D&D (2024) How did I miss this about the Half races/ancestries

[Vael]

I'm mixed race, and Half-Elf is my favourite lineage, I think I've played more Half-Elves than any other option. They are integral to Eberron, so I'll still be using them and playing them. I don't play Half-Orcs mainly because I prefer spellcasters, but I would. Again, especially in Eberron, where I'd make only Orcs and Half-Orcs eligible for House Tharashk.

 

[Remathilis]

But that is an actual slur. And it never seems to have any positive connotations in my life. Whereas "I am half black" or "I am half white" or "I am half black and half white" all can just be descriptors of what a person's background is.

But that's the issue. Some people view it as a slur, but others have reclaimed it as a point of identity. And I think the terms half elf and half orc can have the same kind of inclination. Half orc especially, since older orc lore didn't paint them in a particularly flattering light, but even half-elves were forced into the "doesn't fit in either world" and "is looked down on by its parent race." Both of those stories are interesting to explore, but in most games, that IS the story of their species. I don't know how you fix that. But I assure you I'm not the first or last person who can see a connection between that slur and the name and story of both those races.

 

[Bedrockgames]

But that's the issue. Some people view it as a slur, but others have reclaimed it as a point of identity.

My point is 'halfbreed" is a slur, while "half-white", "half-black", etc are not slurs. Yes the slur can be reclaimed as many slurs are, but that is a whole different conversation than whether using the word half to describe a racial or ethnic background is a problem.

And I think the terms half elf and half orc can have the same kind of inclination. Half orc especially, since older orc lore didn't paint them in a particularly flattering light, but even half-elves were forced into the "doesn't fit in either world" and "is looked down on by its parent race."

In the case of half-orcs this is where the disconnection from real world races is important. Orcs were traditionally an evil or warlike race in the game, and so being half orc, carried that connotation (though most players I saw take on the role of half-orcs led to much more nuanced understanding of orcs themselves). Like I said, this is a trope that inherently increases empathy rather than decreases it.

Both of those stories are interesting to explore, but in most games, that IS the story of their species. I don't know how you fix that.

It is a very common trope for the half-orc to be a bit like Worf from Star Trek because that is a fun character to play, but it is hardly the only one. If you play half-orcs enough, you may start there, but I assure you, you will get bored and explore different approaches. And the half-elf definitely tends to get used as the 'I am between two worlds and not fully accepted by either" trope. But like I said before that is a trope that resonates with a lot of people and has been in the genre for a reason. And eventually people move onto other types of half elven characters or half orc characters.

But I assure you I'm not the first or last person who can see a connection between that slur and the name and story of both those races.

This seems like a very big reach to me

 

[Faolyn]

May be the game doesn't need 50 gajillilon race options.

Settings don't need 50 gajillion species. But it's good that the game itself has those options.

 

[Hussar]

I think this a very unfair characterization. I have no doubt there are people for whom this doesn’t impact their interest in a negative way. But I also have seen plenty of posts, and had a large number of table conversations, where this is an issue for people. In short, I do think I am expressing a point of view that other people share. I wouldn’t presume into know how widespread the view is, as I haven’t taken a survey, but my instinct based on reading forums, social media and interacting with gamer friends, is it isn’t an insignificant number of people

Now I could very well be wrong. But I am not simply pretending that my ideas are shared by others. I could flip that on you as well. Maybe you are wrong about this; have you considered that possibility?

No, you can't flip this on me actually. Nowhere have I stated that my feelings are anything but my own. Nowhere have I tried to claim that my point of view is held by anyone but myself.

So, no, it's not unfair. It's a pretty common practice to pretend that your "instinct" that it "isn't an insignificant number of people" in no way passes the sniff test.

 

[Hussar]

And in my opinion, ceding the ground that the term half is itself a problem, opens that door in a bad way and can even lead down the very dark road of seeing things like interracial relationships, inter cultural relationships as something bad.

Nope.

Just nope.

"Half" is racist. It flat out is. Mixed heritage? I'd get behind that - it's accurate, non-inflamatory and actually reflects the reality of people. Very, very few people are "half" anything. Most people have mixed heritages. "Half" is a derogatory term, right now.

 

[Hussar]

WotC's decisions were/are based in fear. I wasn't talking about you at all.

And you know this how? I know that my decisions are based on what I view as trying to show empathy to people who actually do struggle with this on a daily basis. But, apparently, when WotC does it, they're afraid of someone?

 

[Bedrockgames]

Nope.

Just nope.

"Half" is racist. It flat out is. Mixed heritage? I'd get behind that - it's accurate, non-inflamatory and actually reflects the reality of people. Very, very few people are "half" anything. Most people have mixed heritages. "Half" is a derogatory term, right now.

That simply isn’t true

 

[Bedrockgames]

"Half" is racist. It flat out is. Mixed heritage? I'd get behind that - it's accurate, non-inflamatory and actually reflects the reality of people. Very, very few people are "half" anything. Most people have mixed heritages. "Half" is a derogatory term, right now.

Plenty of people, people who are 50% one thing and 50% another for example, are half of each. The expression "I'm half Italian" or "I am half black" is not uncommon at all and it isn't meant as a racist or bad thing.

 

[Bedrockgames]

So, no, it's not unfair. It's a pretty common practice to pretend that your "instinct" that it "isn't an insignificant number of people" in no way passes the sniff test.

Saying this is what I am seeing and hearing, and I think there are a lot of people who think X, is a fair thing to do in these kinds of conversations. You are free to disagree with my sense of what the climate is, but everyone here is free to describe where they think things are. There isn't anything nefarious about nor is it a cheap rhetorical tactic.