D&D (2024) Half Race Appreciation Society: Half Elf most popular race choice in BG3

[Micah Sweet]

Eberron, for all its progressive takes on D&D with regards to alignment and removing Tolkienisms, was at the same time attempting to emulate pulp novels that were rife with some bad takes like that. They weren't aiming for terrible optics, they just wanted to do Temple of Doom with drow elves in a giant's temple. But in the end, replacing dark skinned humans with dark skinned elves didn't quite hit the note they thought they were hitting. (It's the kind of tone-deafness that has become a hallmark of their design philosophy.).

They have made some strides in the subsequent years to improve the image of the drow in Xen'drik, notably moving them away from the headhunter/Cannibal Holocaust vibes they originally had. Which is good, but it is a reminder that even Eberron has some facepalming design moments scattered throughout its run.

The lesson here seems to be: Temple of Doom is bad, no one should ever tell that story, and anyone who likes it is bad too.

At least, that's what social media looks to be telling me.

 

[Scribe]

The lesson here seems to be: Temple of Doom is bad, no one should ever tell that story, and anyone who likes it is bad too.

At least, that's what social media looks to be telling me.

Temple of Doom just needs a "Diverse set of Cultists from various social, class, gender and ethnic groups while also showing those same groups is a positive light." then its fine.

 

[Remathilis]

The lesson here seems to be: Temple of Doom is bad, no one should ever tell that story, and anyone who likes it is bad too.

At least, that's what social media looks to be telling me.

I think you can do Indiana Jones (or Doc Savage, or Allan Quartermain, etc) but you gotta have a lot more nuance than those stories provided. It mirrors the problem with racial alignment/culture: you are painting a large group of people with a very broad brush. Temple of Doom in specific is mostly about a deranged cult and could be told focusing on how this Cult has perverted the teachings of Kali rather than be indicative of normal worship and you could probably get away with it. (I will profess its nots my favorite Indy film so it's been a long time since I saw it; I might be forgetting elements).

It comes back to the orc problem: don't make everyone living in the jungle savage and cannibalistic. Even the drow of Xen'drik have been increasingly bent away from that trope with additional groups of drow not acting like classic drow in loincloths with scorpion tail spears. The old stories can be told IF you're willing to put the work in to making sure they aren't repeating discredited tropes.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

I love Eberron, but considering they gave them the stereotypical "black skinned headhunter tribes from darkest Africa" as their culture, it's not much of an improvement.

That's...fair, I suppose.

Stripped of any and all possible nuance, but at its core, that is not a wholly inaccurate way to look at it, especially in regards to the Vulkoori.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That's...fair, I suppose.

Stripped of any and all possible nuance, but at its core, that is not a wholly inaccurate way to look at it, especially in regards to the Vulkoori.

Nuance doesn't sell books.

 

[bedir than]

Nuance doesn't sell books.

Shades of grey stories are selling quite well on tv, movies, comic books, bookstores.
Nuance is hard.
But it sells and gets rated really well.

It's the bland stories that build off stereotypes that aren't selling

 

[Micah Sweet]

Shades of grey stories are selling quite well on tv, movies, comic books, bookstores.
Nuance is hard.
But it sells and gets rated really well.

It's the bland stories that build off stereotypes that aren't selling

Tell me about the nuance of WotC 5e.

I'll wait.

 

[bedir than]

Tell me about the nuance of WotC 5e.

I'll wait.

oh, sure. that's easy.

Orcs aren't all evil. Drow aren't all evil. Goblins aren't all evil. High elves aren't all snooty. Dwarves aren't all scottish drunks. Paladins aren't all lawful good and are powered by the power of their oath rather than a god.
5e allows a much wider variety of stories than the socially backwards versions of the game did.

 

[Scribe]

oh, sure. that's easy.

Orcs aren't all evil. Drow aren't all evil. Goblins aren't all evil. High elves aren't all snooty. Dwarves aren't all scottish drunks. Paladins aren't all lawful good and are powered by the power of their oath rather than a god.
5e allows a much wider variety of stories than the socially backwards versions of the game did.

There is nothing nuanced about that. Nothing subtle, or thought provoking.

"You can be anything, but we are mostly going to tell you how whatever you pick is mostly, probably, Good and Heroic."

If anything post Tashas 5e has lost nuance.

 

[Remathilis]

That's...fair, I suppose.

Stripped of any and all possible nuance, but at its core, that is not a wholly inaccurate way to look at it, especially in regards to the Vulkoori.

And as I said, they've done a lot to curve that look, especially in Keith's writings. I don't know how much of that was his idea, but he has done as much as possible to shift correct or expand up on that without invalidating it. But on a marco-level, it was a bad call to begin with.