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.

 

[Morrus]

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

That's up to them. Nothing to do with how WotC decides it wants to use the word.

I think it's important to reiterate--again--that WotC has not told anybody what to do. They have just written some stuff the way they want to write it. They have the freedom to write things how they want, just like you do.

 

[Morrus]

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

What do you mean by selling through their outlets and not having it edited? Are they editing DMs Guild products? What outlets are you referring to?

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

There are no rules. Where are these rules? They're just writing something how they want to write it, just like you are right now.

I feel like the opposite is actually true. They are exercising their right to express themselves how they want to, and people are yelling at them and telling them they can't. Who is oppressing who, exactly, here? Who is telling who what they should or should not write? (It's not WotC).

 

[The Soloist]

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.

That makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Mecheon]

Thanks, Warcraft.

In this day and age, more people care about Warcraft and its various parts than anything, except Tolkein, from the original Appendix N. D&D swiped heaps of its creatures from pop culture, why wouldn't it pay attention to how pop culture handles orcs and goblins? Warcraft affected how pop culture views them far more than D&D ever did

Times change, and between WC3 and WoW it kind of was a market dominating set of games. Like, there is a decrease in TTRPG and MtG sales during the 2000s that is directly in corellation with World of Warcraft happening

 

[Crimson Longinus]

In this day and age, more people care about Warcraft and its various parts than anything, except Tolkein, from the original Appendix N. D&D swiped heaps of its creatures from pop culture, why wouldn't it pay attention to how pop culture handles orcs and goblins? Warcraft affected how pop culture views them far more than D&D ever did

Times change, and between WC3 and WoW it kind of was a market dominating set of games. Like, there is a decrease in TTRPG and MtG sales during the 2000s that is directly in corellation with World of Warcraft happening

Warcraft has its own serious issues with representation, but what it did to the perception of orcs was a great thing in my book.

 

[GothmogIV]

The changes WotC made don't hurt a soul, and are intended--I think--to recognize that as more and more people who differ from the original fan base (largely white, cismen) enter into the hobby, things that were taken for granted, or were considered 'normal,' need reconsideration. I have to admit that many of the things we've been talking about in this (long!) thread do not trouble me, personally...but that doesn't mean they are not troubling to others. So...why not change them? At @Morrus pointed out, the "Orcs Aren't Evil" police aren't knocking at anyone's door. We can all still play the way we like, whatever that way is. To be perfectly honest, my view on this topic has been broadened significantly from this discussion.

I am in the unusual position of playing TTRPGs for 42 years with largely the same group of friends. Our style of play is unique to us. I haven't had to think about any of this stuff because it's never come up in a game being played by 6 white guys in their 50s. To quote The Simpsons: my mind has been embiggened.

 

[Mecheon]

Warcraft has its own serious issues with representation, but that it did to the perception of orcs was a great thing in my book.

Oh absolutely, Warcraft's got problems. There's a reason Exploring Kalimdor is as uh... Regarded as it is

But, it shoved "Yeah orcs are just people" so hard into the cultural zeitgeist that it cannot be removed

 

[Bedrockgames]

Not a big fan of the language changes. I mean shifting from dim-witted, which is a perfectly valid way to describe an unintelligent creature to 'incurious', seems very odd to me. Madness and insanity are things from the real world, that make sense to have in a setting and game. And they are completely different from chaos. To me these kinds of changes just make the game more and more vanilla and dull

 

[Reynard]

In this day and age, more people care about Warcraft and its various parts than anything, except Tolkein, from the original Appendix N. D&D swiped heaps of its creatures from pop culture, why wouldn't it pay attention to how pop culture handles orcs and goblins? Warcraft affected how pop culture views them far more than D&D ever did

Times change, and between WC3 and WoW it kind of was a market dominating set of games. Like, there is a decrease in TTRPG and MtG sales during the 2000s that is directly in corellation with World of Warcraft happening

For clarity,I was making a joke about Warcraft's impact on orcs in D&D being more of a PC race as time went on.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I think this whole conversation is getting kind of overblown. WotC primarily is changing all their books because they want to update 5e and make it their evergreen version of D&D. While doing so, they are also updating the language where they see fit. This is pretty standard in the publishing business and has been happening for as long as books have been printed. It's not like WotC are tampering with the sacred texts of Shakespeare or something; they are updating their game manuals.

They aren't controlling peoples language but the article says they are updating the 2014 books (does this include the printed versions too?). While that is unfortunately becoming normal practice for a lot of publishers. It is also worth noting there has been tremendous push back on that idea. I think they can use whatever language they want in the current version (I still think the language they are using is pretty ridiculous but it isn't deceptive). The problem a lot of people have with making changes like this to older books, is it is misleading, it feels like it changes the public record, there is something a little censorious and even Orwellian when publishers do it on a large scale. Sure, no one is going to argue this is Shakespeare. But something ought not have to be Shakespeare or Shelley to be something we want preserved accurately. It also changes the work of people who originally made that. It is their legal right, as they own it. But it is like when they alter movies or novels. People are often very uncomfortable with this (and not because they think whatever got changed or removed was wholesome and good, but because it does feel like a form of censorship and altering the historical record). Now I am little unclear on what exactly these changes are in terms of the books. Like if I go to Amazon and buy the 2014 DMG and PHB, is it going to have changes from the versions I bought in 2014?