D&D General D&D: Literally Don't Understand This

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Actually, I'm old enough to remember how rapiers in the 3e PHB was considered too futuristic for D&D's "medieval timeframe",

Oh god, I forgot about those flame wars here. People haaaaated rapiers. I assume 2014 5E may have given some of those folks strokes.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

I would like to point out that the people complaining “why doesn’t their clothing look medieval? D&D has to be medieval!” are taking a very privileged and Eurocentric position. Zinda, the setting for the Wages of Vice adventure that this art comes from, is based on African American life in the southern USA (specifically New Orleans) as well as Gullah/Geechee folklore. Godsbreath, the setting of Written in Blood, also draws from African American life in the American south. Non-medieval clothing is also present in that adventure.

One of the goals of the Radiant Citadel book was to explore the lived heritage and experiences of a variety of ethnic groups that aren’t often represented in D&D or other fantasy media. There are many ethnic groups that were the product of post-medieval European colonialism via forced migration, slavery, and mingling of different groups. Millions of people were stolen from their homes, sailed to a different continent, forced to speak a different language and practice a different religion, and enslaved and discriminated for centuries. African Americans are a people that are in many ways divorced from their ancestral lands, religions, lifestyles, languages, and pre-colonial history. Of course the adventures drawing from their experiences aren’t medieval. African Americans did not exist in the Middle Ages.

To complain about this art because “D&D has to be medieval” - which plenty of official settings aren’t (Dark Sun, Eberron, Ravnica, Theros, Ravenloft, Planescape, Spelljammer) - is a form of ethnic gatekeeping. It’s proclaiming that certain groups of people aren’t allowed to use their own history, experiences, and folklore for inspiration for their D&D games because you don’t like the vibe or aesthetic.

It’s really weird to me that some fans have determined that they get to decide what D&D is allowed to look like and therefore which ethnic groups are allowed to use their history and experiences in official books. I would argue that the fact that Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel didn’t feel constrained to being medieval is one of its strengths.

I would also like to point out that there is an adventure in Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel based on medieval West Africa; Gold for Fools and Princes. It involves a gold mine and aurumvorax.

I long for the day when I can express myself on this forum without being accused of being a horrible person.

I am complaining about modern elements in the game. I'm not trying to oppress people. Please refrain from accusing me of such things, please.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I long for the day when I can express myself on this forum without being accused of being a horrible person.

I am complaining about modern elements in the game. I'm not trying to oppress people. Please refrain from accusing me of such things, please.

If you are consistently being accused of something, and you don't believe it's an accurate representation of your views, it's probably worth looking at how you're expressing yourself.

 

[Remathilis]

Oh god, I forgot about those flame wars here. People haaaaated rapiers. I assume 2014 5E may have given some of those folks strokes.

Absolutely. Those and gnomish necromancers were the death knell of D&D. I wonder how many of those people ended up playing 3e and onwards?

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Way to completely ignore the rest of the post. And seemingly intentionally ignore the point of it.

Perhaps you should underline the point or write it in a sentence or two.

 

[bedir than]

The thing this discussion has taught me is that many of the advocates for older D&D/OSR would not welcome me at their tables.

The strong, angsty objections to things like glasses or other true-to-the times technologies means that me, an eyeglasses wearer can't play a fantasy version of myself in their games.

This is also true for the objections to bright colors, ethnic backgrounds, foods, and more.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Absolutely. Those and gnomish necromancers were the death knell of D&D. I wonder how many of those people ended up playing 3e and onwards?

With the exception of one edition, I bet most of the haters do eventually play the latest edition. Probably impossible to discern with an opt-in survey, though, which is the only tool fans have at their disposal.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The thing this discussion has taught me is that the advocates for older D&D/OSR would not welcome me at their tables.

You're welcome at mine.

But I also play all sorts of games -- I'm currently running concurrent Radiant Citadel and Shadowdark campaigns. I don't believe one has to choose just tacos or pizza as the one meal they have to eat the rest of their lives. (I love both tacos or pizza, but god, that would be boring to eat only one meal forever.)

 

[Scribe]

The strong, angsty objections to things like glasses or other true-to-the times technologies means that me, an eyeglasses wearer can't play a fantasy version of myself in their games.

Right, I'm sure you would be ejected from the table once you brought out the reading glasses.

My son has laughed at my wife and I more than once for passing around an item to see who can read the expiration, I guess we too would be excluded from play.

/sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

If you are consistently being accused of something, and you don't believe it's an accurate representation of your views, it's probably worth looking at how you're expressing yourself.

Whizbang, I'm not a bad person and I don't think you're a bad person either. I ask that you extend the same courtesy to me, please. Then, go back and consider what you're just wrote to me.