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So, before I get started I'd like to say that I've only found limited information about this weapon. If there's a source I'm missing, please let me know.
I was delighted to find out that the Rungu was included as a weapon in 2e. And then I saw the Grippli tag. The description is below, from AoN:
"This specialized club is designed for throwing and is useful for both combat and hunting. Though gripplis didn't create the rungu originally, many grippli communities have adopted it as the weapon of choice for hunting creatures that hide high in treetops."
I didn't find much more in the ancestry guide.
The thing is, as a person with a personal connection to East Africa (I grew up there) and the Maasai people specifically, it's pretty disrespectful to take an item that has significant cultural importance and make it a frog person thing. It's even been a symbol of the Kenyan presidency (Moi was at best a controversial figure - let's not go down that rabbit hole). Especially considering how absolutely sparse representation of these incredible, complex cultures has been in popular media of all kinds much less RPGs.
Now, the description does state that Grippli didn't invent the weapon, just adopted it. But it still feels to be in bad taste. In my mind, it'd not be unlike taking the macuahuitl and making it a ysoki weapon.
It would have taken about 5 seconds of Googling to realize "hey, maybe this isn't just some cool hitty stick, it's an important part of East African culture and history."
On the whole, Paizo has done a really great job of being culturally inclusive and respectful, and I don't think this is malicious at all. Conversely, I think it's worse if the writer had some connection to Africa than if they were just an ignorant outsider, because they should have known better. The Maasai are not frog people and in my experience, don't have any particular connection to amphibians. Plus anthropomorphizing underrepresented cultures is pretty messed up. Or out the door, you hand over this culturally significant item to frog people and figure out the real owners later?
Maybe there's something I'm missing. I'd be glad to be wrong. I believe there are absolutely good ways to respectfully incorporate poorly represented cultures into a fantasy setting - Paizo continues to champion this. But this smacks of a different era of RPG writing.
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I’m hoping we see whoever they adopted it from in the Mwangi book, but your concerns are valid and heard.
Thanks keftiu. The sentiment is appreciated, but I'm not sure that this concern is being heard. Obviously, just posting on the forums is a gambit at best.
I'm wondering if there's anyone at Paizo I can reach out to.
Creative Director
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I've seen this, and I agree that we need to do better. (Just because we don't reply doesn't mean we're not here watching.)
The Mwangi book has gone to the printer already and I'm not sure if we adjusted anything there, but yeah... when we bring in real-world things we need to do better. Sorry about that! :( But thank you for bringing it to our attention.
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I've seen this, and I agree that we need to do better. (Just because we don't reply doesn't mean we're not here watching.)
The Mwangi book has gone to the printer already and I'm not sure if we adjusted anything there, but yeah... when we bring in real-world things we need to do better. Sorry about that! :( But thank you for bringing it to our attention.
I do appreciate the reply. Again, I don't think this was an intentional attempt to marginalize East Africans (Maasai particularly), just the inherent peril of trying to incorporate cultures that you're not a part of.
Personally, I'm extremely excited that Paizo is portraying African themes and cultures without going back to "dark continent stereotype" well like many others have. I have exceptionally high hopes for Strength of Thousands as well as the Mwangi Book.
Now, if I see Grippli in Shukas we're going to have a problem, as absolutely adorable as that would be.
As for me? I'll effectively treat the Rungu as an ancestry weapon for any cultures that it seems appropriate to.
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