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

[Faolyn]

It can be, if it makes sense for that setting. Plenty of fiction works that way. But sure, it could just as easily be any heritage. I just think that there's good narrative in having to deal with racial prejudice, and removing the concept entirely from the game books is unnecessary.

So why should a setting-specific prejudice be part of the core game?

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

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.

Being referred to as "Half," may be considered an acceptable colloquialism by some mixed folks who "reclaimed" it or were raised to not be offended by it, but it is considered very rude, triggering, and racist by many others.

But using the term "Half" is just a social colloquialism that is usually technically inaccurate. "Half" has a definition. Specifically, 1/2 or 50%. You may indeed receive 50% of your genes from each of your parents, but they themselves may not have been 100% each, and the percentages of DNA you received from ancestors at the grandparent level and further back are not necessarily neatly divided in two with each generation.

I would assert that it does not translate to 50% of "race," and therefore it should not count as "half" of species in the magical world of D&D (at least not in a majority for it to be the social norm.) In fact I highly doubt the many folks who have mixed heritage actually fit that 50% definition, mainly because prior generations have a variety of the their own mixtures.

That is why I support the terminology "Mixed" over "Half," and would be mostly OK with Wizard's first suggestion that it is mostly cosmetic (we humans are pretty hung up on cosmetics, though).

However I would LIKE to see "[species]" having 2 or 3 bullet point abilities that can be swapped in or out for variety, and having a "Mixed" Heritage or Lineage rule that explains how to do it.

In fact here is a suggestion:

• Every "[Species]" gets 2 major traits and 2 minor traits. (Or 3 and 3 if the design space warrants it, but every species would be designed in the exact same format.)
  • This is easily represented by bullet points. I am also ok with some abilities being better/more useful than others (like a gnome's Gnomish Cunning vs. Darkvision) and being the most commonly chosen options by players. Those choices can reinforce positive stereotypical choices that create a baseline for people's expectations if that is what they want. But it does not negate variation.
• If you choose a Mixed Heritage, select two "[Species]" that represent your most prominent heritages, and you may swap out 2 traits between those two "[Species]." You may only swap major traits for major traits, or minor traits for minor traits. For the purposes of creature subtype, the character is considered both, for good or ill.
  • (DDB could list the "[Species]" on the character sheet as "Mixed (Elf and Human)" or "Mixed (Dragonborn and Tabaxi)"
• The player can mix the cosmetics of those heritages as they wish, and in-game, can call their Heritage or Lineage whatever they want.
  • For instance, in Eberron, those with mixed elf and human heritage often call themselves "Khoravar", and in Krynn a ranger born of conflicting cultures may struggle in either and call himself "Half-Elven" to reclaim it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

So why should a setting-specific prejudice be part of the core game?

I'm saying it should be included as a heritage characterization possibility in the core game. The PH has to have  something to describe what being a dwarf or a tiefling or an orc, or a character of mixed heritage is actually like, and I don't think it should be entirely heroic and positive and cosmopolitan.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Would the term "Mixed" work better? My character is a Mixed Heritage Elf/Human? Yeah it's a tad longer than just Half-Elf but there ya go.

Name: Arnor Thistleknot
Heritage: Mixed Orc/Halfling (how did that work?)
Class: Wizard

 

[Bedrockgames]

Being referred to as "Half," may be considered an acceptable colloquialism by some mixed folks who "reclaimed" it or were raised to not be offended by it, but it is considered very rude, triggering, and racist by many others.

I really don't think this is as widespread or true as people believe. I don't consider it a slur at all. I don't think most people do (at least in the US). Where I am from people say half all the time, and it has no negative connotations. That said I get it can be used in a negative way (another poster mentioned if you employed a demeaning tone while saying it, certainly it would be bad). But saying someone is half Irish or half black or half black and half white here, is just a descriptor. Now it isn't something you would apply to someone without knowing them, because you don't know a person's background just by looking at them and people get to tell you what they are.

Now I have heard that half caste is a slur in places. But that is very different from saying someone is half-Irish. Especially in a place like the states where people are often very proud of their ethnic, racial and cultural heritage from other parts of the world.

 

[Bedrockgames]

... is considered very rude, triggering, and racist by many others.

I always think we should be compassionate, understanding, and not pass judgement on people over superficial things like skin tone. And I think racism deserves condemnation. But I think we have to be honest here, there has been a whole industry created in the pursuit of finding 'triggering and offensive' content in media, and it doesn't seem to be improving anything at all. It is just creating a process whereby books and other media get censored by self appointed sensitivity consultants. Half would be a strong case in point I think. I do get there may be places where has different connotations, or there may be people who individually are troubled by it. But I think broadly it is a perfectly acceptable term and people understand what you mean when it is used. With a lot of these things I think people are taking things with them into the intrepretaion that isn't necessarily there.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Would the term "Mixed" work better? My character is a Mixed Heritage Elf/Human? Yeah it's a tad longer than just Half-Elf but there ya go.

Name: Arnor Thistleknot
Heritage: Mixed Orc/Halfling (how did that work?)
Class: Wizard

Honestly, yeah.

The issue with 'half' just in terms of terminology is because human is considered the norm to the point that you don't even need to say because obviously. Also, letting you be of mixed heritage with more than just humans.

Still need to get rid of the 'everyone is racist toward them' crap, but that needs to be cleared up on way more than the multi-species heritage creatures.

 

[Incenjucar]

Some terms have no correct usage and are purely contextual. I had a roommate who called me "dog". To him, it was a term of friendship and affiliation. To some people, it would be an insult requiring violent response. To me it was just "yuck, I'm not a fan of dogs". At the same time, my best friend and I will affectionately use the "female dog" term in regards to each other.

The trick is to err against offense because distress sucks to experience.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

I really don't think this is as widespread or true as people believe. I don't consider it a slur at all. I don't think most people do (at least in the US). Where I am from people say half all the time, and it has no negative connotations. That said I get it can be used in a negative way (another poster mentioned if you employed a demeaning tone while saying it, certainly it would be bad). But saying someone is half Irish or half black or half black and half white here, is just a descriptor. Now it isn't something you would apply to someone without knowing them, because you don't know a person's background just by looking at them and people get to tell you what they are.

Now I have heard that half caste is a slur in places. But that is very different from saying someone is half-Irish. Especially in a place like the states where people are often very proud of their ethnic, racial and cultural heritage from other parts of the world.

I understand that many people don't mind the term "Half". But anecdotally, it seems to me that many are offended by the term "Half". But how many are offended by the term "Mixed"? Anecdotally, IMHO, I think "Mixed" is less offensive to more people and would be a more inclusive word to use in the official rules of a game sold globally, than using the word "Half." For me it's not about telling you you're wrong. It's about inclusive design for a fantasy game.

People can embrace whatever name for a race they want in their home games. That is a personal choice. D&D wants to be the least offensive possible to the largest audience. And I accept that. I think that this does not go over the line. No one is being erased because different humanoid species being able to interbreed because "magic" has nothing to do with real life humans mixing within their own species. D&D can make fantasy rules that are inclusive because there is no real-world precedent limiting them. Fictional fantasy can transcend real life limitations, expectations, and experiences.

 

[Blue Orange]

One of the things I'm realizing is as the number of cultures your work is disseminated to increases, the greater the chance some term that's harmless in your home region is going to be offensive somewhere else. I'm sure there are places where 'mixed' is worse than 'half'.

That and a lot of folktales around the world revolve around beating up or driving off the invaders from the region/country next door. But now the people in that region/country are reading those folktales.