Another player who was at the table during the incident sent me this meme after the problem player in question (they had a history) left the group chat.

Felt like sharing it here because I’m sure more people should keep this kind of thing in mind.

  • NAXLAB@lemmy.world
    883·
    2 years ago

    I’ll echo the words of my friend, who is a permanent wheelchair user:

    “Yes, I identify with my disability as part of who I am, but I would still take a cure without hesitation”

    Yes, people with disabilities identify with their disability, so even in a fantasy setting I can see how their disability would be part of their character.

    But every disabled person I know would figuratively leap at the opportunity to reverse their disability with magic. It is also basically impossible to use a wheelchair while holding something like a wand or a staff or a fireball in one hand, so if there’s enough magic around to push a wheelchair, there’s probably enough to make your legs work. That’s why somebody has a good reason not to expect a wheelchair in a fantasy world. I can see how somebody who doesn’t really know any disabled people would panic at the idea of a wheelchair being part of the narrative or something like that, and I can sympathize with it.

      • NAXLAB@lemmy.world
        41·
        2 years ago

        I went to a NTID school, the community there does not consider themselves to have a “disability” literally. To them, it’s just a language.

    • voidMainVoid@lemmy.world
      3·
      2 years ago

      It is also basically impossible to use a wheelchair while holding something in one hand, so if there’s enough magic around to push a wheelchair, there’s probably enough to make your legs work.

      First, off the top, you can stop your wheelchair, use your hand(s) for something else, and then start moving again.

      Second, you’re making a lot of assumptions about the magic system. Every magic system has limitations. What if healing is a clerical spell, not a magic spell, and there are no clerics around? Maybe the nearest cleric who can heal is many miles away, perhaps over dangerous terrain inhabited by bandits, monsters, etc. Maybe the spell requires some very specific and difficult-to-obtain materials. Or maybe the spell is very high-level, requiring many years to learn, so clerics or mages charge a very high fee for this service. Any of these, or a combination, could be a reason why a disabled person (or a family member on their behalf) is questing.

      Maybe the knowledge of the healing magic was held by some ancient civilization and it was lost when that civilization fell, but the disabled character has found a clue to where some ancient ruins could be unearthed where the secret might be found.

      Or maybe the GM just says “Yeah, spells can’t do that in this setting.”