Candela Obscura Griping
From the Candela Obscura quickstart guide:
When crafting your character, it is crucial to avoid the harmful stereotypes often present in the historical and horror genres. For instance: if you are creating an Explorer, they should delve into their own cultural history instead of appropriating another’s. Similarly, Mediums should not use other cultures’ attire as a costume, and Doctors should not indulge in any historical practices that are rooted in racist and ableist ideologies. Although PCs may be ill-disposed, tactless, or even cruel, you should always strive to construct your protagonists with integrity.
This is a good example of a kinda frustrating trend I've seen in some progressive-minded TTRPGs. While it would be great to have guidelines to the tune of "Hey, here are some racist and ableist tropes particular to this genre that you might not have been aware of—best to avoid them unless you know everyone at your table is comfortable exploring that space," that's not really what this is. The conflation of harmful tropes with in-universe oppression, the decentering of player safety as the foremost ethical consideration…feels weird man.
It’s like they took pointers from SJ media criticism without realizing why -ist tropes are bad in the first place, without realizing that an improv game which never leaves your living room doesn’t have quite as much reach as a Hollywood blockbuster.
Of course, a concern for player safety would also lead you to be careful with -isms and -ist tropes. Especially if you don’t know your fellow players well. I’m not disputing that!
But it’s important that everything actually contribute toward the goal of keeping players at the table safe, or you’re left walking on eggshells to no one’s benefit. And player safety isn’t even mentioned here: Avoiding Bad Tropes is a goal unto itself because….why? Because those tropes are intrinsically unethical? Because roleplaying as Indiana Jones might turn you racist?