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

[Sacrosanct]

I appreciate your insights, but game mechanics don't reflect truth because they don't capture real world physics or biology. They are designed mechanisms based on design preferences, not truth.

Here are many rules that don't reflect real world science, or the game just flat out ignores when convenient:
Ability Scores
Light
Vision
Hearing
Jumping
Swimming
Encumbrance
Armor Class
Hit Points
Species interbreeding
Gravity
Falling
Flying
Burrowing (30 feet in 6 seconds?)
Time (and what can be done in 6 seconds, to start)
... and that nowhere near an exhaustive list.

It is all made up pseudoscience at best. So if someone is designing the physics of a fantasy universe, design them in a way that makes it fun and inclusive. Let exclusionary preferences live in home games.

certainly I have no idea what you're talking about...(me circa 1981: "2-handed swords don't weigh 25 pounds!!!")

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

played few of those. Always a caster in those campaigns.

I am a glutton for punishment and would play a caster in such a campaign. Blaze of glory if it came to it.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Not that I'm interested in caps on Strength for women charaters, but I do require some realistic physical limitations simply for versimilitude. Of course what people are willing to handwave for rule-of-cool varies from person to person. Me? I really, really hate the surfboard style swords that became popular a few years back. The Pathfinder iconic Barbarian has one of those and I can't tell you how much I hate, hate, hate it. I can accept a flying dragon that has no business being able to fly, but I just can't accept that stupid sword.

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Oh god yep I hate the stupidly oversized weapons trope which constantly goes around. People keep telling me to get monster hunter, but I look at it and see some guy swinging a sword 3 times as big as himself and I'm like "no thanks"

 

[Bedrockgames]

played few of those. Always a caster in those campaigns.

The European witch craze was one of my favorite periods to read about so it often makes it’s way into my campaigns

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Is that intended to excuse or the sexism (or racism, or whatever-ism), and/or get people to ignore it?

Because... I don't think it'll have that effect. Attempts to excuse such usually go over like a lead balloon around here, and get ugly.

Folks may want to remember the inclusivity policy as they continue in this discussion.

I think it's to point out that there may not BE any sexism, or whateverism.

If I were playing in a game based on The Power (TV series), there would be nothing sexist about the GM refusing to give The Power to me unless I play as a female. It's just part of the worldbuilding conceit. If I play a game based on Julian May's Galactic Mileu, and the GM says that human operants are less common but potentially stronger than Simbari operants (and weaker on average than Lylmik), that isn't racist either.

Sometimes a spade is just a spade.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I messed up mentioning a polymorphic species. It's derailed the entire thread into several pages of dnd gender strength cap discussion.

 

[Incenjucar]

I admit I can be more petty than that regarding this subject. I could absolutely see myself joining such a game to tease out if the DM had a problem with my character, placing a mirror in front of them to see if they see what I see. I would dare them to double down and reveal their true preferences. I can always block someone's number. But I can fight absurdity with absurdity. Everyone who posts on a message board has a little troll in them that can be inflamed. This topic is one of my hot spots.

I've had too many friends directly affected and physically harmed by intolerance and the various isms to really find it a source of amusement. Fantasy can be a place to explore complicated and unpleasant things but the default needs to be open so such exploration is strictly voluntary.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Oh god yep I hate the stupidly oversized weapons trope which constantly goes around. People keep telling me to get monster hunter, but I look at it and see some guy swinging a sword 3 times as big as himself and I'm like "no thanks"

It’s about genre I think and how it’s done for me. There is a character who loses an arm in the condor heroes series and trains with a large heavy sword (I may be confusing show and book depictions here), which he eventually learns to use to deadly effect. I think that works. But it might not fit a campaign meant to be more rooted in historical realism

 

[Horwath]

certainly I have no idea what you're talking about...(me circa 1981: "2-handed swords don't weigh 25 pounds!!!")

2014:
pike 18lb
maul 10lb
greatclub 10bl
heavy crossbow 18lb, does it come with a bipod?
scimitar 3lb, light?!?!

 

[Alzrius]

Is that intended to excuse or the sexism (or racism, or whatever-ism), and/or get people to ignore it?

Because... I don't think it'll have that effect.

"I should be able to play whatever sort of character I want" is simply an idea, one which does not inherently contain virtue unto itself. "The game doesn't abet this particular character that you have in mind" is likewise just a design principle, and doesn't automatically run afoul of moral fault ("whatever-ism") if you don't like the options that are so disallowed.

Of course, some people will just wave that away as an excuse as you've done here, but as has been pointed out before, judging the character of other people based on their creative enterprises is a "you" issue, not a "them" issue.

EDIT: When I replied to this, it wasn't in red text, as the quote above demonstrates.