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

 

[Minigiant]

Another problem is that we don't always recognize the origins of ideas and images. Take Aunt Jemima as an example. As a child, Aunt Jemima was just a nice lady who wanted to serve me delicious buttery pancakes and maple syrup. It wasn't until I was an adult became aware of the use of African American imagery as domestic servants for white families in advertising.

This hit D&D because it's not a young game and many f the inspirations for it are even older. So it easy for many to miss the the origins of inspirations that were created well before they were in its target demographic.

Especially when D&D was decdes old before writers and companies cared about inclusion.

 

[Bill Zebub]

In my defense, I wouldn't have done that at all, but Needles called me a chicken and I needed to prove him wrong.

Management material right there.

 

[MGibster]

Right. And it wasn't that long ago that Aunt Jemima was depicted as a stereotypical "mammy".

When I was a kid, Aunt Jemima's image was very much of the stereotypical mammy, it wasn't until the late 80s or early 90s that they updated her image. And that's what I'm getting at, when I was a kid, pouring maple "flavored" syrup over my pancakes, I was completely unaware of the cultural context that gave birth to that image. Images from the past often don't have the same meanings to a modern audience because we're don't have the life experience that brought us those stereotypes. And there are other examples. Most of us don't see the Wicked Witch of the West and connect the traditional image of a witch to anti-Semitism or clowns to country bumpkins.

When Aunt Jemima went the way of the dodo bird, there were some people who were upset. For most of them, I suspect they simply thought of Aunt Jemima like I had, as a sweet, sweet woman who just wanted to fill their bellies with the fluffiest pancakes. Maybe they're upset because a piece of their childhood is tainted? And of course we can't ignore the anti-woke brigade who will complain about such things. (I have good memories of Aunt Jemima, but even if I didn't know her history, I'll be Goddamned before I put any energy into being upset at the loss of a corporate mascot.)

So to bring this 'round to gaming. A lot of people get upset because these kinds of complaints taint the memories of their younger days. We hear the criticism that WotC's efforts are insulting to the original creators of the game material, and, I suppose by extension, that must mean it's insulting to old school gamers as well. I don't personally feel that way. There are a lot of things I enjoyed when I was younger that had what the hip kids of today call "problematic" elements. Cyberpunk 2020 is a great game, but the implication from the rules is that an amputee with an artificial leg had a drop in their Humanity level. In Cyberpunk Red produced nearly thirty years later, an artificial limb designed to restore normal functions has no Humanity loss. Mike Pondsmith and the folks at R. Talsorian Games are not the same people they were in 1991. The fact that they changed that aspect of cyberware doesn't mean R. Talsorian was saying they were bad people in 1991, it's just that we've all changed. And that's not a bad thing.

I still think a lot of people are trying to come to grips with balancing their desire to be respectful of people while enjoying things from their past that have problematic elements today. (To be fair, some people aren't trying to be respectful at all.)

 

[Hussar]

And, just to add to that @MGibster - I think there are a number of people who simply don't understand the issue. Not that they disagree or agree, but, they simply cannot understand why this is a problem. Not that they lack empathy or some essential character or whatnot, but, because they are so far removed from the issue, they just cannot see it at all.

It's like when someone complains about there being black halflings in the new Amazon series. It has nothing to do with hating black poeple or anything like that because I truly believe that they don't. But, the priorities are very different. Being "true" to Tolkien is more important than being diverse. Since Tolkien didn't have black halflings, then the Amazon show shouldn't.

And, of course, since the argument always edges closer and closer to calling these people who believe that racist - even though it's not really a race issue in their mind - if you made Hobbits blue, they'd be just as upset - then the whole conversation just goes up in flames because both sides are not actually speaking the same language, if you see what I mean.

It's an incredibly difficult thing to balance- having an open conversation about why these changes are being made, without making it sound like an attack on someone who doesn't think these changes should be made.

