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 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
But I can't recall a single ill word about the Ratskins.

I saw plenty of mewling about noble savages, r ed atskin name, being 'primitive', scalping people, becoming drunks regularly, being native american themed at all (background and models), them being oppressed by later colonisers (and working for them as trackers).

This is GW who were too feeble to give a Necromunda model a capriote. There's no way they're doing Ratskins.

Ratskins are tribal guys with giant sewer rat as totem. A shamanistic tradition that guard and hide away the destructive technology that will destroy civilisations. Trying to live by the guidance of the mystic spirits of the hive city.

Surely there are enough themes in the old gang to make them more 40k than hinting at stereotypes..

Lean harder on the techno-cult aspect. Imply that the “great spirits” are the machine spirits of the various hive systems. Or just straight up drop the allusion and call them “great machine spirits” and make the ratskins specifically have beef with the power and water guilds because they keep messing with the hive to get more.
Give the “shamans” mechadendrites wrapped in rat-tail leather to disguise them.

Necromunda back then was pretty gnarly with their Native America. Looking ratskins and the KKK vibes of the Redemptionists. I am glad GW kinda moved away from that without losing the spirit of that faction.

 Lord Damocles wrote:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
But I can't recall a single ill word about the Ratskins.

I saw plenty of mewling about noble savages, r ed atskin name, being 'primitive', scalping people, becoming drunks regularly, being native american themed at all (background and models), them being oppressed by later colonisers (and working for them as trackers).

This is GW who were too feeble to give a Necromunda model a capriote. There's no way they're doing Ratskins.

Necromunda is also one of their more Modern Audience games. I've never seen as many girl bosses, female protagonists etc as in the new Necro background.

Been years if not decades since I read the ratskin fluff

Was it really written that they were drunkard and that they were primitives? I honestly dont recall it, but If so, yeah, this would have to go. But besides that, I dont think theres anything controversial with their background.

Not so much primitive, as choosing to eschew modern toys. I’ve interpreted that as a decision to better avoid Hivers, and maintain their own ways.

After all? Lasgun or Autogun, it needs ammo. And so you need to trade. More basic weapons you can make your own bolt or shot for.

The drunkard thing was specifically for the Hired Gun Ratskin Scout, who were often tribal outcasts.

So…. Not so much “all Ratskins are drunkards”, so much as “most Underhivers will only encounter the Outcasts, who tend toward petty vices due to their social isolation”

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
The drunkard thing was specifically for the Hired Gun Ratskin Scout, who were often tribal outcasts.

So…. Not so much “all Ratskins are drunkards”, so much as “most Underhivers will only encounter the Outcasts, who tend toward petty vices due to their social isolation”

It was stated that the shamans didn't like young braves trying 'firewater' since then they'd go renegade, implying that anyone that tasted the stuff was going to get addicted.

Weirdest Ratskin fact is that Scabbs, Kal Jerico's mouldy sidekick, is 'half-Ratskin'. One wonders which half.

The thing to remember is that gw is fine with stereotypes so long as they are positive ones that reflect the typecast culture that way.

Space Wolves are depicted as party drinkers rather than depressive alcoholics. They are also not rapists and theives like the Vikings actually were.

There are plenty of positive aspects that can be tapped into. The SG redo 18 years ago used the coup sticks as a way to gather more xp for the ganger for example. It reflected their bravery and skill.

Now you can also just drop those things entirely, but it's more the negative stereotypes that are problematic.