How to address racism in a fantasy setting without it dragging down the game?

[Derren]

No real world discussion please...

In most fantasy games racism is the core component which allows adventurers to go out, kill things labled evil or just "powerful and inhuman" and take their stuff.
I wonderd how you could bring this up in a game, not as a central theme but more of a side story like a church or organization which fights for complete equality or similar goals, without it being disruptive, unfun or comical as being allowed to kill certain things and take their stuff without reprecussions is kinda the central theme in many RPGs.
I could of course resort to only use mindless undead etc. as enemies, but thats really only avoiding it.
Just to be clear, I do not want to lecture the players or make a statement, but just to have this as another facette of the world

 

[Tonguez]

Have a PC Elf or Dwarf get dirty looks and be refused a drink/room in a tavern because “we dont serve your kind here”

if the PCs have killed a orc/goblin/giant have the ‘monsters’ family turn up and demand justice from the local half-orc sheriff

 

[aramis erak]

There are several approaches.

Tolkien's Orcs are born of evil and incapable of intentional good. Thus, slaughtering them is justifiable.

Meanwhile, the D&D Orcs merely have a propensity for evil; it is wired in but able to be overcome.

It's variable by setting whether or not the "evil races" were made irredeemable, made bad but redeemable, prone to bad but overcomable, or entirely free will based but with a violent culture...

If you really want to teach lessons via play, have the setting say one thing but the reality be the other...

 

[Derren]

Have a PC Elf or Dwarf get dirty looks and be refused a drink/room in a tavern because “we dont serve your kind here”

if the PCs have killed a orc/goblin/giant have the ‘monsters’ family turn up and demand justice from the local half-orc sheriff

To clarify, I don't mean racism between PC races. In most settings they tend to be pretty well integrated, but between PC and monster races.
And not even just humanoid monsters but also intelligent non-humanoid like elementals, dragons, etc.

I thought about having a church with a "Judge people by their actions, not their apperances" decree with maybe a conflict within the church about how far to extend this to get the pcs involved through quests (as I suspect no pc will worship this deity as its to limiting to the normal adventuring work unless you are okay with killing everythig and just preaching to the players will just be annoying).

I liked the plot in D&D FR that one dragon delivered would be dragonslayers to the nearest city (Silverymoon I think?) and demanded a trial which the city stalled because of the implications a verdict would have. I assume that was just a dangling plot hook and was not followed up with anything official?

 

[Sadras]

1. A common threat binds unlikely allies or at least forces them to a meet. Racism could spell doom for all.

2. Elementals have been routinely used as slaves by elementalist wizards - a pushback by diviners seek to have this practice end due to prophecies now long forgotten which speak of a great war in the future between the inner planes....
* However civilisation has become accustomed to the services elemental slaves provide... Racism provides for a comfortable living.

3. The church of the damned who attempt to save the souls of demons or devils, believe that these souls are not beyond recemption and that by doing this good, they weaken the power of the demon and devil lords.
* Unsatisfied with their slow approach, the church now attempts to open a controlled portal to the abyss or the 9-hells to begin a mass redemption exercise.

4. An infamous prisoner of the evil race (that might have already been executed) shatters a long forgotten myth or popular belief about the race/monsters. From his teachings/revelations an organisation sprouts to "correct" the thinking of others. Not everyone believes this teaching, others do not care, while others oppose it, as the existence of this enemy brings much profit.
* The prisoner's secret writings are stolen by those who would see this belief die or an assassination attempt on the organisation's leader/s is orchestrated. PCs could stumble onto the texts or one of the survivors by accident, perhaps forcing them to pick a side. In this instance racism fuels commerce.

5. Dragons are dying out. Already diminished from hunters, egg poachers and wizards seeking rare components a small group of dracologists discover that the world's magic is limited - and the increase use of magic by the smallfolk is starving the magical races that require magic to breed and grow. Dragons being the most impressive are the first to suffer the effects, others will soon follow.
* A cult springs up, in an effort to curb the use of magic, however within this cult exists a militant sect which a different agenda... Racism could be used to fuel the extinction of the older races.

 

[steenan]

I wonderd how you could bring this up in a game, not as a central theme but more of a side story like a church or organization which fights for complete equality or similar goals, without it being disruptive, unfun or comical as being allowed to kill certain things and take their stuff without reprecussions is kinda the central theme in many RPGs.

I don't think you can do it.
Either such an organization is obviously wrong in their beliefs and serves only as a comic relief, or they can possibly be right (it doesn't matter if they fully are, just that it's something worth considering). Because if it is possible that monsters are not irredeemably evil, no moral character can ignore it and keep "killing them and taking their stuff".
The whole premise of D&D and similar games, built around looting and killing, is that one does not really think about the moral side of it. As soon as you put it in the spotlight, it becomes extremely important. Either you focus the whole game on exploring it or you are better not to touch the topic at all.

 

[RonarsCorruption]

As others have said said, it’s a tough question. I find there are two straightforward ways:

you can humanize some monsters - such as by having the party meet someone civilized that they like and later reveal they’re a monster. they’re misunderstood, but neither more good nor evil than anyone else, they just typically stand for something else.

...or you can dehumanize the monsters - I’ve always had a headcannon that orcs and goblins are ‘monsters’ not because they are cruel, but because despite their similarities to humans they literally lack souls or some other magically provable and otherwise non-physical trait.

 

[Stoutstien]

I've always had a problem with how the lore goes out of the way to make sure certain NPCs are evil but then turn around and make them player race options. A half orc in eberron is fine, no race is truly evil. A hobgoblin in a FR game isn't.
The 'good' humor jabs like between elfs and dwarfs are ok as long as they stay in good humor.

 

[prabe]

I've always had a problem with how the lore goes out of the way to make sure certain NPCs are evil but then turn around and make them player race options. A half orc in eberron is fine, no race is truly evil. A hobgoblin in a FR game isn't.
The 'good' humor jabs like between elfs and dwarfs are ok as long as they stay in good humor.

I think this dissonance is part of why I don't like those "monstrous" races being available as PC races. I try not to put the characters in the campaigns I'm running into positions where the morals/ethics aren't pretty clear. Lots of undead, lots of deranged cultists, lots of things driven by demons or Great Old Ones, lots of self-defense.

 

[GMMichael]

In most fantasy games racism is the core component which allows adventurers to go out, kill things labled evil or just "powerful and inhuman" and take their stuff.
I wonderd how you could bring this up in a game, not as a central theme but more of a side story like a church or organization which fights for complete equality or similar goals, without it being disruptive, unfun or comical as being allowed to kill certain things and take their stuff without reprecussions is kinda the central theme in many RPGs.

I could of course resort to only use mindless undead etc. as enemies, but thats really only avoiding it.
Just to be clear, I do not want to lecture the players or make a statement, but just to have this as another facette of the world

What I'm hearing is that you want to toss out the idea that it's not okay to kill all non-PC races, and that you don't really want to follow up on it. The best way to do this is to plan an entire adventure around it, with maps, NPCs, and treasure. Your PCs will promptly ignore all your hard work, and then follow up on something the watchman said, off-hand.

To clarify, I don't mean racism between PC races. In most settings they tend to be pretty well integrated, but between PC and monster races.
And not even just humanoid monsters but also intelligent non-humanoid like elementals, dragons, etc.

I wouldn't call it "racism" anymore if your idea extends to creatures with non-human features, or even otherworldly/magical creatures. Now you're talking about pacifism. Which should be an important part of one or many of your in-game religions. Until, that is, the religion sees an opportunity to expand or defend itself, at which point it's perfectly fine to kill anything and everything in the name of the god.