WotC WotC's Chris Perkins On D&D's Inclusivity Processes Going Forward

Over on D&D Beyond, WotC's Chris Perkins has written a blog entry about how the company's processes have been changed to improve the way the D&D studio deals with harmful content and inclusivity. This follows recent issues with racist content in Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, and involves working with external cultural consultants.

The studio’s new process mandates that every word, illustration, and map must be reviewed by multiple outside cultural consultants prior to publication.

Leveling Up Our Creative Process: Learnings From Spelljammer

In this blog post, I'll talk about how we in the D&D Studio are changing our review process following the problematic content that appeared in Spell...

www.dndbeyond.com

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

@Umbran can I be thread banned as well. Removes temptation of debating on this thread, increases my happiness and those here.

Not trying to make a statement with this, just seems best after reflection.

Click the Unwatch button at the top of the page and then you won't get notifications for the thread unless someone likes a comment or quotes you. But then, even if you are banned from the thread, you will still see those anyway. And Unwatching vs Banning means you can at least pop back in and refute a comment, if someone massively misrepresents you.

 

[R_J_K75]

Thats a lot of errata for 192 pages. They may want to consider hiring some better game designers, proofreaders and editors while theyre at it.

 

[Hussar]

How many people need to be offended before WotC must change something? Again in regards to the Satan Panic people.
And how can this number even be determined? Twitter noise?

But you are ignoring context.

The satanic panic people were not offended because of things being said about them.

 

[Hussar]

The question is about the content. Should I believe that content is racially offensive in That situation or not.

What difference does it make? Why is your belief required in any way?

 

[Vaalingrade]

After some thought on this...

It isn't my or anyone else's job to educate those who say they want to be educated but then insist it's all lies or hyperbole, and we should certainly not be giving attention and engagement to those who would tear down any attempts at progress by throwing their words and reputation into its wheels here.

Don't mistake what I'm saying: bigotry, hatred and all the tactics used to bolster it should be confronted, shouted down and mocked without mercy.

But.

Not here. Not on a thread where the forces of kindness and consideration got a win. We should ignore them and not let them score points to run back to their ilk to strut in hollow victory. We should celebrate that positive change has been done, stand guard for backslides or signs of cynical manipulation, and by that consign all this bad action and insults and insinuations will eventually (hopefully sooner than later) to be silenced under the sands of time.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Some times something may be offensive for somebody, but not for other of the same community or country, maybe because this has got a different point of view about the History.

I guess Hasbro is a megacorporation with enough experencie to avoid those political land-mines. It has got contacts with Japan (the fact is Power Rangers and Transformers are franchises with Japanese roots). I read something has been tried in China, and I unknow how is the South-Korean market. But I see Hasbro really is interested into the Japanese market, and the manganime industry as source of IPs.

And the far-east Asian market is affected by the epidemic, more in China with their very strict rules about quarenten. And let's pray because if something happens with Taiwan, then China will be a serious taboo in the entertaiment industry.

I am afraid today for the current standars "The Mask of the Red Death" could cause troubles in DMGuild, because some publishers could use Historical characters for the plot, with antagonist roles, or showing some taboo moments of the History, for example California, 1850, after of the Mexican cession. A group of vampire-hunts has to face now the arrival of lodges of vampires arriving from the East after the war between Mexico and USA. Or in the plot the heroes need the Rose of Guadalupe, or holy water from the source of Lourdes, to defeat the vampire lord.

I imagine WotC is interested into an updated version of Kara-Tur and al-Qadim, but adapted to the current generations but now allowing "crunch" being published in DMGuild is enough.

 

[MichaelSomething]

If you find WOTC too "woke" for your liking, I heard there's a new version of Star Frontiers coming out.

 

[Morrus]

How many people need to be offended before WotC must change something? Again in regards to the Satan Panic people.
And how can this number even be determined? Twitter noise?

I know there is little point saying this to you, but some other readers will see it.

Of course, it's not about number of Twitter users. It is about something being pointed out and realising that changing it is the right thing to do, and choosing to make that change. It's simply about being decent. The fact that people on social media needed to point it out first is unfortunate (and the reason for this new process) and catching things before they happen is better, but once it has been pointed out, the right thing to do is address it, not dig your heels in and shout "WAH WAH YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" That’s what a toddler does.

It's a choice. Everything is always a choice.

 

[AnotherGuy]

At this point though, it seems like they just can't stop hitting the 'slave' button without an adult in the room. No matter the risk, every book with a new race or monster HAS to have slaves. I feel that's the underlying issue we're up against here.

Slavery makes perfect sense.
It is not hard to imagine different groups of species meeting, conflict arises for whatever reason, then one tries to dominate the other if possible. Some are more accustomed to making slaves due to their powers (Mindflayers) others use brute force (Drow, Giant, Orc).

 

[Remathilis]

However, I will say that if the polish people are still somehow as discriminated against in the modern world as Black people, a fantasy country echoing historical excuses for that discrimination would be as messed up as the Hadozee.

Hi. Polish-American here.

Poles have had some historic levels of discrimination and misinformation in the last 100 years. They have been viewed as stupid, backwards, technology illiterate rural bumpkins, the Appalachia of Europe. Germany invaded it in WW2 and used it as a dress rehearsal for the Holocaust. Being locked behind the Iron Curtain did it no favors as it was disliked by Western Europe and by Russia. Even as recently as Brexit, people were telling Polish immigrants that "Brexit meant that you have to go home." Even today, dumb P*lock jokes are still considered ok to tell in certain circles.

This is not to compare to the historical treatment of Africans, merely to point out that lots of people face discrimination that you might not think. Which is why we need to support each other rather than determine who is worthy of grievance and who isn't. (This isn't aimed at you).