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How common is homosexuality in the Forgotten Realms?
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For whatever roleplaying reason, I've decided that my Male Human Wizard is gay. After an exhausting week of dungeon crawling, he's heading down to the nearest medium to large-sized city for some R&R with a pocket full of hard-earned gp and would love to try to pick up a date.
How common is homosexuality in the default 5e setting? Yes, I know the practical, in-game answer is to ask my DM, but maybe he doesn't have much information either. Is this covered anywhere? Can a typical resident, or even adventurer, just expect to ask around for directions to nearby gay bars or hangouts and have a decent chance of getting help, or is this something that would be significantly difficult and/or dangerous to try? For comparison, in our world, this would probably not be an issue at all at a bookstore in Boston. Riyadh, not so much.
- Is homosexuality common and practiced openly?
- Is it common, but hidden, such that successfully making the appropriate contacts, knowing the right signs or lingo or whatever might require a lore check or an underworld contact?
- Is homosexuality rare or vanishingly rare, such that most people would be shocked to even consider such a thing?
- Are there specific backgrounds or places where this is more common? (e.g. followers of a certain god, members of specific races, etc.?)
If this is covered better in previous game editions, I'm open to them as long as they don't blatantly contradict 5e.
dnd-5e forgotten-realms lore sexuality romance
asked 49 mins ago
Robert Columbia
1,40111027
add a comment |Â
up vote
9
down vote
favorite
For whatever roleplaying reason, I've decided that my Male Human Wizard is gay. After an exhausting week of dungeon crawling, he's heading down to the nearest medium to large-sized city for some R&R with a pocket full of hard-earned gp and would love to try to pick up a date.
How common is homosexuality in the default 5e setting? Yes, I know the practical, in-game answer is to ask my DM, but maybe he doesn't have much information either. Is this covered anywhere? Can a typical resident, or even adventurer, just expect to ask around for directions to nearby gay bars or hangouts and have a decent chance of getting help, or is this something that would be significantly difficult and/or dangerous to try? For comparison, in our world, this would probably not be an issue at all at a bookstore in Boston. Riyadh, not so much.
- Is homosexuality common and practiced openly?
- Is it common, but hidden, such that successfully making the appropriate contacts, knowing the right signs or lingo or whatever might require a lore check or an underworld contact?
- Is homosexuality rare or vanishingly rare, such that most people would be shocked to even consider such a thing?
- Are there specific backgrounds or places where this is more common? (e.g. followers of a certain god, members of specific races, etc.?)
If this is covered better in previous game editions, I'm open to them as long as they don't blatantly contradict 5e.
dnd-5e forgotten-realms lore sexuality romance
asked 49 mins ago
Robert Columbia
1,40111027
1
To the downvoter: What's wrong with this question?
– Robert Columbia
43 mins ago
2
Which published adventures do you have? Also, is lore from previous editions within scope, or would you rather only 5e-current sources or context be considered? While I'm not a mod, I'll answer Robert's question about what is wrong with this question: nothing. I appeal to users / the community to remember our Be Nice guidance.
– KorvinStarmast
38 mins ago
@KorvinStarmast I'm open to previous editions if it helps.
– Robert Columbia
35 mins ago
4
@RobertColumbia I strongly suspect its people who don't like the subject matter. I wouldn't worry about it - its an interesting question
– Wibbs
33 mins ago
2
@NautArch yes, that's not an issue. The question is more on how to handle this from a practical perspective. E.g. if I have my wizard walk up to a local blacksmith and ask him, "Excuse me, sir, is there an, uhh, gay bar in town?", would it be more in keeping with the lore for the blacksmith to be disgusted and throw mud, or might he be likely to be open to helping me get directions? Maybe he doesn't know, but he might know that his sister's son's father-in-law's son is gay and suggest I talk to him.
– Robert Columbia
27 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
9
down vote
favorite
up vote
9
down vote
favorite
For whatever roleplaying reason, I've decided that my Male Human Wizard is gay. After an exhausting week of dungeon crawling, he's heading down to the nearest medium to large-sized city for some R&R with a pocket full of hard-earned gp and would love to try to pick up a date.
