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

[Scribe]

Everyone gasped in horror at dwarven wizards and halfling barbarians, but now those concepts are wildly accepted.

 

[Alzrius]

Now you’re getting the point. Why is being a misfit or experiencing bigotry only called out for the half races?

Why specifically those races?

Because the same people who object to the term "half" also strenuously objected to any mention of bigotry, being a misfit, etc. in the presentation for drow, orcs, tieflings, or similar races.

 

[MGibster]

"Half"-anything just isn't going to fly with the sensitivity readers. I have a friend who is getting her autobiographical memoirs published and her editors are having her change every instance with the word "half" because it is considered a slur even though she is referring to herself in those terms and a big part of the book is about her growing up as a combination of Jewish and African ancestry. They also had her remove words that were actual slurs that she included as being directed at her growing up because they might be considered triggering and get a content warning which might keep it out of certain libraries. Publishers are very careful with this stuff these days.

There's a Maya Angelou poem where she lists the many racial slurs used to describe her over the years. Good thing the sensitive readers going over your friends manuscript weren't around back then. Sensitivty readers should not interfere with an author telling their truth. They have no business telling your friend how she should self-identify or make her change how she self-identifies. If I had the nerve to tell someone how they should self-identify I'd expect them to give me the finger and tell me to piss off. Hell, triggering? This is madness. Sometimes the real world is ugly and authors should be able to write about it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Now you’re getting the point. Why is being a misfit or experiencing bigotry only called out for the half races?

Why specifically those races?

I imagine because it's an established, though regrettable, situation throughout history and today. It's also a strong character and or narrative point, used in countless pieces of fiction, straight up to and including the new D&D movie I referenced above.

Like I said, you want to say that any heritage may be discriminated against by another in some settings? I'm all for it. I just don't want the idea to be suppressed, or hidden away because it's uncomfortable in real life.

 

[Hussar]

Because the same people who object to the term "half" also strenuously objected to any mention of bigotry, being a misfit, etc. in the presentation for drow, orcs, tieflings, or similar races.

Wait what?

I’m not following. Are you saying that people who object to the term half are the ones who wrote the phb?

 

[Hussar]

I imagine because it's an established, though regrettable, situation throughout history and today. It's also a strong character and or narrative point, used in countless pieces of fiction, straight up to and including the new D&D movie I referenced above.

Like I said, you want to say that any heritage may be discriminated against by another in some settings? I'm all for it. I just don't want the idea to be suppressed, or hidden away because it's uncomfortable in real life.

So it’s a good idea to specifically target only the mixed races as targets for in game racism?

Or would it be better to leave that up to individual tables? Which is what saying any race could be subjected to racism.

 

[Scribe]

Like I said, you want to say that any heritage may be discriminated against by another in some settings? I'm all for it. I just don't want the idea to be suppressed, or hidden away because it's uncomfortable in real life.

Just look at how Tiefling was described in the packet. Says it all really.

Wait what?

I’m not following. Are you saying that people who object to the term half are the ones who wrote the phb?

No, its a pattern of complaint/outcry/whatever, over the last several years, regarding how Tieflings, Orcs, Drow, have historically been portrayed, and how its not ok to have 'evil races'.

If there was a venn diagram of those who find 'half' an issue, and those who find 'Orcs/Drow are evil' an issue, there would likely be significant overlap.

 

[Hussar]

Just look at how Tiefling was described in the packet. Says it all really.



No, its a pattern of complaint/outcry/whatever, over the last several years, regarding how Tieflings, Orcs, Drow, have historically been portrayed, and how its not ok to have 'evil races'.

If there was a venn diagram of those who find 'half' an issue, and those who find 'Orcs/Drow are evil' an issue, there would likely be significant overlap.

Sure. I’ll buy that. They’re all pretty much the same issue really. Game descriptions and mechanics that very strongly mirror real world bigotry and racism. Of course they’re likely seen as similar problems.

But @Alzerious’s reply did not match my question. My question was why are only half races the ones described as misfits and subject to racism?

 

[Alzrius]

Wait what?

I’m not following. Are you saying that people who object to the term half are the ones who wrote the phb?

I'm having a very hard time understanding your question. Are you saying that the people who've expressed moral outrage over things they don't like in D&D haven't influenced recent decisions on WotC's part to have large amounts of lore for monsters and PC races completely removed?

 

[Scribe]

My question was why are only half races the ones described as misfits and subject to racism?

I guess there's a disconnect here.

Why that may be the state today (pre updates) is because the prior examples (Orcs/Drow) have been retconned already, and Half Elf/Orc, simply have not yet had their time in the sun to be turned into nothing but glowing examples of heroism, like the packet update proposed for Tiefling, or the Orc entry in MotM.