D&D 5E D&D's Inclusivity Language Alterations In Core Rules

In recent months, WotC has altered some of the text found in the original 5th Edition core rulebooks to accommodate D&D's ongoing move towards inclusivity. Many of these changes are reflected on D&D Beyond already--mainly small terminology alterations in descriptive text, rather than rules changes.

Teos Abadia (also known as Alphastream) has compiled a list of these changes. I've posted a very abbreviated, paraphrased version below, but please do check out his site for the full list and context.

• Savage foes changed to brutal, merciless, or ruthless.
• Barbarian hordes changed to invading hordes.
• References to civilized people and places removed.
• Madness or insanity removed or changed to other words like chaos.
• Usage of orcs as evil foes changed to other words like raiders.
• Terms like dim-witted and other synonyms of low intelligence raced with words like incurious.
• Language alterations surrounding gender.
• Fat removed or changed to big.
• Use of terms referring to slavery reduced or altered.
• Use of dark when referring to evil changed to words like vile or dangerous.

This is by no means the full list, and much more context can be found on Alphastream's blog post.

 

[Corinnguard]

In one setting I created, most non human races were fey of some sort, and I made goblins and gnomes the same "species" but goblins were those whose mischievousness turned to malevolence.

Since the Goblinoids in 5e were given the Fey Ancestry trait, I had an idea where the Elves and the Gnomes were the Seelie and the Goblinoids were the Unseelie. I had the latter not being evil. The Seelie simply had a better public relations department than the the Unseelie.

 

[Aldarc]

Like comic book superheroes, D&D is a primarily American art form that aggrandizes American mythic values: great man theory, bootstrappery, peace through superior weaponry and good old fashioned reliance on violence as a problem solver. This infected Old West Dime novels, too, which is why we sometimes think of those things as the same. But Americanism is older than that and continues to this day, and will continue on in perpetuity. Even when we try and expand the subjects of our art, we end up as often as not with Shaft.

I've been told that he can dig it.

Thanks, Warcraft.

Thanks, Blizzard developer Bill Roper, who did the funny voices for the orc units in Warcraft 2 (also WC1 and WC3). Supposedly fans had such a positive reaction to these orc quotes that Chris Metzen decided to give orcs a redemption arc with an orcish protagonist in the unfinished/unreleased Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans adventure game. The game would have focused on the wandering adventures of an orc called Thrall who rediscovered his orcish heritage and unite the orc clans. Although the game was scrapped, Blizzard published a book with a modified version of the story: also titled Lord of the Clans (2001) by Christie Golden, which preceded the 2002 release of Warcraft 3, which continued the story of the orcs' redemption arc.

Edit: This is not to mention the release of Eberron in 2004. I've heard the Orsimer/Orcs from the Elder Scrolls series also are influential, but I'm not well versed in the IP timeline or media to tell you anything about how their depictions line up with everything.

 

[Morrus]

Please, that detail about maidens of pure heart and unicorns can be easily retconected. Who is going to feel unconfortable and why?

Are we going to cancel the 1953 Looney Tunes cartoon "Bully for Bugs" because this is about bullfighting?

And who says when any thing is "cultural apropiation"?

Would be the title "Savage Species" allowed for the current standars? (I love that sourcebook even when it was not 3.5 yet)

And the changes in the languanges shouldn't be forced or dictated by the powers what control the main media because then we may be suffering the "newspeak" from George Orwell's "1984". Don't allow others using the languange to controll. This should be about promoting positive ethical values as the respect for the human dignity and the good sense.

We are free citizens. We shouldn't obey new rules without a right explanation about because these are just and necessary.

As I said to somebody early these are no “rules” dictating your speech. This is something you’re making up. Nobody is controlling your language. This ridiculous assertion is becoming tiresome. If you can’t make your argument without making things up, you clearly have no argument.

 

[Corinnguard]

True! Species/races are no longer always evil, always good, always profecient in a bow, always thieves, always noble, etc

Cultures are cultures, not races

Subraces in 5e became Cultures in Level Up. Which was a neat thing to do because a player could now be a member of a particular heritage, and be raised in a completely different Culture unrelated to the former. Ex. Discworld's Captain Carrot, a Human raised by Dwarves.

 

[Morrus]

Oh come on, really? You know that's not what I think, that's absurd, come on.

You literally said exactly that.

We now appear to be in the bizarre position where you’re claiming WotC has said/done things they haven’t, while simultaneously denying you yourself have said things which are literally right there in black and white.

It’s like being in Bizarro World or something. Everything is backwards.

 

[The Soloist]

Regarding the word savage, should the Savage Worlds RPG change its name?

 

[Staffan]

Regarding the word savage, should the Savage Worlds RPG change its name?

I think there's a difference between describing people as savage, and describing things as savage. To me, "savage" implies some level of being like an animal, and applying that to people is not ideal – especially not to groups of people.

 

[Staffan]

Subraces in 5e became Cultures in Level Up. Which was a neat thing to do because a player could now be a member of a particular heritage, and be raised in a completely different Culture unrelated to the former. Ex. Discworld's Captain Carrot, a Human raised by Dwarves.

"Brought up as a dwarf, and then further up as a human."

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Well, unless one wants to write for them, and-or sell anything through their various outlets, and not have it edited.

They're the big fish in the pond, their rules do carry some weight whether we all like it or not.

Maybe. But in the same vein, they are the ones with the most responsibility to watch their OWN language.

They maybe have to be a bit more politically correct than small publishers.

 

[Corinnguard]

"Brought up as a dwarf, and then further up as a human."

Well he was proficient in using Dwarven Bread as a weapon.