D&D (2024) Comeliness and Representation in Recent DnD Art

[Charlaquin]

He is a reactionary to reactionaries, I guess.

I assume you are not using reactionary as a term your generation uses for my generation, but one who reacts, which is everyone on forums, Youtube, Twitter, etc. We are all reacting.

I’m using reactionary to mean “opposing political or social liberalization or reform.” Because that’s what the word means.

 

[Gradine]

He is a reactionary to reactionaries, I guess.

I assume you are not using reactionary as a term your generation uses for my generation, but one who reacts, which is everyone on forums, Youtube, Twitter, etc. We are all reacting.

Reactionary has a few different definitions, some of which are more applicable in this sense than others, but none of them are defined based on age.

 

[Charlaquin]

Huh?

So, how do you break escapism? The game has politics in it.

What I’m saying is, status-quo warriors often complain that the presence of politics in the game harms their ability to play the game as a form of escapism. Because “politics” (which is generally code for more diverse representation) is, they say, what they are trying to use the game as an escape from.

 

[MNblockhead]

WotC should generally be stopping at acknowledging a variety of relationships and moving on.

Noting that sometimes Elminster invites Drizzt over for cuddles is fine, but we don't need an adventure to find the magic shackle key that fell out the tower one night and got eaten by a passing wyvern.

Actually, that sounds like a fun adventure. I mean fade to black on the activities that led up to the magic shackle key being lost, but beyond that, a fun premise for a basic find-the-macguffin adventure.

See, not every adventure has to have the survival of the world at stake.

My main problem with such an adventure in 5e would be how many players would just short circuit the entire adventure by cutting off the shackled person's hand and casting greater restoration. Would certainly work best as a low level adventure.

Of course, not appropriate for WotC to publish given the wide age range they market to, but I'm not above stealing this idea and putting it in my campaign. Though, I'm running Warhammer Fantasy, so the couple the party is helping out of this "bind" (puerile chortle) would certainly turn out to be secret followers of Slaanesh.

 

[MNblockhead]

This is a very good point, not often raised. The modem idea of a muscle-bound warrior is not very realistic in itself. Bodybuilder muscle is very showy but not overly useful in practice. Much better to have more wiry strength like most pro athletes. But that complaint doesn't seem to apply to that end of the spectrum.

Yeah, that kind of body building is for show. Not that I would step up to any bodybuilder (I'm nebish ergonomic chair potato). But look at actual ancient depictions of warriors or at modern soldiers, marital artists, professional fighters, or weight lifters. They focus their body conditioning for specific purposes, none of which are to look awesome oiled up on a stage.

 

[MNblockhead]

When the D&D wheelchair came out, t

I remember this.

here was some adventure book that required wheelchair ramps in dungeons, publushed by WotC.

I don't remember that.

Google it. Apparently it has to do with Candlekeep Mysteries. Specifically the adventure "The Canopic Being", which was written by Jen Kretchmer. "As an ambulatory wheelchair user, Kretchmer says that is was important to her that her dungeon was a place that she could explore. As such, it’s filled with fantasy elevators (whether they functioned by pulley or by magic, she didn’t say), and ledges are accessible by ramps rather than by stairs." Jen Kretchmer Teases Her Candlekeep Mysteries Adventure: THE CANOPIC BEING

It's one adventure in a collection of one shots. There is nothing about it that detracts from the other adventures or from players playing this adventure with non-wheelchair bound characters. It was an interesting design choice for a one shot. Plenty of stairs in the other one-shots.

 

[MNblockhead]

The biggest question in modern gaming these days is who gets to choose the presented default.

Do we even need a default?

No. And there isn't a default. Different publishers will have different "defaults", but there is so much variety in TTRPG game mechanics and settings that I find it laughable that any feels like they are being forced into anything. Even if we go with WotC D&D there is a good amount of experimentation and diversity in official 5e settings and adventures. But they are not going to push the envelope too far. They are going to be risk adverse when it comes to what may upset people. They are going to err on the side of accomodation and inclusion. They are the biggest tent in the TTRPG space and have to cater to the largest audience. But if what they are putting out doesn't work for you, there is a large ecosystem of third-party material. If the core rules of the game are no longer working for you, there are MANY D&D variants on the market.

Just play the game you and your friends want to play in the way you want to play it. That's my default.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I’m using reactionary to mean “opposikg political or social liberalization or reform.” Because that’s what the word means.

Just a note, LegalKimchi is a very good youtuber and his video on this topic that was linked earlier is arguing in favor of the inclusion of the wheelchair accessible dungeon. I also recommend his other videos (I just watched the bioessentialism one, and it was very good).

 

[Micah Sweet]

What I’m saying is, status-quo warriors often complain that the presence of politics in the game harms their ability to play the game as a form of escapism. Because “politics” (which is generally code for more diverse representation) is, they say, what they are trying to use the game as an escape from.

Just curious: how is "status-quo warrior" any less incendiary a phrase than, "social justice warrior", just on the other end of the political spectrum?

I really am just curious from a logic standpoint.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Actually, that sounds like a fun adventure. I mean fade to black on the activities that led up to the magic shackle key being lost, but beyond that, a fun premise for a basic find-the-macguffin adventure.

See, not every adventure has to have the survival of the world at stake.

My main problem with such an adventure in 5e would be how many players would just short circuit the entire adventure by cutting off the shackled person's hand and casting greater restoration. Would certainly work best as a low level adventure.

Of course, not appropriate for WotC to publish given the wide age range they market to, but I'm not above stealing this idea and putting it in my campaign. Though, I'm running Warhammer Fantasy, so the couple the party is helping out of this "bind" (puerile chortle) would certainly turn out to be secret followers of Slaanesh.

In the Old World adventurers would likely cut the hand off anyway, forget the restoration, and ask for their sack of gold.