Dragon Age RP Resources

are you interested in alchemy?

working late?

i found it in the library.

i don't believe it was there when i went to bed.

what do you wish to know about?

surely you know all about them.

young mages do ask the complicated questions first.

the stories have a bit more substance to them.

do i detect disappointment?

we might cause a stir.

if you're curious about the undead, i could arrange an excursion.

where should we start?

how interesting.

it is more powerful than most of what we're used to.

you've made a discovery?

fascinating. the amount of magic you could harness...

what did it do?

it's for the best.

what training did you have as a young mage?

the offer stands if you reconsider.

does that happen often in the forest?

it's a work of art.

i was an apprentice once.

it wouldn't be worth studying if it were dull.

am i right in feeling that something deeper troubles you?

the things i could teach you...

how was that book you found the other day?

surely everyone knows about that!

there was one creature... twice as tall as you.

it whispered in a language no one recognized... except when it spoke our names.

i was a most timid child.

what's your latest hearsay?

that's quite enough.

my dear, i know perfectly well what i'm doing.

that's wonderful to hear.

i'm surprised you recognize it.

how could i possibly know that?

your power is quite unlike other magic i've seen.

i'm pleased to travel with you.

you mustn't pay them any mind.

i admit i haven't given it much thought.

do you regret not having those things?

excellent point!

isn't that funny?

does it ever last longer than a few seconds?

strangely enough, i might've found myself in that situation recently.

i must've been distracted.

what are you getting at?

may we change topics?

the heart speaks across all things.

we're out of almonds? already?

were you eating? in the library?

this sounds like the perfect opportunity for experimentation!

do you have any say in your targets?

forgive me, i shouldn't have asked.

i find it extremely interesting that you consider the point of view of your enemies in battle.

i'm sorry that you two came together under such unjust circumstances.

my sympathies.

have you considered my suggestion?

it's your turn to cook tonight, isn't it?

you must let me bring you some.

where did you learn to cook?

i don't mean to be intrusive.

we all approach things in our own way.

you'll have to forgive my own worries.

time is a factor, but not necessarily a limiting one.

who do you have in mind?

you had your concerns about me at first.

what was that fruit we had yesterday?

you've quite an eye for detail.

i'll admire from afar.

where is that song from?

the advice is well taken.

you're not curious?

it would make for an interesting experiment.

are you using them for exercise?

you sound disappointed.

if you have any questions, please do let me know.

that was a friendly greeting.

donotmodelrp (also posts problematic fcs)

rpmodel4u (also posts influencers who has given the thumbs up, has a pinned post to request influencers for them to reach out and ask)

helpingrpm (posts approvals as well)

thighs4fcs (has both a tellonym and takes requests in dms to reach out to influencers and ask)

sk8bnny (posts approvals as well)

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Jewish atonement

So, for one thing, we have a whole holiday for this. Yom Kippur is the most solemn day of the year when you fast (if it’s medically safe) and, if observant, hang out in temple all day basically getting the soul equivalent of one of those abrasive scrubs they have at a spa. But just having that might not be enough to genuinely stop feeling guilty about someone accidentally dying because of your actions, so secular therapy might help her find ways to move forward.

This might just be your wording, but the way the question is phrased sounds like you’re more worried about “her search for redemption” i.e. “centered on the character” rather than “centered on the people she hurt” and that’s the un-Jewish part? Like… I kick the cat by accident. I seek forgiveness from the cat by making affectionate noises and rushing to get her a treat. I’m not as much so worried about “have I been redeemed” as “is the cat okay both mentally and physically?” In other words, we don’t have the same abstract idea of being “saved” and “redeemed” the way Christians have. Jewish “forgiveness” has a lot more to do with the person you wronged and less to do with apologizing to God in the Christian sense. Also, the person you wronged doesn’t have to forgive you just because you apologized. So there’s no way to be “objectively” redeemed.

At least from my limited understanding from Reform Judaism, when we do something wrong it’s not so much about what we meant when we did it as have we sought amends from the person we wronged. In other words, trying to make it up to the family, or, if that’s not possible because she’s back home and they’re part of the war zone, volunteering/giving money to charities that help similar families, perhaps? I’m extrapolating here. Definitely something like “doing better in the future” if the accidental civilian killing happened because she was distracted or angry or something–she can resolve to work on her distractedness or her anger problems.Also, please bear in mind that this specific kind of atonement isn’t something with which I have any personal experience so I hope other Jewish people (please) will weigh in with relevant knowledge.

