D&D General RA Salvatore Wants To Correct Drizzt’s Racist Tropes

In an interview with Polygon, the author talks about how the drow are currently being redefined in D&D, and how he wants to be part of that process.

”But on the other hand, if the drow are being portrayed as evil, that’s a trope that has to go away, be buried under the deepest pit, and never brought out again. I was unaware of that. I admit it. I was oblivious.

Drow are now split into (at least) three types — the familiar Udadrow of Menzoberranzan, the arctic-themed Aevendrow, and the jungle-themed Lorendrow. Salvatore's new novel, Starlight Enclave, helps to expand the drows' role in the narrative.

D&D’s Drizzt books were built on racist tropes. R.A. Salvatore wants to change that

‘If the drow are being portrayed as evil, that’s a trope that has to go away’

www.polygon.com

In 2020 WotC made a public statement about how they would be treating drow and orcs going forward -- "Throughout the 50-year history of D&D, some of the peoples in the game—orcs and drow being two of the prime examples—have been characterized as monstrous and evil, using descriptions that are painfully reminiscent of how real-world ethnic groups have been and continue to be denigrated. That’s just not right, and it’s not something we believe in. "

Commitment to Diversity | Dungeons & Dragons

D&D continues to be made as diverse as possible with the reminder that only a diverse group of adventurers can overcome obstacles.

dnd.wizards.com

 

[Weiley31]

I always thought the whole Curse of Ham thing was stupid. My explanation for why Drow were Jet-Black/Obsidian colored, as well as Blue, Purple, Grey, and the rare Albino was because of all that time being stuck down there in the Underdark. Then as the years happened, genetics/evolution took their effect and the Drow have the color range they have today.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Do you think, back in their own folklore, the natives of the African continent associate a dark skin color with evil, and a light skin color with good on a regular basis? When, as has been shown, jet-black skin is a natural tone there?

That is because different cultures/world regions have different meanings for the same colors. Like in China, where white is the color for funerals and death, and not black. Or red is the color for weddings, not white. That brings up another European thing. White is life and purity and black is death.

 

[lyle.spade]

I'm not avoiding your point, Lyle. I answered with my intention. That you don't "Get It" is not really relevant.

Trying to create a Strawman position that people "Think" drow are african americans when they're totally just imaginary elves, hur hur hur, is infantilizing. Continuing to create -further- arguments to ridiculousness about Hobbits and Giants is similarly fallacious and pointless.

Like seriously, Lyle. If you want to -actually- discuss this? Keep the Strawmen and Personal Attacks and Arguments to Absurdity in your mind rather than your fingertips. Because you're -very- clearly not coming into this with any sort of intent to have a reasonable discussion. Just dismissive and derisive rhetoric.

Please explain what you mean when you say "I answered with my intention." And if you are going to mention logical fallacies as a means of demonstrating that I am wrong, or that my argument is weak, please explain how you see those things at work in my responses instead of just stating them. It is not enough to throw out the name of a fallacy...you need to show that I've committed it.

 

[Charlaquin]

This is a consequentialist definition of racism. While I agree that the discussion of how various groups are affected by media tropes and the like is an important one as well, I have a problem with the use of the word racist as a blank slate equal definition to all actors involved. If one is going to make an assertion the any specific person is racist (and im not saying you or anyone else here did) Intent is crucial to establish. Keep in mind that when discussing racism, biases, prejudices, we are using powerful words that can have a profound affect on peoples lives.

Well, the assertion being made isn’t that any specific person is racist, so…

 

[Nefermandias]

Noooooooooooooope. It does not. Has -nothing- to do with that.

Humans started out black. All humans. That's not up for debate. Diurnal Black African Humans moved outward to other regions and different pigmentations became more or less useful based on relative distance from the equator. Plus, y'know, Sexual selection.

There's nothing in our biology that makes black skin and white skin, not just the absence of light creating darkness but specifically and explicitly black skin, "Evil" to us.

Hell. Romans didn't have prejudices against black people for the most part. Oh, they hated -everyone- who wasn't Roman. Called 'em Barbarians 'cause their language was "Bar bar bar bar bar" to the Romans. But once an area became part of Rome? Once a person became Roman? Skin tone didn't matter. Not even a white.

Black = Bad came out of wars against the Moors and the Crusades. It was at that point in time people started equating darkness of skin with wickedness or cruelty. When certain texts started getting translated from Latin to English and German it got so much worse. And then eventually the Slave Trade solidified the dehumanization of black peoples.

We shouldn't. But also they aren't there. And we mustn't give legitimacy to the idea that they are.

I wasn't talking about skin color at all. That's my whole point. I said we have a tendency to associate darkness with bad things because darkness really IS a bad thing. Especially when it hides things that could easily eat you.
Pretty much every single culture that have ever existed agrees that light = good.

 

[Weiley31]

As for the Drow being evil, well it's Lolth: they got so boned by Lolth that it wasn't funny and it isn't until now that things, as a whole for the Drow, especially with the discovery of the two new hidden factions of the culture, now emerging within the world.

 

[Charlaquin]

I am now waiting for the rage mob to come for Aliens...after all, the xenomorphs are portrayed as all evil....and that color! We ought to demand apologies from all involved.

Xenomorphs aren’t people, they’re an extremely unsubtle rape allegory.

 

[DemoMonkey]

If we are concerned that having a dark-skimmed imaginary race in our fantasy game leads to real life racism, we are basically proving that the "D&D is a satanic influence" people in the 80s were right.

Either people can separate fantasy from reality, in which case this argument is irrelevant, or people can't.

And if they can't, we might want to address the whole "murder other sapients and loot their corpses for shiny trinkets and power!" issue before we start worrying about the underground spider fetishists.

 

[dave2008]

Look, I have 3 and they are terrible.

Drow or children?

 

[Weiley31]

Drow or children?

Could be Drow Children.