What Measure Is A Non Human
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Basic Information

A common morality trope is for certain kinds of non-humans to not have the same moral status as humans, so that killing/destroying one is not nearly as bad as killing a human. The same values dissonance can often extend to matters of what (or who…) constitutes food and magical supplies.

The distinction is usually based on sentience and emotion, with other recurring examples including the following:

See also Mooks, What Measure Is A Non Cute, What Measure Is A Non Super.

Sources

Bibliography

Game and Story Use

  • You probably need to have acceptable targets if you want to have regular action without getting characters bogged down in considering the morality of their actions. These acceptable targets had better be of a kind for which this is traditional, or your players and you may end up feeling disgusted.
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