How common is homosexuality in the default 5e setting? Yes, I know the practical, in-game answer is to ask my DM, but maybe he doesn't have much information either. Is this covered anywhere? Can a typical resident, or even adventurer, just expect to ask around for directions to nearby gay bars or hangouts and have a decent chance of getting help, or is this something that would be significantly difficult and/or dangerous to try? For comparison, in our world, this would probably not be an issue at all at a bookstore in Boston. Riyadh, not so much.
- Is homosexuality common and practiced openly?
- Is it common, but hidden, such that successfully making the appropriate contacts, knowing the right signs or lingo or whatever might require a lore check or an underworld contact?
- Is homosexuality rare or vanishingly rare, such that most people would be shocked to even consider such a thing?
- Are there specific backgrounds or places where this is more common? (e.g. followers of a certain god, members of specific races, etc.?)
If this is covered better in previous game editions, I'm open to them as long as they don't blatantly contradict 5e.
dnd-5e forgotten-realms lore sexuality romance
asked 49 mins ago
Robert Columbia
1,40111027
For whatever roleplaying reason, I've decided that my Male Human Wizard is gay. After an exhausting week of dungeon crawling, he's heading down to the nearest medium to large-sized city for some R&R with a pocket full of hard-earned gp and would love to try to pick up a date.
How common is homosexuality in the default 5e setting? Yes, I know the practical, in-game answer is to ask my DM, but maybe he doesn't have much information either. Is this covered anywhere? Can a typical resident, or even adventurer, just expect to ask around for directions to nearby gay bars or hangouts and have a decent chance of getting help, or is this something that would be significantly difficult and/or dangerous to try? For comparison, in our world, this would probably not be an issue at all at a bookstore in Boston. Riyadh, not so much.
- Is homosexuality common and practiced openly?
- Is it common, but hidden, such that successfully making the appropriate contacts, knowing the right signs or lingo or whatever might require a lore check or an underworld contact?
- Is homosexuality rare or vanishingly rare, such that most people would be shocked to even consider such a thing?
- Are there specific backgrounds or places where this is more common? (e.g. followers of a certain god, members of specific races, etc.?)
If this is covered better in previous game editions, I'm open to them as long as they don't blatantly contradict 5e.
dnd-5e forgotten-realms lore sexuality romance
dnd-5e forgotten-realms lore sexuality romance
asked 49 mins ago
Robert Columbia
1,40111027
asked 49 mins ago
Robert Columbia
1,40111027
edited 18 mins ago
asked 49 mins ago
Robert Columbia
1,40111027
asked 49 mins ago
Robert Columbia
1,40111027
asked 49 mins ago
Robert Columbia
1,40111027
1,40111027
1
To the downvoter: What's wrong with this question?
– Robert Columbia
43 mins ago
2
Which published adventures do you have? Also, is lore from previous editions within scope, or would you rather only 5e-current sources or context be considered? While I'm not a mod, I'll answer Robert's question about what is wrong with this question: nothing. I appeal to users / the community to remember our Be Nice guidance.
– KorvinStarmast
38 mins ago
@KorvinStarmast I'm open to previous editions if it helps.
– Robert Columbia
35 mins ago
4
@RobertColumbia I strongly suspect its people who don't like the subject matter. I wouldn't worry about it - its an interesting question
– Wibbs
33 mins ago
2
@NautArch yes, that's not an issue. The question is more on how to handle this from a practical perspective. E.g. if I have my wizard walk up to a local blacksmith and ask him, "Excuse me, sir, is there an, uhh, gay bar in town?", would it be more in keeping with the lore for the blacksmith to be disgusted and throw mud, or might he be likely to be open to helping me get directions? Maybe he doesn't know, but he might know that his sister's son's father-in-law's son is gay and suggest I talk to him.
– Robert Columbia
27 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1
To the downvoter: What's wrong with this question?
– Robert Columbia
43 mins ago
2
Which published adventures do you have? Also, is lore from previous editions within scope, or would you rather only 5e-current sources or context be considered? While I'm not a mod, I'll answer Robert's question about what is wrong with this question: nothing. I appeal to users / the community to remember our Be Nice guidance.
– KorvinStarmast
38 mins ago
@KorvinStarmast I'm open to previous editions if it helps.
