WotC Older D&D Books on DMs Guild Now Have A Disclaimer

If you go to any of the older WotC products on the Dungeon Master's Guild, they now have a new disclaimer very similar to that currently found at the start of Looney Tunes cartoons.

We recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website, does not reflect the values of the Dungeon & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end.

The wording is very similar to that found at the start of Looney Tunes cartoons.

Edit: Wizards has put out a statement on Twitter (click through to the full thread)

 

[ccooke]

On the topic of semantics: OED describes deprivation as 'lack or denial of something considered to be a necessity' and gives the examples of sleep and water.

... This is a very odd reply. You seem to be making a negative point against mine, but not actually addressing the point that I made. Now, I don't think my point was particularly important, but if you wish to argue against it, please actually argue against it.
You may also find it useful to look at the difference between 'deprive' (the word I used) and 'deprivation'.

 

[jasper]

Don't want to add more fuel to the fire, and I know that I'm over reacting, but should I feel bad if I like Ad&d 2nd and D&d 3.5 products? Am I playing the game wrong if I use that material? Will I be shunned by the community if I use that books?

3.5 Book of Exalted Deeds and Book of Vile Darkness supplements had a sticker in their covers warning about its mature content and no body cared, but it was another time.

INSERT EVIL GRIN.
Yes. You are naughty badwrongfun gamer. You should feel bad. To make up for you should send me all your pre 5E stuff. You should send the owner of the forum $600 to pay for your sins. And you go forth and buy all NEW 5E stuff.
INSERT EVIL GRIN.

 

[jasper]

People play scramble competitively?!

Yes. I forget what the prize is. I quit playing scramble when my weekly AL games became regular.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Hiya!



Honestly? Nope. I can't see how these changes are going to help other players feel more included. How? "Here's a book that you may find things offensive. But it's ok now, we put a sticker on the front. Good? Ok, lets roll some dice!"

^_^

Paul L. Ming

I am under absolutely no illusion that I'm going to change your mind here, but I bet I can shift you at least a little towards my perspective. Let's start with this:

Is there any harm in adding a disclaimer that some content in older D&D materials may contain content which is insensitive?

After all, as you said, it's not going to change the way you game.

So I ask you this: whose experience will it change? Who do you feel would honestly read this disclaimer and feel better?

 

[Deset Gled]

Anyone saying that is confused, and either hasn't read OA recently, or doesn't know much about the cultures involved and their mythology (not even a superficial amount).
...

TLDR: OA isn't a mish-mash - it's titled like it should be, and was marketed like it was, and people assumed it was, but it's actually pretty much 95%+ Japanese mythology.

Or is referring to the 3e OA, which includes many more mixed Asian references. Examples include the Vanara race, terra cotta warriors, more varied monk prestige classes, focus on jade, and Chinese-style hopping vampires. It's still got plenty of Japanese references, or course. But overall it's a lot more varied and is more of the mish-mash Zarithar described.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Or is referring to the 3e OA, which includes many more mixed Asian references. Examples include the Vanara race, terra cotta warriors, more varied monk prestige classes, focus on jade, and Chinese-style hopping vampires. It's still got plenty of Japanese references, or course. But overall it's a lot more varied and is more of the mish-mash Zarithar described.

True that, and it's set in Rokugan, which is very intentionally a mish-mash of Asian elements (and some stuff from beyond Asia). I don't think that's what people are particularly concerned about though.

 

[Helldritch]

There was supposed to be a 2nd OA made for 1st edition but we never got it. Turmoils in TSR prevented that. I think I saw that in a dragon magazine or in questions during a GenCon but I am not sure. It's been a long time. 1st OA was mainly Japan with a bit of other culture mixted in. Since we never got the second book, I believe that the 3ed one was what the final product should or would've looked if we had the chance to get it. Hell is paved with good intentions as we say in French. Had we had the second book, OA might have been seen in a better light.

 

[DnD Warlord]

ROFL having an opinion about a dreadful book which was intentionally designed to be provocative and was extremely lame is "gatekeeping" now? Pull the other one mate, it's got bells on. So, no, it ain't. You may wish it was, but a book that's designed to troll like that, and it absolutely, consciously, openly was designed to troll, is fair game for criticism, and I'm entitled to take a dim view of people who financially support such trolling.

I still use my copy...I did in 4e and now in 5e. Same with my 3 party book of erotic fantasy.

I feel sorry for people who can not find the good in these products...

The idea of vesharin the idea of vile damage both stand out as great ideas

 

[Jharet]

I like how they can't even spell the name of the game correctly in their disclaimer. In the words of Jerry Lawler, it's about as genuine as a get well card from the undertaker.

 

[VelvetViolet]

Oh please. You're gonna have to start citing this kind of stuff. Do you even know how long goblins have been around in folklore? And the literally thousands of various representations of them over the past several few hundred years? You're going to argue the real reason people dislike them is because they resemble Jews, despite every culture all over the globe has variations of goblins? I guess it was a global conspiracy from Asia to Europe, from Africa to South America, to get together and agree that the reason they came up with goblins in their lore was to create antisemitic caricatures before most of these cultures even knew Jewish people existed.

These threads are becoming an exchange of poisonous perceptions.

Google “goblins antisemitic” if you don’t believe me. Here are some choice links:

Space Jews - TV Tropes

The Space Jew is an alien, monster, animal, or other nonhuman creature that embodies stereotypical aspects of a real-world racial, ethnic, or religious stereotype, whether Jewish, black, Asian, white, or whatever. Sometimes this trope is played …

tvtropes.org

Goblins are not inherently antisemitic, but certain depictions were influenced by antisemitic stereotypes. E.g. in Cornish folklore, knockers (a goblin) are literally the ghosts of Jews. I only ask that we be conscientious that our fiction is never created in a vacuum.