectrum, this erotic threshold is absurd yet mutual. The key word here is “party.” If someone in the group feels offended, this dynamic slips toward Cheesecake City… or worse.







MUTUALLY CONSENSUAL



Intentionally erotic but often more serious than Carnal Parties, a Mutually Consensual dynamic assumes an explicit “fantasex” atmosphere. The realm of Merry Gentry and Gorean roleplay, this style favors a more traditionally “feminine” approach than Carnal Party. Everyone knows what they’re here for, but emotions, relationships, physics and consequences do matter. This style often favors a stronger kink element than Carnal Party and is, in fact, the “default setting” for lots of actual BDSM play. Again, though, the key word is “consent”; regardless of the genders or preferences among its participants, a Mutually Consensual group fits the tastes and boundaries of all members.







NSFW



Playfully risqué and frequently explicit, the NSFW dynamic crops up a lot in mixed-gender groups from adolescence onward. Erotic content is common but not pervasive, frequently amusing, often absurd, and generally mutual. In my experience and observation, it often features a lot of half-serious (or all-serious) flirtation between players. Typical in certain manga, anime and romance-fiction genres, NSFW sexuality dynamics often revolve around misunderstandings, cheese- or beefcake, unrequited love/ lust, and “Oops!” moments where clothing and propriety wind up on the floor. Characters tend to be randy but not erotically obsessed, and the atmosphere favors comedy with occasional serious undercurrents.







Jacqueline Cary or gamed with many of the female gamers I’ve met (including my partner, first wife, and most girlfriends) can attest that girls can beat boys (literally!) when it comes to imaginative carnality. The old saw that Fantasy-oriented females prefer chaste scenarios simply isn’t true. Anyone with a libido might want to explore their urges through Erotic Fantasy; gay men, straight women, try-sexuals of all potential gender configurations – Fantasy has room for everyone… at least in theory, anyway. For the most part, sadly, FantiSex remains het-based with occasional girl-on-girl action. When other genders are rightfully factored in on a large scale, someone inevitably throws a Dragon Age tantrum. Sometimes, we can be such children!Mass-consumption Fantasy hovers between a Some Adult Content, No Sex, or Cheesecake City approach. Gamers, though, like to tailor our worlds to personal tastes. And so, as with most forms of real-world sexuality, Erotic Fantasy gaming plays out across a spectrum of explicitness and consent. Pondering such dynamics at Stupid O’Clock this morning, I conceived of: a reflection of my personal experiences and observations about sex, gaming, and the way things go when eros and Fantasy gamers collide.Not limited to the range between Harry Potter and hairy hentai, the Mighty FantiSex Gaming Spectrum depends on the desires and boundaries of all participants. At the top end, everyone’s on board for high-octane fun; at the lowest extreme, one or two group members traumatize the rest until the group implodes. Ideally, the balance should be easy to maintain; in real life, things often slide along the spectrum, hopefully asserting a comfortable dynamic wherein good times are had by all.And so, we reveal. Feel free to comment, link it, re-post it with attribution, and generally meme the fuck out of it. Sex usually works better when we understand what we’re doing.Enjoy!Generally common within adolescent all-male gaming groups (maybe adolescent all-female ones, too), the Carnal Party presents an erotic free-for-all wherein participants happily live out whatever sexual fantasies they please. Huge-cocked barbarian dudes pound away at melon-chested wenches (or perhaps other huge-cocked barbarian dudes) while nubile slave girls scrub one another’s carpets clean. Real-world consequences like pregnancy, disease and gravity are pretty much ignored – save for jealousy or betrayal, which make lovely plot devices. Everybody's nekkid and nobody cares.The traditional dynamic within large segments of the Sword-and-Sorcery and Action Badass genres, Carnal Party is consensual, explicit, and in no way realistic. Typified by the Eros Comix approach, such Fantasy can be straight, queer, kinky, or whatever flavor floats the common boat. Unlike dynamics at the other end of this spectrum, this erotic threshold is absurd yet mutual. The key word here is “party.” If someone in the group feels offended, this dynamic slips toward Cheesecake City… or worse.Intentionally erotic but often more serious than Carnal Parties, a Mutually Consensual dynamic assumes an explicit “fantasex” atmosphere. The realm of Merry Gentry and Gorean roleplay, this style favors a more traditionally “feminine” approach than Carnal Party. Everyone knows what they’re here for, but emotions, relationships, physics and consequences do matter. This style often favors a stronger kink element than Carnal Party and is, in fact, the “default setting” for lots of actual BDSM play. Again, though, the key word is “consent”; regardless of the genders or preferences among its participants, a Mutually Consensual group fits the tastes and boundaries of all members.Playfully risqué and frequently explicit, the NSFW dynamic crops up a lot in mixed-gender groups from adolescence onward. Erotic content is common but not pervasive, frequently amusing, often absurd, and generally mutual. In my experience and observation, it often features a lot of half-serious (or all-serious) flirtation between players. Typical in certain manga, anime and romance-fiction genres, NSFW sexuality dynamics often revolve around misunderstandings, cheese- or beefcake, unrequited love/ lust, and “Oops!” moments where clothing and propriety wind up on the floor. Characters tend to be randy but not erotically obsessed, and the atmosphere favors comedy with occasional serious undercurrents.