– Robert Columbia
35 mins ago
4
@RobertColumbia I strongly suspect its people who don't like the subject matter. I wouldn't worry about it - its an interesting question
– Wibbs
33 mins ago
2
@NautArch yes, that's not an issue. The question is more on how to handle this from a practical perspective. E.g. if I have my wizard walk up to a local blacksmith and ask him, "Excuse me, sir, is there an, uhh, gay bar in town?", would it be more in keeping with the lore for the blacksmith to be disgusted and throw mud, or might he be likely to be open to helping me get directions? Maybe he doesn't know, but he might know that his sister's son's father-in-law's son is gay and suggest I talk to him.
– Robert Columbia
27 mins ago
1
1
To the downvoter: What's wrong with this question?
– Robert Columbia
43 mins ago
To the downvoter: What's wrong with this question?
– Robert Columbia
43 mins ago
2
2
Which published adventures do you have? Also, is lore from previous editions within scope, or would you rather only 5e-current sources or context be considered? While I'm not a mod, I'll answer Robert's question about what is wrong with this question: nothing. I appeal to users / the community to remember our Be Nice guidance.
– KorvinStarmast
38 mins ago
Which published adventures do you have? Also, is lore from previous editions within scope, or would you rather only 5e-current sources or context be considered? While I'm not a mod, I'll answer Robert's question about what is wrong with this question: nothing. I appeal to users / the community to remember our Be Nice guidance.
– KorvinStarmast
38 mins ago
@KorvinStarmast I'm open to previous editions if it helps.
– Robert Columbia
35 mins ago
@KorvinStarmast I'm open to previous editions if it helps.
– Robert Columbia
35 mins ago
4
4
@RobertColumbia I strongly suspect its people who don't like the subject matter. I wouldn't worry about it - its an interesting question
– Wibbs
33 mins ago
@RobertColumbia I strongly suspect its people who don't like the subject matter. I wouldn't worry about it - its an interesting question
– Wibbs
33 mins ago
2
2
@NautArch yes, that's not an issue. The question is more on how to handle this from a practical perspective. E.g. if I have my wizard walk up to a local blacksmith and ask him, "Excuse me, sir, is there an, uhh, gay bar in town?", would it be more in keeping with the lore for the blacksmith to be disgusted and throw mud, or might he be likely to be open to helping me get directions? Maybe he doesn't know, but he might know that his sister's son's father-in-law's son is gay and suggest I talk to him.
– Robert Columbia
27 mins ago
@NautArch yes, that's not an issue. The question is more on how to handle this from a practical perspective. E.g. if I have my wizard walk up to a local blacksmith and ask him, "Excuse me, sir, is there an, uhh, gay bar in town?", would it be more in keeping with the lore for the blacksmith to be disgusted and throw mud, or might he be likely to be open to helping me get directions? Maybe he doesn't know, but he might know that his sister's son's father-in-law's son is gay and suggest I talk to him.
– Robert Columbia
27 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
5
down vote
What the Player's Handbook says
In Chapter 4, "Personality and Background", the Subsection "Character Details" has a header titled "Sex" that makes the following remarks (emphasis mine):
Sex
You can play a male or female character without gaining any special benefits or hindrances. Think about how your character does or does not conform to the broader culture's expectations of sex, gender, and sexual behavior. For example, a male drow cleric defies the traditional gender divisions of drow society, which could be a reason for your character to leave society and come to the surface.
You don't need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender. The elf god Corellon Larethian is often seen as androgynous or hermaphroditic, for example, and some elves in the multiverse are made in Corellon's image. You could also play a female character who presents herself as a man, a man who feels trapped in a female body, or a bearded female dwarf who hates being mistaken for a male. Likewise, your character's sexual orientation is for you to decide.
So it's fair to say that, at least by default, non-heteronormative gender expressions and sexualities are the normal in Forgotten Realms Lore, at least as established in 5th edition. Some races/cultures are canonically established as having looser, more progressive attitudes towards Gender and Sex, with Elves as a notable example, though Drow are also singled out as possibly having more repressive attitudes towards gender and sex. Other races and cultures are generally left unspecified in this regard—I'm not personally aware of any race or culture in 5e that explicitly is more conservative/oppressive in this specific regard, but I haven't exhausted every last detail of every worldbuilding guide provided by 5e sourcebooks.
Ultimately, this comes down to your DM, who gets to make these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, especially with respect to the degree to which your setting is accepting or tolerant of non-heteronormative representations. The degree to which your DM can dictate your own character's preferences, attitudes, and/or identification is limited (and I would probably avoid a DM that tried to make demands on this aspect of character building) but it can inform upon your character's expression nonetheless.
