Why 5E may be the last edition of D&D

[Ralif Redhammer]

This is pretty much the barrier to any use of Drizz't in a movie. Like, you can go around in circles, and pretty much every result ends up being problematic. Cast the drow as POC, and you have the dark-skinned elves as the evil ones. Go with make-up and you end up with blackface. Sure, drow depictions tend towards the grey/purple coloration these days, but not always.

And if filmmakers were able to thread the needle, then all this stuff is still out there, a Google search away.

I think there are a lot of issues with drow and cultural sensitivity. I'm not particularly politically correct but having someone run around in blackface is probably not the best way to sell a movie.

 

[generic]

This is pretty much the barrier to any use of Drizz't in a movie. Like, you can go around in circles, and pretty much every result ends up being problematic. Cast the drow as POC, and you have the dark-skinned elves as the evil ones. Go with make-up and you end up with blackface. Sure, drow depictions tend towards the grey/purple coloration these days, but not always.

And if filmmakers were able to thread the needle, then all this stuff is still out there, a Google search away.

I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem!

Everyone knows that every single person who views the film knows about the Svartálfar and Dökkálfar Drow origins.

 

[jayoungr]

This is pretty much the barrier to any use of Drizz't in a movie. Like, you can go around in circles, and pretty much every result ends up being problematic. Cast the drow as POC, and you have the dark-skinned elves as the evil ones. Go with make-up and you end up with blackface. Sure, drow depictions tend towards the grey/purple coloration these days, but not always.

Animation, maybe? At least that would avoid the problem with makeup.

Having some dark-skinned heroes other than Drizzt would help as well.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Guess I forgot the smiley face. While I think an animated D&D series similar to something like the Star Wars series would be awesome, bringing back Dungeon Master and company would not be.

Honestly, here on the interwebs, it’s nearly impossible to know if ppl are serious with stuff like that! Also, I’d love something with a similar tone and look to the rebels cartoon.

There's a big difference between someone that is obviously not human and someone that's in blackface with pointy ears.

This is true. Also, though, Drizzt movie would need to have him not be the only person of color, and not make any mention of him being a genetic anomoly. In fact, bring in another good or at least not evil (not even Jarlaxle’s ambiguous evil) drow, and some human POC, and I think it would be fine.

I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem!

Everyone knows that every single person who views the film knows about the Svartálfar and Dökkálfar Drow origins.

I don’t think knowing about svartalfar would even mitigate the issue, at all, for most people.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Dragonlance also has not aged well. I tried rereading it a while ago and gave up but enjoyed it early 90's. Some of the other D&D books are still good, but not really suitable for the big screen. The Elaine Cunningham books are probably the best overall although I have heard Kemp is good. Something like Moonsong might be one of the better D&D novels to adapt.

DL’s authors (or at least one of them) wants to do a rewrite of it anyway. There’s nothing unfixable about DL.

 

[generic]

I don’t think knowing about svartalfar would even mitigate the issue, at all, for most people.

Oh, I hope you didn't think that I though that it would. I know that, for most people, knowing about mythological origins doesn't mitigate their discomfort.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Oh, I hope you didn't think that I though that it would. I know that, for most people, knowing about mythological origins doesn't mitigate their discomfort.

Well that’s good.

Bc man, there are people out there 100% trying to say drow aren’t problematic bc they’re based on svartalfar...

 

[Azzy]

Well that’s good.

Bc man, there are people out there 100% trying to say drow aren’t problematic bc they’re based on svartalfar...

Are these people even familiar with svartalfar?

 

[76512390ag12]

There'll be a 6e. Guaranteed. The only question is when.

What I'd like to see - a pipe dream, I know - is 6e be in fact two editions in one. A split edition, where one branch goes old-school and harkens hard back to 0e-1e-OSR and the other goes new-school and incorporates the best elements of 3e-4e*-5e. The two 6e's (6e-old and 6e-new?) wouldn't even have to necessarily be completely compatible with each other.

* - yes 4e had some good individual elements and ideas that are well worth a second try, even though the overall whole was a disappointment.

But you have that don't you? Either a retro clone or buy one of the older editions as print on demand

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Are these people even familiar with svartalfar?

They do seem to be. I *think* the logic is basically that bc it’s ancient folk lore, it can’t be problematic?