Being serviced at a brothel and abortion are alignment neutral acts. Neither of those are necessarily Good or Evil. Rape, of course, knowingly inflicts suffering on others, and is clearly an Evil act.
I can do a lot of evil things without inflicting suffering on someone. For instance, there are ways to painlessly euthanize disabled people and unwanted children, and one can even commit murder of an adult without the person ever feeling any pain.
I can also inflict suffering on someone for a good reason- take a painful medical procedure or the execution of a criminal.
Of course, this brings up the further question: is it wrong to inflict suffering on someone? What if someone's moral system deems that inflicting suffering on someone is not really an issue. Many cultures have examples of this; take the sacrifice of human and animals and the proliferation of slavery. The ancient Greeks, one of the greatest civilizations in human history, had what we would call slave rape in the form of homosexual pedophilia. For them, it was a normal and expected part of their culture.
This is really getting to the heart of morality, of moral standards. If we leave it up to culture or to what feels right to us, then we have to leave it up to other cultures and what feels right to them- and we cannot judge them.
If there are woman fighters in RPG games, I prefer them being depicted wearing a "realistic" armor, which would actually offer some degree of protection, and not that stupid chain bikini and similar. Also, if there is a woman fighter supposed to fight in full plate mail, I think the character should be of more sturdy build (someone like Brienne of Tarth or olympic woman weight-lifters) and not some slim girl, which could probably not fight effectively in heavy armor.
Okay, I know I am coming in late to this (again), but while prostitution as practiced by most people in this world is bad, in a fantasy world, it doesn't have to be the same way. If a world has a goddess of sex and love, part of their worship could be freely offering their bodies to anyone, with a small fee collected that is used to help the less fortunate. From the outside, it would seem to be the same as prostitution, but the men and women serving are doing it for religious reasons and not being forced into it, and the money being charged is being used to help others. It's not coerced and it's being done for reasons of religion or belief rather than being coerced. With fantasy universes having goddesses of sex, love and joy (Llira is the Realms' goddess of joy and Bastet/Sharess being the goddess of physical love in the Mulhorandi/Untheric Pantheon in the Realms, who is to say that the women working in the festhouses aren't doing it because they either like what they are doing or for reasons of religion?
@Jean_Luc I don't know how realistic that armor is, yes it is not a chain mail bikini however if you look at it, it leaves vital areas completely exposed to attack, it definitely needs a Gorget if it is going to be useful....realistic..ok but not complete I do notice that ALL the men have their necks protected....
I think real life pros and cons exist on the merits of prostitution however, I think this one of those things that Trent and the others would prefer we not delve into.... Just my 2 cents.
The real question is, given a choice between +1 Bikini Chainmail armor (+5 magical resistance), or plain old Plate mail...I think the wise, sophisticated and fashion conscious women of the realms would go for the Chainmail.
@Space_Hamster The fashion conscious would, but even +1 Chainmail is sub-par in comparison to Plate (I believe by 2 AC) and I can also wear a shiny ring with the Plate. 5 Magic resist wouldn't make up that difference for me. That's why I have pet archers (In BG1) or pet wizards (in bg2).
Besides we all know that it's the ladies in leather that are scariest. Those stalkers and archers and assassins I tell ya. (Not that I don't mind Wizard Slayers, Cavaliers or Undead Slayers).
YE!! we all fear the well trained females.. hiding in the shadows in tight bodyhugging leather armor ready to .... sorry.. I got distracted by a mental image.. where were I??...
@Jean_Luc I don't know how realistic that armor is, yes it is not a chain mail bikini however if you look at it, it leaves vital areas completely exposed to attack, it definitely needs a Gorget if it is going to be useful....realistic..ok but not complete I do notice that ALL the men have their necks protected....
Given that the Greyjoys are primarily mariners and coastal raiders, it's probably not very realistic for them to wear much in the way of full chain mail anyway. Tip overboard with 50 pounds of mail on, and you're in trouble.
@SeriousMike Well, drug dealer also chose his profession voluntarily, but it is bad to be a drug dealer.
Narcotics are bad, they only harm. Intercourse is not evil, unless you believe in the sin of fornication.
Yeah, but fournication with strangers not knowing if they have any ITS, and doing so because your indebted to a pimp, that your addicted and need money to pay for your fix or any of the other reason get incolved in the prostitution market unwillingly, it's not good
On this logic though, Police officers would be evil since they can actually inflict harm... when things get nasty of course.
Truly, professions' alignment aren't chosen by pain inflicted or not but simply by the act. Nor should they be influenced by stereotypes. I'm a chemist... no, acid is not green, it looks like water in most cases, smells badly and makes your hand burn, not melt... well, that's up to interpretation. Exothermic reaction... burn seems more appropriate. Try sugar + sulfuric acid.
@Cheesebelly Eheheh that's true, trought it can depend of the type of acid, and how strong and concentrated it is i think, but yeah not all acid are green
Yeah, but fournication with strangers not knowing if they have any ITS, and doing so because your indebted to a pimp, that your addicted and need money to pay for your fix or any of the other reason get incolved in the prostitution market unwillingly, it's not good
Some hookers are just hookers, selling their bodies and time with no other negative context whatsoever, especially in fantasy literature.
Comments
I can also inflict suffering on someone for a good reason- take a painful medical procedure or the execution of a criminal.
Of course, this brings up the further question: is it wrong to inflict suffering on someone? What if someone's moral system deems that inflicting suffering on someone is not really an issue. Many cultures have examples of this; take the sacrifice of human and animals and the proliferation of slavery. The ancient Greeks, one of the greatest civilizations in human history, had what we would call slave rape in the form of homosexual pedophilia. For them, it was a normal and expected part of their culture.
This is really getting to the heart of morality, of moral standards. If we leave it up to culture or to what feels right to us, then we have to leave it up to other cultures and what feels right to them- and we cannot judge them.
I think that is a dark road to go down.
In any case I'll just leave this here.
Incidentally this could be made into a fine portrait.
http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/martin_1189.html?popup=1&template=82
Also, if there is a woman fighter supposed to fight in full plate mail, I think the character should be of more sturdy build (someone like Brienne of Tarth or olympic woman weight-lifters) and not some slim girl, which could probably not fight effectively in heavy armor.
I don't know how realistic that armor is, yes it is not a chain mail bikini however if you look at it, it leaves vital areas completely exposed to attack, it definitely needs a Gorget if it is going to be useful....realistic..ok but not complete
Well, drug dealer also chose his profession voluntarily, but it is bad to be a drug dealer.
Besides we all know that it's the ladies in leather that are scariest. Those stalkers and archers and assassins I tell ya. (Not that I don't mind Wizard Slayers, Cavaliers or Undead Slayers).
Prostitutes provide services that shouldn't do any harm.
Truly, professions' alignment aren't chosen by pain inflicted or not but simply by the act. Nor should they be influenced by stereotypes. I'm a chemist... no, acid is not green, it looks like water in most cases, smells badly and makes your hand burn, not melt... well, that's up to interpretation. Exothermic reaction... burn seems more appropriate. Try sugar + sulfuric acid.