D&D (2024) One D&D Permanently Removes The Term 'Race'

In line with many other tabletop roleplaying games, such as Pathfinder or Level Up, One D&D is removing the term 'race'. Where Pathfinder uses 'Ancestry' and Level Up uses 'Heritage', One D&D will be using 'Species'.

Moving On From 'Race' in the 2024 Core Rulebooks

We understand "race" is a problematic term that has had prejudiced links between real world people and the fantasy peoples of D&D worlds.

www.dndbeyond.com

In a blog post, WotC announced that "We have made the decision to move on from using the term "race" everywhere in One D&D, and we do not intend to return to that term."

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I've never heard a single person I play with object to the term, "race" in the context of D&D. That said, it doesn't matter to me either way, so I have no objection to WotC's use of the term, "species".

Yeah, let’s argue about the merits of crits not doubling smites! My fiend pact of the blade warlock takes exception!

 

[Bagpuss]

Sure.

OR...

The writers of the material CAN change what they write if they wish to do so, and you as the recipient of said material just have to deal with it.

I think you are missing my point. People are getting worked up over the history of these races, that is never going to go away.

It doesn’t matter what they write today, as they can’t change the origin of these races. They could get rid of the problematic races altogether, but that is very unlikely to happen.

They could completely change the races to unrecognisable, also unlikely but even if they did the history is there.

Also races like goblins and orcs fill a role in fantasy so even if they remove them completely something will fill that role and some folks will then start associating them with the same stereotypes.

 

[Dire Bare]

Only they aren't, unless you try and make them to be. Which is the problem, not "bioessentialism" between species that have clear physical attribute differences. Stop equating fantasy species to different human ethnicities, the issue goes away. The different human ethnicities are ALL already represented in fantasy RPGs by the Human race species and they don't have different stat mods (well unless you are playing Birthright 2nd Ed AD&D).

No. Ignoring the issue because it makes you uncomfortable doesn't make it go away.

Each specific fantasy race isn't a one-to-one stand-in for a specific real world ethnicity . . . usually. But as whole, fantasy/sci-fi races very much are stand-ins for the differences between real world peoples. That's the basis of the entire problem, describing "orcs" in the same way European colonialists have described indigenous peoples, for just one example. If you can't see it . . . . after all of the discussions here on ENWorld on the topic . . . . there's no point in engaging on the issue further.

 

[codo]

That that's your view is absolutely fine. But you've provided no evidence to support it, and I'm at least moderately familiar with the history of RPGs and their designers, and an awful lot of them has pretty heinous ideas in the early days (Gygax being a great example - positively quoting a guy who was calling for the genocide of the Native Americans, for example). The early D&D crowd seems to have been moderately conservative, if anything, and wasn't seemingly particularly open to "off-beat" people who weren't like themselves. I'm not saying they were all bigots but I'm not seeing the "inclusive zeitgeist" you're claiming.

Its even worse then you make it sound. The quote Gary Gygax was using to explain why it is Morally Good is murder defenseless orc children, was literally the words a racist genocidal child murderer officially used to justify his genocide. Colonel John Chivington was the commanding officer of the American troops at the Sand Creek Massacre where the U.S. army murdered, tortured and mutilated the bodies of 133 peaceful, defenseless Cheyenne Indians, 105 of them women and children.

But sure, there is no history of ingrained racism in D&D, and there is absolutely no correlation between orcs and other monstrous races and real world minority groups.

 

[Incenjucar]

As I've said before, "race" was a squicky word to use even in the 90s. By at least 2E, things were starting to improve here and there, but it's hard to scrape off all the bad parts of a legacy, and backward steps happen.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

The origin of the problem is not old…it’s timeless.

Archetypes found in all cultures have imagined monsters and enemies at the gates. When we play in myth, we revisit those tales and experiences of being run down by Huns and wolves.

It’s even worse than you make it sound. The quote Gary Gygax was using to explain why it is Morally Good is murder defenseless orc children, was literally the words a racist genocidal child murderer officially used to justify his genocide. Colonel John Chivington was the commanding officer of the American troops at the Sand Creek Massacre where the U.S. army murdered, tortured and mutilated the bodies of 133 peaceful, defenseless Cheyenne Indians, 105 of them women and children.

But sure, there is no history of ingrained racism in D&D, and there is absolutely no correlation between orcs and other monstrous races and real world minority groups.

i get tearful when I see those “save a puppy commercials and people hurting children makes me want to puke.

But i am still going to put orcs to the sword.

The correlation is as noted. We have myths and archetypes and some of them get mapped onto real world people. Undoing that is a noble and good thing.

It’s why we need to separate the myth from reality. No whole group of people is bad. But if there were evil vampires, I would be pretty ready to dispatch any of them I could.

And with that I will respectfully unfollow the thread. I know where this all leads. But happy gaming whatever your flavor of fun

 

[Incenjucar]

Xenophobia is not a universal perspective. For me, Huns are probably bloodlines in my family and wolves are creatures to admire. Vampires can fight their curse, beholders can adore a pet goldfish, dragons can be generous, finding a way to stop a war without putting armies in a grave is an option, and the orphans of evil ambushers deserve sympathy and protection.

 

[Vaalingrade]

If species works—-and folks realize monsters are not supposed to be real world groups (as I had always held) I will happily make the change. Whatever it takes to just get back to playing.

Here we go again.

The fact that someone fictionalized racism doesn't make the trop, language or attitudes presented not racist, especially if they're using elements from real world people who are marginalized by those tropes, language usages or attitudes.

Saying 'but it's fiction' does not thing but desperately try to mock people's feelings and experiences and absolve bad actors accidental or intentional.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I think you are missing my point. People are getting worked up over the history of these races, that is never going to go away.

It doesn’t matter what they write today, as they can’t change the origin of these races. They could get rid of the problematic races altogether, but that is very unlikely to happen.

Then what IS your point? I don't think I've gotten it then. From what I've gathered from your posts (and admittedly perhaps I could be misunderstanding what you've been saying)... it's that because people will remember how these races were portrayed in the past, then there's no reason to change the portrayal now. We shouldn't bother. Even though the game wants to change the portrayal of orcs, since we can remember how orcs used to be portrayed back in the '70s then there's no reason to do so. Is that what you mean?

If it is... then that is rather... silly. Cause last I checked... Japan isn't looked at as an enemy of the USA even though they used to be back in World War II. Their portrayal has changed and we all have gone along with it without any problem.

 

[Vaalingrade]

People should never improve. We used to run deer to death for our food. Anyone going to the grocery store, or even using a bow on a deer is just wrong and going against history.