Oh man, that is an awesome question!

I mean, when it comes to types of characters, I think the more roles you let Jewish characters play, the better. So absolutely, all of the above to the ones you mentioned! Artists, scientists, healers, mechanics! All of those sound awesome! I’d love more Jewish warriors too! Jewish magic-wielders! Wise Jewish mentors and young Jewish coming-of-age stories! 

It’s less to me about specific roles, like “I want more Jewish scientist characters!”, and more about certain things you should keep in mind no matter what the specifics of your Jewish character are.

1) Avoid stereotypes. If your Jewish character exists to be greedy, untrustworthy, and money-hungry in some combination, you’re probably writing an anti-Semitic stereotype. Likewise, while I love the idea of a well-executed Jewish nerd character (I’m a Jewish nerd myself!), you need to watch out for two-dimensional, “nebbish” Jewish nerd types. If you’re not Jewish yourself, best to also avoid overbearing Jewish mother stereotypes and similar cliched roles.

2) Basically - if your Jewish character seems exactly like twenty stereotypical Jewish characters who already exist, you’re probably doing something wrong. It’s okay to take something that can be stereotypical, like a Jewish character who’s nerdy, or a Jewish girl who’s a spoiled popular kid (aka a “JAP”) and make it part of a larger, more complex character. But you can’t leave it at that. (NOTE: This does NOT apply to the “greedy, untrustworthy gold-digger” stereotype. It doesn’t matter how nuanced you try to make it, we don’t need more of those characters. Don’t do it.)

3) Occasional references to matza, gefilte fish, and Chanukah do not constitute thoughtful Jewish representation. Vary it up a bit. Do a little research. There are so many interesting ways you can incorporate Judaism into your character! We have so much history, so many interesting traditions and holidays! Try asking Jewish friends when you need help on the specifics. Most of us are happy to ramble.

4) LET MORE JEWISH CHARACTERS BE RELIGIOUS IN WAYS THAT AREN’T STEREOTYPICAL. This is probably the biggest thing I want to see as an Orthodox Jewish girl. Basically all the Jewish characters you see are either completely secular and culturally/religiously divorced from Judaism (see above point), or else a very exaggerated, cliched portrayal of ultra-religious “Hasidic” Judaism (note: this is usually not even an accurate depiction Chassidic Judaism, let alone anything that will resonate with the rest of us.) There’s such a broad spectrum in between that’s left completely untouched. Show me more Modern Orthodox Jews, Conservative Jews, Reconstructionist Jews. Jews who are genuinely devout (or not! or who are religious but struggling with it!) but also portrayed as regular human beings. Whose entire story doesn’t revolve around the fact that they’re religious. I can’t tell you how rare it is to see that.

5) Building up off the last point, NOT ALL JEWS ARE WHITE* AND ASHKENAZI (i.e. from the European diaspora.) As rare as it is for white Ashkenazi Jews to get good representation, it’s even rarer to see Sephardi Jews, Mizrahi (Middle-Eastern) Jews, Ethiopian Jews. And this isn’t just an issue of race! (Although it’s definitely important to show Jews of all different ethnicities.) Different Jewish communities can have very different customs and traditions, and it’s great to show the very different kinds of Judaism that exist out there.

6) Let more Jews be the heroes of their own stories? I can think of lots of stories with That One Jewish Side Character (maybe The Jewish Best Friend), but not that many where the main character, or one of the main characters, is Jewish and gets to have an amazing story told about them in which their Judaism isn’t an incidental thing that’s mentioned one time, but also isn’t the sole defining factor of their character and their story.

7) This is a personal thing, I’ll fully admit that, but: I really want to see more stories where the main romance is between two Jewish characters. A while back, I remember asking a group of Jewish fangirls I’m part of how many examples of that they could come up with, and you’d be shocked at how hard it is to come up with them. It’s not that you can’t have your Jewish main character end up with a non-Jew (though if they’re meant to be more traditional or religious, you need to think about how that would work) - you totally can - but I’d really love to see more epic romances between two Jewish people. 