With respect to your more specific questions:
Is homosexuality common and practiced openly? Is it common, but hidden, such that successfully making the appropriate contacts or whatever might require a lore check or an underworld contact? Is homosexuality rare or vanishingly rare, such that most people would be shocked to even consider such a thing?
This is up to your DM, but 5e establishes that the answer can be assumed, short of conflicting evidence provided by your campaign, to be yes, homosexuality is generally regarded as accepted, and no, you wouldn't have to go underground/off the radar to find support.
Sidebar: I don't want to downplay the agency the DM has in making these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, but just as a matter of practical guidance: as a DM, if you're unsure whether to make Faerun a "Progressive" or "Conservative" society by default, you should prefer "Progressive". There's a lot of reasons for this, which I think might be off-topic to get into here, but the short version is that you don't always know everything about the players you're playing with, even if you've known them a long time, and creating a setting that replicates the discrimination/prejudices they may be facing in their own lives may end up being harmful to them. If you are going to make a society that's more hostile towards non-heteronormative sexualities/identities, you should ensure all your players are supportive of that decision, and you definitely should not go ahead with that decision if you get any pushback you get on that decision.
Are there specific backgrounds or places where this is more common? (e.g. followers of a certain god, members of specific races, etc.?)
Like mentioned in the PHB, Elves are one such example. Some Elves, as established in Volo's Guide to Monsters, are even established as being able to alter their physical sex at will (mechanically, once per day, when they wake up) by virtue of having been blessed by Corellon.
Your DM also has the freedom to make additional examples or stipulations to these practices.
answered 14 mins ago
Xirema
8,4042361
Yes, I had a feeling that elves might be more open to this, but couldn't recall a specific example. That helps a lot!
– Robert Columbia
12 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
It will vary by region and race/species
The first thing to note is that if you accept some of the novels then homosexual characters definitely exist. The War of the Spider Queen series of novels avoids ever being explicit but heavily implies that homosexual liaisons between males is at least somewhat common in the academies of Menzoberranzen and very heavily implies at least one homosexual female liaison during the events of the stories. It suggests that such things are relatively common and accepted in Menzoberranzen.
However, as noted, those deal mostly with the Drow of Menzoberranzen. The Forgotten Realms are huge with numerous distinct species and cultures on the "main" continent of Faerun alone. Each of these cultures and even sub-cultures is likely to have their own views on homosexuality, courtship, and every other related topic.
The practical answer for your character is that it depends on where he is.
answered 11 mins ago
TimothyAWiseman
16.3k23081
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
5
down vote
What the Player's Handbook says
In Chapter 4, "Personality and Background", the Subsection "Character Details" has a header titled "Sex" that makes the following remarks (emphasis mine):
Sex
You can play a male or female character without gaining any special benefits or hindrances. Think about how your character does or does not conform to the broader culture's expectations of sex, gender, and sexual behavior. For example, a male drow cleric defies the traditional gender divisions of drow society, which could be a reason for your character to leave society and come to the surface.
You don't need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender. The elf god Corellon Larethian is often seen as androgynous or hermaphroditic, for example, and some elves in the multiverse are made in Corellon's image. You could also play a female character who presents herself as a man, a man who feels trapped in a female body, or a bearded female dwarf who hates being mistaken for a male. Likewise, your character's sexual orientation is for you to decide.
So it's fair to say that, at least by default, non-heteronormative gender expressions and sexualities are the normal in Forgotten Realms Lore, at least as established in 5th edition. Some races/cultures are canonically established as having looser, more progressive attitudes towards Gender and Sex, with Elves as a notable example, though Drow are also singled out as possibly having more repressive attitudes towards gender and sex. Other races and cultures are generally left unspecified in this regard—I'm not personally aware of any race or culture in 5e that explicitly is more conservative/oppressive in this specific regard, but I haven't exhausted every last detail of every worldbuilding guide provided by 5e sourcebooks.
Ultimately, this comes down to your DM, who gets to make these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, especially with respect to the degree to which your setting is accepting or tolerant of non-heteronormative representations. The degree to which your DM can dictate your own character's preferences, attitudes, and/or identification is limited (and I would probably avoid a DM that tried to make demands on this aspect of character building) but it can inform upon your character's expression nonetheless.
