So my first DnD campaign is on hiatus so another player has started their own for us to play in the meantime. My DM for this new campaign is explaining the world and it’s a bit… hmmm. I guess you could say I’m uncomfortable with a setting based on the Soviet Union by someone who doesn’t know anything about the USSR. He explains it as small states forced to be in absorbed into the empire, there’s one rich area and as you get farther away the poorer it gets, the worst area is described as Ukraine. I guess in that area you can be working the land and then some guy forces you to give him money. Our Soviet Union is very repressive and we’re at war with a democratic nation. Every child is given a magical stamp, if you go against the empire or do “thought crimes” you get changed markings. You can get good markings back via “social credit.” I feel so uneasy and I feel bad. I don’t want to be a Debby downer or an ass.
He mentioned Marxism but it seems to be evil in this universe (“with regards to Marxism make sure you don’t get the worst mark on your head”). Also he’s encouraging us to play evil/neutral. I don’t know what to do. I want to make the best of it but damn, I literally play as a Marxist dog in the hiatus playthrough (the current DM is a fellow player on that campaign) so I’m surprised this is happening. Do you have advice on how to make the best of this? Maybe combat misinformation subtly in character? I’m freaking out!
Edit: the currency in this “state” is not gold or typical money, it’s food rations. So when I said if you live in a poorer region and a guy comes demanding money I mean some state official haggles you for taxes which is paid in rations. This haggling seems to only take place in the poorest “Ukraine” areas…
So basically you’re playing with someone who doesn’t understand socialism/communism/Marxism at all, or at least thinks it’s the propagandized evil version of the ideology. Considering they think the USSR is some repressive empire with all the negative stereotypes that come with it (muh Orwelllian thought crimes and seeseepee social credit system).
My advice, make your own campaign where the USSR stand-in is less bastardized, or at least, it’s an Evil vs. Evil situation, where your guys are relatively sympathetic communist bastards against the Nazi BBEG and a group of unsympathetic fascist assholes, and try to find people who are interested in playing I guess?
I would love to make my own campaign but I’ve never DM’d before and this would be my second play ever. Maybe I’ll do some reading and drafting on the side. It may be too difficult to do right now as I’m doing university stuff as well.