8) More genre fiction with Jewish protagonists. Again, on a personal level, I’d love to see more Jewish superheroes, since we did freakin’ create the genre, after all. ;-) (And ESPECIALLY more religious Jewish superheroes, since we have practically none.) But in general more Jewish characters in fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, period dramas, romance. Again, it’s about letting us exist as fully-realized characters who aren’t solely defined by being Jewish.

9) If your character sounds like a bad parody of Fiddler on the Roof, you’ve done something wrong.

10) If your character sounds like a bad parody of The Chosen, you’ve done something wrong.

11) Don’t touch on the whole political controversy about Israel/Palestine unless you’ve really, really done your research and know what you’re talking about. Even then, it’s best to be cautious. 

12) Understand that Jews aren’t some kind of monolith hive-mind and not everyone will agree on what’s good or bad representation. The guidelines I’ve layed out here are based on the kind of representation I’d want to see, and overall I think most Jews will agree with the bulk of what I’ve said. But you’re not gonna please everybody, and that’s okay. As long as you’re thoughtful and respectful and do your best, that’s enough.

And to your second point, yeah, that seems to be a feature of antisemitism to make such simple ideas like “a Jewish woman who is feminine” (or even just gentle at all; I feel like even a gentle butch Jewish woman would break this particular stereotype) or “a Jewish man who is masculine” seem impossible to certain mindsets. I think you and I would both agree that we don’t want to impose conventional gender roles on all our characters, but to simply allow for their possibility at all within the diversity of gender presentation that we already celebrate.

As a side note, my upcoming low-heat wlw romance Noa and Lilah’s Guide to Surviving B-List Fame has two Jewish leads. 

thementalwayfarer said: Hello! I plan to include different mythological creatures in my story, but I’m stuck on including thunderbirds indirectly in my story. I can’t find a solid source of how they are viewed by the Oglala Lakota (religiously or otherwise; physical or intangible, etc.). Could someone give me a starting point? I ask this because I would like to have my Oglala Lakota character descended from one, but I don’t want to cause any sort of offense with both my character AND their forced inclusion. Thank you!

little-fuzzy-dude said: The main character for an apocalyptic novel I’m planning is Navajo. She comes from the Navajo Nation, and therefore would have a strong background in the traditions of the Navajo people. However, as a white teenager from the suburbs, I have little first hand knowledge of the Navajo, nor do I have the resources to be able to find out about the culture first-hand. I have been researching, but I’m not sure what sources to trust. Would it be possible for you to point me in the right direction?

Books-wise, look up ethnographies on the people you’re researching. These are very dense anthropological documents that took note of as many things as possible about the society, from the start of assimilation to modern times, and often detail absolutely everything about the culture, from spirituality to food to sacred objects; if they’re modern, they can also include how the population relates to the state, activism, internal politics, and what modern technology they’ve incorporated. You might need to look up several, seeing as not all were respectful of the culture or detailed enough, but when you’re looking to research a very specific people like that then there are usually books that exist. Large, well-known tribes have dozens. 

If you’re going historical, my personal preference is students of Franz Boas; he was a little preservation happy, but he genuinely loved the cultures he studied and was incredibly respectful, which he passed on to his (dozens of) students. Regardless of period, avoid historical revisionists or those who subscribe to the theory of cultural evolutionism like the plague I cannot stress this enough. They will be extremely disrespectful. Ways to spot them: using words like “savage”, trying to establish that Natives had less complex societies than “civilized” Europeans, and generally trying to set the Western world at the “top” of cultural refinement. 

The best ethnographies have Native authors or contributors listed somewhere, but watch that they’re actually still living in the tribe, especially if you’re going to historical sources; contributors should be bridges between the tribe and the anthropologist, them still identifying as part of their tribe but willing to help the outside world understand their culture. 

University libraries are your friends. You can walk in there without having an account at the library (most of the time), and many universities have their system searchable without a university card. The only thing you’re blocked from (in my old university anyway) is articles or the on-site computers. Just look up the system database where you have internet, write the code/name of the book down down, and go hunting. You can’t check it out without a student card, but you can read it in the library. If you don’t have a local university (or yours doesn’t have any ethnographies), you can look up one of the larger ones and see their collection, then try to find the books elsewhere.

