D&D (2024) Asians Represent: "Has WotC Fixed the D&D Monk?"

[Vaalingrade]

My opinion is ignore the real world while you play in your fantasy world. Why bring all that misery with you.

If you're going to do that, you're going to have to stop mining real world peoples for your content.

Otherwise you're going to have to own up to it.

 

[nevin]

No I live in the real world. I can mine anything i want too. If you don't like what i mine you don't have to play it. At this point in history it is virtually impossible to come up with a fictional idea that someone can't dig through past fiction or non fiction and claim you stole the idea. It's just going to get worse from here. I intend to ignore all who whine about what's in my game and just have fun.

 

[Vaalingrade]

At this point in history it is virtually impossible to come up with a fictional idea that someone can't dig through past fiction or non fiction and claim you stole the idea.

Yep! And so realistically, we have to take responsibility for what we do with it!

 

[Sacrosanct]

In the European Animistic cultures, the Bard is spot on.

Wait, what? No it's not. Not even remotely close. There is literally nothing about the bard that relates to European animism (or any regional animism). Animism, on a broad level, is the belief that spirits inhibit everything, from rocks to plants to animals to everything else. Even if you look at one of the more popular European animist beliefs, the fylgiur (Norse spirit animals), it's all about the animal spirits helping and guiding humans and the person having an intimate relationship with their animal spirit, where one affects the other. I'd posit the D&D bard is the opposite of animism, because the bard is all about people only. All of the abilities and powers are human centric. I can't think of a single bardic ability in D&D that centers around using mineral, plant, or animal spirits to help the party.

What usually happens with this "one size fits all" approach is, European cultures (for D&D, mainly Britain whence the US) tend to assume ones own sensibilities are "universal", thus force them onto other cultures thus misrepresenting them. Most of this happens unconsciously and every culture is guilty of this kind of ethnocentrism.

The mechanics don't force anything. That would be your (general you) personal bias, not the game. If the class is basically, "most hp, all armor and weapons", like the b/x fighter is, that's not culturally specific. The problem you describe isn't one of "one size fits all", it's one of your own assumptions.

 

[nevin]

I think a lot of people forget that thier own cultural bubble exists. it's easier to point and scream bad person than to admit you are just in a different bubble than they are.

 

[nevin]

Yep! And so realistically, we have to take responsibility for what we do with it!

And as i said It's mine, I'm playing it and I don't care if someone doesn't like it.


iteresting side bar the whole idea of intellectual property is a 20th century construct. Prior to the 30's if you referenced anyone's research or ideas you were considered a well read person and doing what smart people do. Learning and using that knowledge. It wasn't until America and Europe started trying to hold on to thier lead position in the world that the idea of using someone's ideas and knowledge became a bad thing. For almost all of human history you were supposed to learn from other ideas and other cultures and pick the best and be the best.

 

[nevin]

Wait, what? No it's not. Not even remotely close. There is literally nothing about the bard that relates to European animism (or any regional animism). Animism, on a broad level, is the belief that spirits inhibit everything, from rocks to plants to animals to everything else. Even if you look at one of the more popular European animist beliefs, the fylgiur (Norse spirit animals), it's all about the animal spirits helping and guiding humans and the person having an intimate relationship with their animal spirit, where one affects the other. I'd posit the D&D bard is the opposite of animism, because the bard is all about people only. All of the abilities and powers are human centric. I can't think of a single bardic ability in D&D that centers around using mineral, plant, or animal spirits to help the party.

The mechanics don't force anything. That would be your (general you) personal bias, not the game. If the class is basically, "most hp, all armor and weapons", like the b/x fighter is, that's not culturally specific. The problem you describe isn't one of "one size fits all", it's one of your own assumptions.

yeppers the DND bard is just a rogue who can play instruments, act and cast spells. It's an amalgam of rogue, sorcerer, skill monkey. It's a frankenstein of nothing that ever existed in historical myths or legends.

 

[Sacrosanct]

yeppers the DND bard is just a rogue who can play instruments, act and cast spells. It's an amalgam of rogue, sorcerer, skill monkey. It's a frankenstein of nothing that ever existed in historical myths or legends.

Oh, I disagree

 

[nevin]

LMAO you realize when that was released Bards were actually Druid based, but the absolute worst designed class DND ever had?

 

[Sacrosanct]

LMAO you realize when that was released Bards were actually Druid based, but the absolute worst designed class DND ever had?

Well, technically, when that was released (1973), D&D wasn't even an official thing yet, let alone bards existing But I was just making a joke.