But, hopefully and, in my heart of hearts I am an optimist and I do believe this, if we keep having these conversations and keep trying to engage, even when we get infuriated, even when that particular engagement goes horribly sideways and you lose friends, it will result in this sort of thing getting better.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

It's like when someone complains about there being black halflings in the new Amazon series. It has nothing to do with hating black poeple or anything like that because I truly believe that they don't. But, the priorities are very different. Being "true" to Tolkien is more important than being diverse. Since Tolkien didn't have black halflings, then the Amazon show shouldn't.

I disagree. I do think that a lot of the people that were pushing back against black hobbits were motivated by racism, whether they know it or not. Certainly not all of the people claiming to be "Tolkien purists" are lying or inherently acting in bad faith, but I think that the last few years have shown that the vast majority of people that complain about these kinds of minor changes or additions of inclusivity are actually bigots.

Look at all of the people that review bomb or harass the casts of diverse shows/movies before they even come out (Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel, that Ghostbusters movie). Almost every time any diverse piece of media (animation, live action TV, movies, TTRPG books, video games) comes out, people accuse it of being "woke" and attack it. And I certainly saw that happening with the Rings of Power.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

With the time and experencie we learn to do the things better, and then we realises the mistakes from the past.

Hasbro wants D&D to be a family-friendly brand, even the last edition of Ravenloft has been published avoiding to be too grimm.

I advice to recover ethical values as the good sense and the respect for the human dignity.

I suspect 2023 will be a year of "satanic panic", but we shouldn't worry about D&D, nor even for World of Darkness. Before the target would be videogames, or Hollywood. Fandom can explain with the right DMs the TTRPGs can be totally family-friendly and Christian-friendly... or X-friendly as you wanted.

For a better feeling and good vibes we don't need only respect and dignity for everybody, but also mutual trust, but this can't be demmanded, but everybody has to make an effort to earn it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I disagree. I do think that a lot of the people that were pushing back against black hobbits were motivated by racism, whether they know it or not. Certainly not all of the people claiming to be "Tolkien purists" are lying or inherently acting in bad faith, but I think that the last few years have shown that the vast majority of people that complain about these kinds of minor changes or additions of inclusivity are actually bigots.

Look at all of the people that review bomb or harass the casts of diverse shows/movies before they even come out (Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel, that Ghostbusters movie). Almost every time any diverse piece of media (animation, live action TV, movies, TTRPG books, video games) comes out, people accuse it of being "woke" and attack it. And I certainly saw that happening with the Rings of Power.

I'm sorry, but I have to ask: there are people who don't review bomb or harass the casts of these shows and movies, yet nonetheless have complaints. Are all of those people bigots too?

 

[Zardnaar]

I used to be the 3rd in line for my branch's safety meeting and I been in more that one "Employees cannot race or play chicken with forklift" meetings. More than once. And 2 other people have to be absent for me to required to join the monthly meeting.

At a different workplace in a major corporation , my job is at least 25% harder because oversight that should happen doesn't happen.

My family bonds over work related facepalming.

So a book missing the sensitivity readers, I totally see it.

Heh at a worksite after Friday drinks they set up a forklift race track in warehouse.

Drunk forklift racing.

 

[Echohawk]

I'm sorry, but I have to ask: there are people who don't review bomb or harass the casts of these shows and movies, yet nonetheless have complaints. Are all of those people bigots too?

I don't intend to speak on @Levistus's_Leviathan 's behalf, but right there in what you quoted it says "the vast majority of people that complain [...] are actually bigots". I assume that if the intention was to say "all the people that complain are bigots" then that's what would have been written.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I don't intend to speak on @Levistus's_Leviathan 's behalf, but right there in what you quoted it says "the vast majority of people that complain [...] are actually bigots". I assume that if the intention was to say "all the people that complain are bigots" then that's what would have been written.

Ok, I misspoke. Are the vast majority of the people I described above bigots?