If you’re lucky, the ethnography in question is available online for free or in google books with the right keywords. If you’re not, you might have to wrangle things but it should be possible. You could ask anthropology professors to look up data for you— many are happy to spread knowledge in their spare time, even if you’re not a student at their university (Although, as always, watch out for historical revisionists/those who dismiss your desire to learn about Natives on their own terms). Professors (and some students) are often very willing to help you out, especially if they have ties to the Native community. 

Unfortunately, ethnographies are often made by university presses, aren’t printed often, and are expensive, so I wouldn’t encourage buying one unless you were really planning on relying on it for a long period of time. As I alluded to above, many are available for free (I have been lucky enough to find full text with no paywall, but I was looking for very old books).

The best option is finding out if you can contact the tribe, somehow, and ask them about themselves. Many tribes/nations have websites, which could have contact information and what types of queries they accept. There is always a chance they will not respond (as a general rule, ask if you can ask before you actually ask unless they explicitly say “this is okay to ask” somewhere, and proceed to ask how/who you should ask if you get a “yes you can ask”), but it would be getting the information directly from the source without traveling.

There might be some local Aboriginal centres that could help you, as well; resources centres are often a little more open to educating others depending on their purpose (check if they’re community only or open to the public, first!) and they usually have resources on a fair number of tribes in one location. Of course, if you live pretty far away from the tribe in question they might not have information right there, but they could either help you get it or you might find a different tribe to use.

Only approach a tribe on their terms, which means going into spaces they’ve opened to the public and asking there. Do not try to break into a closed off tribe; they’re closed off for a reason. Speak with activists/public figures but respect their time.

I would honestly start with ethnographies (and browsing tribal sites) first, just so you can get a sense of the culture and not make a large blunder at first reach out. Once you’ve gotten a general feel for the culture before asking the tribe, you’re less likely to come across as somebody fetishizing or trying to appropriate. It really helps when you can speak of specifics at least a little.

Hope this helps! If any Lakota or Navajo followers have any input, feel free to chime in.

I am not an immigrant or child of an immigrant; my great-great-grandparents are the ones who brought my family to America, but I thought it would be interesting to see how my cultural experience compares to those who are immigrants or immigrant children.

Beauty Standards

Of course, there is the typical stereotype that Jewish people have big noses. I’ve heard people comment that someone doesn’t “look Jewish” because their nose isn’t as prominent. Just because someone doesn’t fit the stereotype doesn’t mean their identification is any less true or important. 

Food

Food tends to be a big part of Jewish culture. I don’t know if this is true for others, but in my family we have a joke that goes: “They tried to kill us, we won, we ate”. This is pretty much used to sum up every Jewish holiday because the holidays tend to revolve around the Jewish people overcoming an obstacle or celebrating a victory. Some of my personal favorite foods from my culture are latkes, sufganyot (jelly donuts), matzah ball soup, and falafel. On the holidays, my extended family gathers and provides a feast. Some of my childhood memories are of my mom making homemade latkes and my dad and I eating all of them before anyone else could get to them. I also have memories of my great-aunt spooning me bowls of matzah ball soup to hand out to family and of my grandma bringing us lots of kosher for passover foods.

History

There’s not much to tell since my family is very Americanized. No one in my family is a immigrant or immigrant child, so there are no stories of that kind to tell. My mother will tell the story though of how when she went to college, some of her roommates had never seen any Jews and thought she’d have horns, because that’s how they were raised. My grandma and grandpa were both born in 1938, so they have vague memories of the Holocaust. 

Holidays

In my family, we don’t celebrate any of the minor holidays. We only celebrate holidays such as Passover, Chanukah, Rosh Hashanah, etcetera. On the holidays, most of my extended family gathers at my family’s house. Together we provide a feast of foods like brisket, meatballs, potatoes, latkes, and more. We all chat and tell stories and eat a lot of food. Our families don’t go to temple all together, as most of my family lives out of state and doesn’t belong to our synagogue. I remember enjoying services when I was younger because my parents would allow me to bring books to read because we attended the adult service, and not the kid service. I remember dreading services after my parents stopped letting me bring books because in my mind, they were very boring and dragged on forever. Now, I get a little bored, but my rabbi tells interesting stories and makes a few jokes to keep us entertained.