With respect to your more specific questions:
Is homosexuality common and practiced openly? Is it common, but hidden, such that successfully making the appropriate contacts or whatever might require a lore check or an underworld contact? Is homosexuality rare or vanishingly rare, such that most people would be shocked to even consider such a thing?
This is up to your DM, but 5e establishes that the answer can be assumed, short of conflicting evidence provided by your campaign, to be yes, homosexuality is generally regarded as accepted, and no, you wouldn't have to go underground/off the radar to find support.
Sidebar: I don't want to downplay the agency the DM has in making these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, but just as a matter of practical guidance: as a DM, if you're unsure whether to make Faerun a "Progressive" or "Conservative" society by default, you should prefer "Progressive". There's a lot of reasons for this, which I think might be off-topic to get into here, but the short version is that you don't always know everything about the players you're playing with, even if you've known them a long time, and creating a setting that replicates the discrimination/prejudices they may be facing in their own lives may end up being harmful to them. If you are going to make a society that's more hostile towards non-heteronormative sexualities/identities, you should ensure all your players are supportive of that decision, and you definitely should not go ahead with that decision if you get any pushback you get on that decision.
Are there specific backgrounds or places where this is more common? (e.g. followers of a certain god, members of specific races, etc.?)
Like mentioned in the PHB, Elves are one such example. Some Elves, as established in Volo's Guide to Monsters, are even established as being able to alter their physical sex at will (mechanically, once per day, when they wake up) by virtue of having been blessed by Corellon.
Your DM also has the freedom to make additional examples or stipulations to these practices.
answered 14 mins ago
Xirema
8,4042361
Yes, I had a feeling that elves might be more open to this, but couldn't recall a specific example. That helps a lot!
– Robert Columbia
12 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
What the Player's Handbook says
In Chapter 4, "Personality and Background", the Subsection "Character Details" has a header titled "Sex" that makes the following remarks (emphasis mine):
Sex
You can play a male or female character without gaining any special benefits or hindrances. Think about how your character does or does not conform to the broader culture's expectations of sex, gender, and sexual behavior. For example, a male drow cleric defies the traditional gender divisions of drow society, which could be a reason for your character to leave society and come to the surface.
You don't need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender. The elf god Corellon Larethian is often seen as androgynous or hermaphroditic, for example, and some elves in the multiverse are made in Corellon's image. You could also play a female character who presents herself as a man, a man who feels trapped in a female body, or a bearded female dwarf who hates being mistaken for a male. Likewise, your character's sexual orientation is for you to decide.
So it's fair to say that, at least by default, non-heteronormative gender expressions and sexualities are the normal in Forgotten Realms Lore, at least as established in 5th edition. Some races/cultures are canonically established as having looser, more progressive attitudes towards Gender and Sex, with Elves as a notable example, though Drow are also singled out as possibly having more repressive attitudes towards gender and sex. Other races and cultures are generally left unspecified in this regard—I'm not personally aware of any race or culture in 5e that explicitly is more conservative/oppressive in this specific regard, but I haven't exhausted every last detail of every worldbuilding guide provided by 5e sourcebooks.
Ultimately, this comes down to your DM, who gets to make these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, especially with respect to the degree to which your setting is accepting or tolerant of non-heteronormative representations. The degree to which your DM can dictate your own character's preferences, attitudes, and/or identification is limited (and I would probably avoid a DM that tried to make demands on this aspect of character building) but it can inform upon your character's expression nonetheless.
With respect to your more specific questions:
Is homosexuality common and practiced openly? Is it common, but hidden, such that successfully making the appropriate contacts or whatever might require a lore check or an underworld contact? Is homosexuality rare or vanishingly rare, such that most people would be shocked to even consider such a thing?
This is up to your DM, but 5e establishes that the answer can be assumed, short of conflicting evidence provided by your campaign, to be yes, homosexuality is generally regarded as accepted, and no, you wouldn't have to go underground/off the radar to find support.
