D&D General Greyhawk Humanocentricism?

[billd91]

I can't help but to wonder. When the fans of the setting are so reticent to add modern elements to the setting, the problem may as well be the setting itself.

For some people, they want it to be the same Greyhawk it was when they first played in the setting. And if that was before dragonborn, I don’t find it odd they might be reluctant to add them to their personal Greyhawk. And there’s nothing really wrong with that any more than adding stuff.

 

[Zeromaru X]

For some people, they want it to be the same Greyhawk it was when they first played in the setting. And if that was before dragonborn, I don’t find it odd they might be reluctant to add them to their personal Greyhawk. And there’s nothing really wrong with that any more than adding stuff.

There is nothing wrong when you do that for your games, that is right. It becomes wrong when you try to impose that idea on others, however.

 

[Pauln6]

Well if they put a dragonborn nation in where a human nation used to be that would ruin it for me. If they expand the map and add one then that would be fine.

The Celestial Kingdom is an ideal place to put dragonborn. I just introduced them as part of Resbin Dren's elite bodyguard from Zahind. It's not hard to feature the 'non-standard' heritages, it's just hard to feature them as anything more that a small or isolated group or population from the Far West.

 

[Remathilis]

Well if they put a dragonborn nation in where a human nation used to be that would ruin it for me. If they expand the map and add one then that would be fine.

They aren't. They are going to have dragonborn, aasimar and tieflings live amongst the humans, elves and dwarves of the "quote" human "unquote" nations. Death to the monospecies nation.

 

[Micah Sweet]

They aren't. They are going to have dragonborn, aasimar and tieflings live amongst the humans, elves and dwarves of the "quote" human "unquote" nations. Death to the monospecies nation.

Nothing wrong with it conceptually, but I really wonder why seemingly every setting has to have every community be fully integrated and cosmopolitan? It doesn't make sense to be from a worldbuilding perspective to operate that way across the board.

 

[Epic Meepo]

There is nothing wrong when you do that for your games, that is right. It becomes wrong when you try to impose that idea on others, however.

I haven't seen anyone telling people what species to include in their home games. As far as I can tell, publishing Greyhawk with X major species isn't imposing any idea on others, no matter what value one picks for X.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Nothing wrong with it conceptually, but I really wonder why seemingly every setting has to have every community be fully integrated and cosmopolitan? It doesn't make sense to be from a worldbuilding perspective to operate that way across the board.

well considering not so long ago in recent years it was being said it doesn't make sense that bar the token melting pot hub city every other major settlement seemed to be monoculture settlements...

 

[Parmandur]

I can't help but to wonder. When the fans of the setting are so reticent to add modern elements to the setting, the problem may as well be the setting itself.

Nah, fans online can easily be ignored in favor of the text itself.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Nothing wrong with it conceptually, but I really wonder why seemingly every setting has to have every community be fully integrated and cosmopolitan? It doesn't make sense to be from a worldbuilding perspective to operate that way across the board.

Most are not.

 

[Remathilis]

Nothing wrong with it conceptually, but I really wonder why seemingly every setting has to have every community be fully integrated and cosmopolitan? It doesn't make sense to be from a worldbuilding perspective to operate that way across the board.

So I'm going to preference this with a huge IMHO.

It's just easier that way. The average D&D party is cosmopolitan. It's probably a good thing to say that represents society in large rather than being the exception. It's not like conflicts can't still happen; nationalism doesn't need to see race in order to function. Furyondy doesn't need to be overwhelmingly human to war with the Empire of Iuz.

Moreover, most species historically didn't have their own monospecies nations. There is no halfling nation or gnome nation and nobody questioned where they lived or how integrated they were in other lands. If they can just live amongst human nations, I don't see why dragonborn or goliaths can't.

Lastly, and on a personal note, the real world is so full of division based on race, gender, religion and lifestyle that it's mildly refreshing to imagine a world where that doesn't matter as much. I'm kinda over characters being hated for being born an orc, tiefling or drow by society writ large. Let hatred be a personal, rather than societal ill for a change.