D&D 5E WotC to increase releases per year?

see said:

Which is why I favored having the authors be people from the real-world analogs. If Kozakura and Wa are rewritten by Japanese people, while Shou Lung and T'u Lung are rewritten by Chinese people, well, whose culture would those authors be appropriating, exactly?

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Yeah, but there's a difference between "Japanese person" and "Japanese person who has actually studied their culture's history."

Faolyn said:

Yeah, but there's a difference between "Japanese person" and "Japanese person who has actually studied their culture's history."

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I think there is an expectation that WotC not only hires people from the subject culture, but also people who have experience writing for that culture. I am forgetting names right now, but the credits for the Ravenloft book for example have folks who are accredited writers, known for fantasy works of diverse cultures.

Reynard said:

I am interested in where playing characters of those ethnicities sits in the current climate. Is is cultural appropriation or "yellow face" for Caucasian and Western players to play ethnically Asian characters? Would it be considered acceptable if a Caucasian member of Critical Role, for example, created a played a character that was identifiably of African descent? Does it matter whether it is at home at a con, or on a stream? I honestly don't know the answer to the question, and as a middle class, white, straight identified American male, I am not sure I am qualified to answer.

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Considering a lot of those streamed games have players who "dress the part" for the game sessions, I would certainly hope there was not someone stupid enough to play a human character of a different race and make themselves look like that race.

Enevhar Aldarion said:

Considering a lot of those streamed games have players who "dress the part" for the game sessions, I would certainly hope there was not someone stupid enough to play a human character of a different race and make themselves look like that race.

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You mean like


I mean, this was on Community and was played for laughs, but still.

Oofta said:

You mean like
View attachment 133638

I mean, this was on Community and was played for laughs, but still.

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The people that freaked out about this episode really failed to get the joke.

Reynard said:

The people that freaked out about this episode really failed to get the joke.

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It made sense in context of the show and the character, but if you just saw the image without further reference? I can see why it freaked some people out.

Reynard said:

I am interested in where playing characters of those ethnicities sits in the current climate. Is is cultural appropriation or "yellow face" for Caucasian and Western players to play ethnically Asian characters? Would it be considered acceptable if a Caucasian member of Critical Role, for example, created a played a character that was identifiably of African descent? Does it matter whether it is at home at a con, or on a stream? I honestly don't know the answer to the question, and as a middle class, white, straight identified American male, I am not sure I am qualified to answer.

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This question implies that there is a monolithic "current climate" by which all games abide by. In the end, it comes down to the specific gaming group - what the agreements are, even if unspoken.

I know that if I joined a group and was told that I could only play characters of the same skin color/gender/whathaveyou as myself, I'd probably turn around and walk out the door. Part of the fun of playing D&D is that you get to play make-believe - you get to be someone that you are not. Call me weird. And such a restrictive policy would say a lot about the folks involved. Probably not a good time.

On the other hand, if I joined a group where players were making mockeries and stereotyping ethnicities other than their own, I'd also find the door and quietly let myself out. Not my thing.

But if we go down this path of "You can only play people that look like you," consider how absurd this could get. Tomb of Annihilation takes place in Chult, which is the closest thing to Africa in the FR. Should non-African players be barred from playing Chultians? How far do we want to take this? If anything, playing make-believe of an ethnicity or gender other than your own gives you the opportunity to imagine into it, to humanize it.

Hasbro doesn't want to avoid trouble, also it wants to have got the best relation with the different Asian markets. Transformers franchise has got Japanese roots, and Newerwinter Online is by a Chinese videogame company. I don't know possible contacts between Hasbro and Korea. Hasbro wants WotC to produce their own xuanhuan (Chinese fantasy) franchises. My suggestion is to create PC races and these to be added to the SRD. Then authors could use these for their own titles of manga/manhua/manhwa, even free webcomics, and this means free indirect adverstinsing. And Dreamscarred Press should be hired as outsource company to publish an updated version of the martial adepts, but with a simple mechanic for faster combats. The martial adepts, also with the psionic manifester classes, also in the SRD.

A person with good sense doesn't shame to ask advice, but also the Asians should understand this xuanhuan D&D line may be a great opportunity to promote their own IPs in the Western market. But I warn maybe Taiwan and continental China have got different limits about censorship, for example about undead monsters or queer characters.

I just want a more "starter" style boxes to help onboard fans. I don't need them (but if I like the story I may get them) but Stranger Things and Rick&Morty helped bring friends into the game.

I expect one for the movie and could even so one for the major video game properties. Also, get them into Costco please.

bedir than said:

I just want a more "starter" style boxes to help onboard fans. I don't need them (but if I like the story I may get them) but Stranger Things and Rick&Morty helped bring friends into the game.

I expect one for the movie and could even so one for the major video game properties. Also, get them into Costco please.

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I think a themed or branded boxed starter/essentials set every year or two could work. Think of all the themed Clue and Monopoly versions out there - if they can do Rick & Morty D&D, they can do anything!