Sidebar: I don't want to downplay the agency the DM has in making these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, but just as a matter of practical guidance: as a DM, if you're unsure whether to make Faerun a "Progressive" or "Conservative" society by default, you should prefer "Progressive". There's a lot of reasons for this, which I think might be off-topic to get into here, but the short version is that you don't always know everything about the players you're playing with, even if you've known them a long time, and creating a setting that replicates the discrimination/prejudices they may be facing in their own lives may end up being harmful to them. If you are going to make a society that's more hostile towards non-heteronormative sexualities/identities, you should ensure all your players are supportive of that decision, and you definitely should not go ahead with that decision if you get any pushback you get on that decision.
Are there specific backgrounds or places where this is more common? (e.g. followers of a certain god, members of specific races, etc.?)
Like mentioned in the PHB, Elves are one such example. Some Elves, as established in Volo's Guide to Monsters, are even established as being able to alter their physical sex at will (mechanically, once per day, when they wake up) by virtue of having been blessed by Corellon.
Your DM also has the freedom to make additional examples or stipulations to these practices.
answered 14 mins ago
Xirema
8,4042361
Yes, I had a feeling that elves might be more open to this, but couldn't recall a specific example. That helps a lot!
– Robert Columbia
12 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
up vote
5
down vote
What the Player's Handbook says
In Chapter 4, "Personality and Background", the Subsection "Character Details" has a header titled "Sex" that makes the following remarks (emphasis mine):
Sex
You can play a male or female character without gaining any special benefits or hindrances. Think about how your character does or does not conform to the broader culture's expectations of sex, gender, and sexual behavior. For example, a male drow cleric defies the traditional gender divisions of drow society, which could be a reason for your character to leave society and come to the surface.
You don't need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender. The elf god Corellon Larethian is often seen as androgynous or hermaphroditic, for example, and some elves in the multiverse are made in Corellon's image. You could also play a female character who presents herself as a man, a man who feels trapped in a female body, or a bearded female dwarf who hates being mistaken for a male. Likewise, your character's sexual orientation is for you to decide.
So it's fair to say that, at least by default, non-heteronormative gender expressions and sexualities are the normal in Forgotten Realms Lore, at least as established in 5th edition. Some races/cultures are canonically established as having looser, more progressive attitudes towards Gender and Sex, with Elves as a notable example, though Drow are also singled out as possibly having more repressive attitudes towards gender and sex. Other races and cultures are generally left unspecified in this regard—I'm not personally aware of any race or culture in 5e that explicitly is more conservative/oppressive in this specific regard, but I haven't exhausted every last detail of every worldbuilding guide provided by 5e sourcebooks.
Ultimately, this comes down to your DM, who gets to make these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, especially with respect to the degree to which your setting is accepting or tolerant of non-heteronormative representations. The degree to which your DM can dictate your own character's preferences, attitudes, and/or identification is limited (and I would probably avoid a DM that tried to make demands on this aspect of character building) but it can inform upon your character's expression nonetheless.
With respect to your more specific questions:
Is homosexuality common and practiced openly? Is it common, but hidden, such that successfully making the appropriate contacts or whatever might require a lore check or an underworld contact? Is homosexuality rare or vanishingly rare, such that most people would be shocked to even consider such a thing?
This is up to your DM, but 5e establishes that the answer can be assumed, short of conflicting evidence provided by your campaign, to be yes, homosexuality is generally regarded as accepted, and no, you wouldn't have to go underground/off the radar to find support.
Sidebar: I don't want to downplay the agency the DM has in making these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, but just as a matter of practical guidance: as a DM, if you're unsure whether to make Faerun a "Progressive" or "Conservative" society by default, you should prefer "Progressive". There's a lot of reasons for this, which I think might be off-topic to get into here, but the short version is that you don't always know everything about the players you're playing with, even if you've known them a long time, and creating a setting that replicates the discrimination/prejudices they may be facing in their own lives may end up being harmful to them. If you are going to make a society that's more hostile towards non-heteronormative sexualities/identities, you should ensure all your players are supportive of that decision, and you definitely should not go ahead with that decision if you get any pushback you get on that decision.
Are there specific backgrounds or places where this is more common? (e.g. followers of a certain god, members of specific races, etc.?)
Like mentioned in the PHB, Elves are one such example. Some Elves, as established in Volo's Guide to Monsters, are even established as being able to alter their physical sex at will (mechanically, once per day, when they wake up) by virtue of having been blessed by Corellon.
