D&D 5E Are humanoid mono-cultures being replaced with the Rule of Three?

[Weiley31]

I prefer my Orcs grey and green.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Or Drow Combat Umbrellas.

Don't mock umbrellas as self-defense weapons both Edward William Barton-Wright the inventor of the English Mixed Martial Art Batitsu, and Wong Fei-Hung a master of the Hung Ga fighting style, both independently invented fighting styles using umbrellas around the same time.

 

[Weiley31]

Don't mock umbrellas as self-defense weapons both Edward William Barton-Wright the inventor of the English Mixed Martial Art Batitsu, and Wong Fei-Hung a master of the Hung Ga fighting style, both independently invented fighting styles using umbrellas around the same time.

Oh I'm not: I fully believe in having the non Underdark Drow in my 5E games using Combat Umbrellas as a legitimate weapons choice. It's just too awesome not to have happen AND it helps them with their Sunlight Sensitivity.

 

[Reynard]

I prefer my Orcs grey and green.

The irony in this thread of people dividing orcs up by color to designate which ones can be safely slaughtered is both delicious ad hilarious.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

The pattern of Eberron Goblins?
-The Ghaaldar and their nation of Darguun and it's founder Lhesh Haruuc, somewhat resembles to me the nation of Modern Day Zimbabwe (which has nothing to do with the old Great Zimbabwe) and it's founder Robert Mugabe, much in the same way other places in Eberron might resemble France or Post-WWI Germany. But they might be the closest to typical Goblins in D&D.
-The Heirs of Dhakaan are a hidden people from the fallen Dhakaani empire who have little with the outside world, and seem to mostly be a threat to Darguun.
-City Goblins who live in Human cities, resemble marginalized minorities. There closer to Humans culturally, even if they often are members of the underclass.

There are also the Droaam goblins, which used to be just the lackeys and occasional food of larger, more powerful creatures, but are now supporters of the new rulers of Droaam because of the changes to most of their lives that they have made.

Eberron has something like five different cultures of elves, not counting the three or so Drow cultures, or that (like almost all races) a Kharrnathi elf is probably culturally distinct from a Brelish elf.

There are something like seven different orc cultures in Eberron.

- So I think that you are right in the sense that 5e is moving towards more cultural differentiation, and less based on race/subrace.
However, I don't necessarily think that it will always break down as a pattern of three.

 

[jgsugden]

The 90's to 10's 'heores are bad, being a hero is worse' trend is one of the reasons a lot of people got real sick of comics and the related events though.

This is how we got Civil War. No one wants that.

You know, except for the major MCU movie from a few years ago. This is still relevant and widely engaging storytelling.

 

[MGibster]

Also it's sort of puzzling how the Scottish stereotype has stuck to Dwarves, even though Tolkien's Dwarves were very much based on Jewish people.

I blame World of Warcraft. I tend to make the dwarves German.

 

[jgsugden]

That kind of exploration definitely requires player buy in from the beginning. That is not something that is okay to spring on players as a surprise. You need consent from players to ask them to grapple with the fallout from an unintentional mass murder. I am surprised it is even a discussion given how quick folks are to throw up yellow cards about other play elements.

As to "real world" good vs evil: this seems like absolutely not the place to discuss such a fraught, nuanced subject.

I agree that all threads of a campaign should be discussed with players before you start the game, with the understanding that some things may come up via play that require further discussion. However, the PCs know the story they're in, and we don't need to pause the game to ask permission for things that are obvious implications of their actions.

To address your mass murder example: If the PCs get in an argument in a tavern and then proceed to kill their 6 foes with 13 bystanders killed in a fireball thr PC wizard launches, I disagree with the notion that a DM should - by default - not address that situation in the story. I also disagree that the DM should stop the game to ask the players if he can address it. There should be a story response to the situation if this is to be a role playing game where players run characters in a story - because if there isn't, there is no story. If there is no story, the PCs are not characters in a story, and if they are not running characters in a story, it is not a role playing game - just a strategy game likeDescent or Gloomhaven.

I also vehemently disagree that addressing the "real world" concerns via D&D is wrong. D&D is a role playing game. Characters play roles in stories, and those stories can take any form the group wishes to tackle. Explorations of real world morality are a backbone of fiction, especially science fiction and fantasy. Morality has been at the heart of most of the great D&D games I've played.

 

[MGibster]

You know, except for the major MCU movie from a few years ago. This is still relevant and widely engaging storytelling.

The comic book version of Civil War was pretty bad. What with Mr. Fantastic supporting gulags and all.

 

[Democratus]

I blame World of Warcraft. I tend to make the dwarves German.

With my skill in accents - they are pretty much the same.