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."

 

[Mercurius]

To do intellectual somersaults in order to saturate a setting with racism: this is a worthless fight to fight for.

Thankfully that's not what I'm doing.

Also, see Thermian Argument.

I had to look this up, but not sure what you're driving at.

 

[Yaarel]

Thankfully that's not what I'm doing.

I had to look this up, but not sure what you're driving at.

I am unable to give a clear example without being highly insulting toward some reallife group.



Your comment suggested it is ok to have a racist stereotype in a certain fantasy setting, because there, there is no genetics.

So the "gods" or whatever made this racist stereotype a fact.

The fantasy explanation is still a story that reinforces reallife racist stereotypes.

 

[Argyle King]

Robots. That is an interesting question. It invites multiple challenges that are relevant to our century now.

So far, there is no such thing as a conscious computer. So there is no deep ethical dilemma. But future technologies might figure out how to imbue consciousness.

At a time when we should be figuring out how to program AI to behave compassionately, we are more often training AI to autonomously kill humans in warfare.

Very true

Also, in the context of D&D, there are 'constructs' with varying levels of consciousness.

Modrons are an example, as are Warforged.

 

[Remathilis]

Let me ask you: If WotC publishes a Dark Sun setting book, will you take issue if slavery is involved? (assuming that they don't glorify it, which I don't think they ever have). Where is the line for you, as to what is and is not appropriate for a WotC product to depict? Are you OK with simply not buying a book that you don't like the subject matter of, or must every book fit your criteria for what is acceptable (as a "family friendly game")?

Let me begin with: this is my interpretation of things. I speak for no group larger than one.

Forced servitude existed for centuries prior to what we think of as "slavery" existed. It existed in a lot of different forms and still exists today if you take a look at any modern prison system. While i think we can all agree it's never a good thing, it becomes problematic when two aspects get emphasized:

The economy of a given area is built around it. This was the big issue with Absalom; they gave prices in the book like they were another type of equipment. Further, Absalom isn't an overtly evil city; it's supposed to be a home base for PCs like the City of Greyhawk or Baldur's Gate.

It focuses on a particular type of person, such as racial or gender. Muls being a slave race or hadozee the descendants of a race bred to be servants brings up all manner of uncomfortable topics, while a group of pirates pressing a captured crew into service has less uncomfortable implications. The pirates are evil, they are doing an evil thing, and most of society frowns on it. That is a far cry from the kind of institutionalized slavery that was common in Dark Sun or among ALL drow or ALL githyanki.

If it's was up to me, I'd limit slavery in Dark Sun to very specific groups or areas, rather than as a systematic element. Maybe a certain Dragon King uses captured slaves as workers or gladiators, but their entire City State isn't built on an economy of slaves and slave owners, especially if the latter are not considered "evil" but just participating in their society.

 

[Yaarel]

Very true

Also, in the context of D&D, there are 'constructs' with varying levels of consciousness.

Modrons are an example, as are Warforged.

I also think Elementals can stand-in for AI and robots, with various degrees of consciousness or sapience.

AI creates a weird disconnect between consciousness and sapience. For example, animals are conscious (and can feel pain) but lack sapience. Oppositely, AI lacks consciousness (no one is there to feel any pain), but can be sapient in the sense of discerning information.

But Elementals can cover all of this. Some Elementals are conscious without sapience. Some Elementals are more like nonconscious constructs. But other Elementals are humanlike beings.

 

[codo]

If it's was up to me, I'd limit slavery in Dark Sun to very specific groups or areas, rather than as a systematic element. Maybe a certain Dragon King uses captured slaves as workers or gladiators, but their entire City State isn't built on an economy of slaves and slave owners, especially if the latter are not considered "evil" but just participating in their society.

When you get down to it, when you have a authoritarian, totalitarian country ruled by an incredibility powerful immortal god-king do you really need slavery?

 

[Vaalingrade]

When you get down to it, when you have a authoritarian, totalitarian country ruled by an incredibility powerful immortal god-king do you really need slavery?

I mean it is the dominant form of economy by population in the D&D world.

 

[Remathilis]

When you get down to it, when you have a authoritarian, totalitarian country ruled by an incredibility powerful immortal god-king do you really need slavery?

Potato potahto.

My point is you can have forced servitude exist as an evil act without the need to use all the slave tropes of the colonial era.

 

[codo]

Potato potahto.

My point is you can have forced servitude exist as an evil act without the need to use all the slave tropes of the colonial era.

Sorry I was trying to agree with you. I need to stop trying to be so clever and snarky when discussing serious issues. It is to easy for tone to be misinterpreted when writing.

You can still tell all the same type of stories and explore the same troupes without the baggage of colonial era slavery.

 

[Olrox17]

Isn’t Dark Sun inspired by ancient civilizations, like the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians and possibly the Romans? I don’t really see the colonial era connection, ancient civilizations had plenty of brutality and injustice on their own, no need for colonial parallels.