Your DM also has the freedom to make additional examples or stipulations to these practices.
answered 14 mins ago
Xirema
8,4042361
What the Player's Handbook says
In Chapter 4, "Personality and Background", the Subsection "Character Details" has a header titled "Sex" that makes the following remarks (emphasis mine):
Sex
You can play a male or female character without gaining any special benefits or hindrances. Think about how your character does or does not conform to the broader culture's expectations of sex, gender, and sexual behavior. For example, a male drow cleric defies the traditional gender divisions of drow society, which could be a reason for your character to leave society and come to the surface.
You don't need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender. The elf god Corellon Larethian is often seen as androgynous or hermaphroditic, for example, and some elves in the multiverse are made in Corellon's image. You could also play a female character who presents herself as a man, a man who feels trapped in a female body, or a bearded female dwarf who hates being mistaken for a male. Likewise, your character's sexual orientation is for you to decide.
So it's fair to say that, at least by default, non-heteronormative gender expressions and sexualities are the normal in Forgotten Realms Lore, at least as established in 5th edition. Some races/cultures are canonically established as having looser, more progressive attitudes towards Gender and Sex, with Elves as a notable example, though Drow are also singled out as possibly having more repressive attitudes towards gender and sex. Other races and cultures are generally left unspecified in this regard—I'm not personally aware of any race or culture in 5e that explicitly is more conservative/oppressive in this specific regard, but I haven't exhausted every last detail of every worldbuilding guide provided by 5e sourcebooks.
Ultimately, this comes down to your DM, who gets to make these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, especially with respect to the degree to which your setting is accepting or tolerant of non-heteronormative representations. The degree to which your DM can dictate your own character's preferences, attitudes, and/or identification is limited (and I would probably avoid a DM that tried to make demands on this aspect of character building) but it can inform upon your character's expression nonetheless.
With respect to your more specific questions:
Is homosexuality common and practiced openly? Is it common, but hidden, such that successfully making the appropriate contacts or whatever might require a lore check or an underworld contact? Is homosexuality rare or vanishingly rare, such that most people would be shocked to even consider such a thing?
This is up to your DM, but 5e establishes that the answer can be assumed, short of conflicting evidence provided by your campaign, to be yes, homosexuality is generally regarded as accepted, and no, you wouldn't have to go underground/off the radar to find support.
Sidebar: I don't want to downplay the agency the DM has in making these kinds of worldbuilding decisions, but just as a matter of practical guidance: as a DM, if you're unsure whether to make Faerun a "Progressive" or "Conservative" society by default, you should prefer "Progressive". There's a lot of reasons for this, which I think might be off-topic to get into here, but the short version is that you don't always know everything about the players you're playing with, even if you've known them a long time, and creating a setting that replicates the discrimination/prejudices they may be facing in their own lives may end up being harmful to them. If you are going to make a society that's more hostile towards non-heteronormative sexualities/identities, you should ensure all your players are supportive of that decision, and you definitely should not go ahead with that decision if you get any pushback you get on that decision.
Are there specific backgrounds or places where this is more common? (e.g. followers of a certain god, members of specific races, etc.?)
Like mentioned in the PHB, Elves are one such example. Some Elves, as established in Volo's Guide to Monsters, are even established as being able to alter their physical sex at will (mechanically, once per day, when they wake up) by virtue of having been blessed by Corellon.
Your DM also has the freedom to make additional examples or stipulations to these practices.
answered 14 mins ago
Xirema
8,4042361
edited 10 mins ago
answered 14 mins ago
Xirema
8,4042361
answered 14 mins ago
Xirema
8,4042361
answered 14 mins ago
Xirema
8,4042361
8,4042361
Yes, I had a feeling that elves might be more open to this, but couldn't recall a specific example. That helps a lot!
– Robert Columbia
12 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Yes, I had a feeling that elves might be more open to this, but couldn't recall a specific example. That helps a lot!
– Robert Columbia
12 mins ago
Yes, I had a feeling that elves might be more open to this, but couldn't recall a specific example. That helps a lot!
– Robert Columbia
12 mins ago
Yes, I had a feeling that elves might be more open to this, but couldn't recall a specific example. That helps a lot!
– Robert Columbia
12 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
It will vary by region and race/species
The first thing to note is that if you accept some of the novels then homosexual characters definitely exist. The War of the Spider Queen series of novels avoids ever being explicit but heavily implies that homosexual liaisons between males is at least somewhat common in the academies of Menzoberranzen and very heavily implies at least one homosexual female liaison during the events of the stories. It suggests that such things are relatively common and accepted in Menzoberranzen.
