Can I at least say "Nazi?"

I know I said I was going to take two weeks off - specifically the last two weeks of October - but after an entire week of not writing I'm ready to hit the keyboard again. It's not so much a case of deadlines looming over me this time around, it's a case of going crazy if I don't. I was going to tackle a novel for November (NaNoWriMo, remember?) but looks like Hogshead's Ghost Ship is going to be due on November 16, so I'll probably try to knock that out - or a large chunk of it - before the end of the month.

We're discussing artwork for Ghost Ship at the moment, and my plan to make it something a bit different from your run-of-the-mill "ghost ships" (namely, a German WWII warship, replete with Nazi sailors trapped between dimensions) seems to have stirred up some unforseen problems.

Apparently three issues are prohibiting a "ghostly Nazi" cover (with tattered Swastika, etc., in the background). First, WotC (owners of the d20 license) have specifically stated that they may pull the license agreement for anything "in bad taste" and some of the folks at Hogshead are worried that Nazis and Swastikas on the cover may be in bad taste. Second, Hogshead has informed me that this game is "for children as well," so they're a little concerned about turning off parents who see the cover. And finally, it seems that Nazis and their paraphenalia stir up no end of controversy in Europe (where Hogshead is based).

So... I'm not sure if I'm going to be allowed to use a German warship in the game or not, or if they're just pulling the cover suggestion. If it's the latter, then the book will probably get a more generic warship and no German/Nazi trappings. A shame, I think, but who am I to dictate company policy?

Worst case, I'll end up reworking the entire project to sanitize it and make it more salable to kids, parents, Europeans, and WotC employees. Hrmph. Who would have thought I could come up with a roleplaying game based on historical fact that could stir up controversy?