Home/Family life/Friendships

Being Jewish hasn’t really affected any of my relationships. All of my extended family is at least ½-Jewish, so they all understand at least some of the culture and traditions. My town has a high Jewish population, so I’ve never felt out of place because of my religion. My middle schools were dotted with bar and bat mitzvahs, which got repetitive after awhile, but it was still nice to see my non-Jewish friends participating in prayers and songs. 

Language

Growing up, my parents sent my brothers and I to Hebrew School at our temple. My town has two main temples, so our classes were pretty small. I’m sad to say that while I do know the Hebrew Alphabet and can read fairly fluently, I don’t know the meaning of the words. My Hebrew School also didn’t teach us to read without vowels (most Hebrew is written without them), so when my family traveled to Israel we had difficulty reading signs and directions.

Micro-aggressions

It annoys me when people assume I’m Kosher just because I’m Jewish. It also generally annoys me when people mock my traditions or are just plain ignorant about them. Just because they don’t know about my religion doesn’t give them the right to make fun of it. Ignorance is not an excuse.

This was actually more than a micro-aggression to me, but an acquaintance and I were having a friendly insult battle, and they referred to me as a “terrorist” just because my ancestors are from the Middle East. At the time, I laughed it off, because though it’s a terrible thing to say I know my friend didn’t know what she was implying (which of course doesn’t make it right). But months later, I still find myself thinking about that comment. I don’t make fun of my friend for her Albanian and Greek culture, and yet she referred me to in such a negative way without even realizing the magnitude of what she was saying. 

Things I’d like to see less of

I’d like to see less of people caring about others’ religions. This doesn’t mean you should be ignorant about them, but I hate seeing religion cause rifts between people. Just because people believe something else than you doesn’t mean they’re wrong. 

Things I’d like to see more of

I’d like to see more people having awareness/knowledge about other people’s religions. Most people only know about their own religion and don’t know anything about other religions. I’d also like to see more of schools discussing the Holocaust and other major events that revolve around religion. I don’t know if this is true for other schools, but in my school we never talked about the Holocaust. Most of my friends only know that it was something involving the deaths of many Jews and it was caused by Hitler, but that’s all they know. They don’t know about the atrocities committed or the lingering affects; the Diary of Anne Frank and all of the people who were killed just because of their belief.

Tropes/Stereotypes I’m tired of seeing.

I’m tired of people picturing Jews and only envisioning Orthodox Jews. People think Jew, and they picture a man wearing a tallis and a yamaka/kippah who keeps Kosher and has a prominent nose. Everyone assumes that we all are this religious when whether or not you celebrate the Sabbath and wear religious clothing doesn’t determine your Jewishness. I’m tired of Israel being just thought of as a conflict zone, when if you go there you’ll discover an amazing, rich culture and history. I’m tired of people being ignorant of our struggles and conflicts throughout history

–

By the way, I agree with you @zoe-of-the-veil that the experiences in the OP do reflect microaggressions. OP, if you’re reading this: the “micro” in microaggression doesn’t refer to the breadth or scope of your pain at the bigotry. Calling it a microaggression isn’t meant to minimize the pain or harm caused. It’s just a way to refer to harmful words that aren’t backed up by physical violence, vandalism, employment discrimination, etc. This site never minimizes the harmful nature of microaggressions; I’m just clarifying the use of terminology.

Also, the purpose of PoC Profiles isn’t just to list discrimination; it’s to give our readers who write a resource to check while working on a character of X background. Many of the things described in these posts are neutrals, not negatives, so one doesn’t have to face down the worst bigotry personally to be able to submit a profile. Our goal is to be a resource to better foster accurate representation in fiction, that’s all. I apologize for not dipping in and adding a note to this post making it clear that this was a submitted profile and not me speaking, by the way. Usually when someone Jewish submits a profile, I try to swoop in and add that so as not to confuse our readers. –Shira