However, as noted, those deal mostly with the Drow of Menzoberranzen. The Forgotten Realms are huge with numerous distinct species and cultures on the "main" continent of Faerun alone. Each of these cultures and even sub-cultures is likely to have their own views on homosexuality, courtship, and every other related topic.
The practical answer for your character is that it depends on where he is.
answered 11 mins ago
TimothyAWiseman
16.3k23081
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
It will vary by region and race/species
The first thing to note is that if you accept some of the novels then homosexual characters definitely exist. The War of the Spider Queen series of novels avoids ever being explicit but heavily implies that homosexual liaisons between males is at least somewhat common in the academies of Menzoberranzen and very heavily implies at least one homosexual female liaison during the events of the stories. It suggests that such things are relatively common and accepted in Menzoberranzen.
However, as noted, those deal mostly with the Drow of Menzoberranzen. The Forgotten Realms are huge with numerous distinct species and cultures on the "main" continent of Faerun alone. Each of these cultures and even sub-cultures is likely to have their own views on homosexuality, courtship, and every other related topic.
The practical answer for your character is that it depends on where he is.
answered 11 mins ago
TimothyAWiseman
16.3k23081
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
It will vary by region and race/species
The first thing to note is that if you accept some of the novels then homosexual characters definitely exist. The War of the Spider Queen series of novels avoids ever being explicit but heavily implies that homosexual liaisons between males is at least somewhat common in the academies of Menzoberranzen and very heavily implies at least one homosexual female liaison during the events of the stories. It suggests that such things are relatively common and accepted in Menzoberranzen.
However, as noted, those deal mostly with the Drow of Menzoberranzen. The Forgotten Realms are huge with numerous distinct species and cultures on the "main" continent of Faerun alone. Each of these cultures and even sub-cultures is likely to have their own views on homosexuality, courtship, and every other related topic.
The practical answer for your character is that it depends on where he is.
answered 11 mins ago
TimothyAWiseman
16.3k23081
It will vary by region and race/species
The first thing to note is that if you accept some of the novels then homosexual characters definitely exist. The War of the Spider Queen series of novels avoids ever being explicit but heavily implies that homosexual liaisons between males is at least somewhat common in the academies of Menzoberranzen and very heavily implies at least one homosexual female liaison during the events of the stories. It suggests that such things are relatively common and accepted in Menzoberranzen.
However, as noted, those deal mostly with the Drow of Menzoberranzen. The Forgotten Realms are huge with numerous distinct species and cultures on the "main" continent of Faerun alone. Each of these cultures and even sub-cultures is likely to have their own views on homosexuality, courtship, and every other related topic.
The practical answer for your character is that it depends on where he is.
answered 11 mins ago
TimothyAWiseman
16.3k23081
answered 11 mins ago
TimothyAWiseman
16.3k23081
answered 11 mins ago
TimothyAWiseman
16.3k23081
answered 11 mins ago
TimothyAWiseman
16.3k23081
16.3k23081
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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1
To the downvoter: What's wrong with this question?
– Robert Columbia
43 mins ago
2
Which published adventures do you have? Also, is lore from previous editions within scope, or would you rather only 5e-current sources or context be considered? While I'm not a mod, I'll answer Robert's question about what is wrong with this question: nothing. I appeal to users / the community to remember our Be Nice guidance.
– KorvinStarmast
38 mins ago
@KorvinStarmast I'm open to previous editions if it helps.
– Robert Columbia
35 mins ago
4
@RobertColumbia I strongly suspect its people who don't like the subject matter. I wouldn't worry about it - its an interesting question
– Wibbs
33 mins ago
2
@NautArch yes, that's not an issue. The question is more on how to handle this from a practical perspective. E.g. if I have my wizard walk up to a local blacksmith and ask him, "Excuse me, sir, is there an, uhh, gay bar in town?", would it be more in keeping with the lore for the blacksmith to be disgusted and throw mud, or might he be likely to be open to helping me get directions? Maybe he doesn't know, but he might know that his sister's son's father-in-law's son is gay and suggest I talk to him.
– Robert Columbia
27 mins ago