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.

 

[Aldarc]

Likewise, many Germans I have encountered get pretty annoyed that a fair number of Americans boasting "German Heritage" often have conceptions of Germany that amounts exclusively to Bavaria/Bayern and Oktoberfest.

 

[Parmandur]

Likewise, many Germans I have encountered get pretty annoyed that a fair number of Americans boasting "German Heritage" often have conceptions of Germany that amounts exclusively to Bavaria/Bayern and Oktoberfest.

To be fair, thst is German-American culture, which at this point is another thing altogether.

 

[Vaalingrade]

So...

Is there any situation where someone who creates a work decides that depictions and language they used in the past are no longer in keeping with their values and what they want to put into the world to alter their work to better reflect such things that isn't somehow censorship or Orwelling and whatever?

Are creators just cursed with their past wrongness, ignorance, or even actual past bigotry for all eternity with no recourse or redemption?

 

[Charlaquin]

I’m an American of Irish descent and I also find it bizarre. There are a lot of Americans of Irish descent (I’ve heard that it’s more than there are people living in Ireland, but no idea if that’s actually true), and I think a lot of us take a… we’ll stick with “bizarre,” Pride in that heritage, despite having little to no actual cultural connection to those roots. And unfortunately I think a lot of us take that heritage as an excuse to indulge in negative stereotypes, again despite the lack of real cultural connection to that heritage.

 

[Morrus]

So...

Is there any situation where someone who creates a work decides that depictions and language they used in the past are no longer in keeping with their values and what they want to put into the world to alter their work to better reflect such things that isn't somehow censorship or Orwelling and whatever?

Are creators just cursed with their past wrongness, ignorance, or even actual past bigotry for all eternity with no recourse or redemption?

Apparently not. If you change your writing style, you magically become international speech police intent on censoring the world, apparently.

 

[Umbran]

I do wonder how people would react if a person of Irish descent was offended by the day set aside to appreciate their heritage being primarily used by many people as an excuse to get hammered on green beer.

To be "fair" - we also have such days for those of Italian and Mexican descent, have an entire month where we drink for Germans, and it isn't like the 4th of July isn't mostly about going to a backyard BBQ and drinking too much beer...

 

[Parmandur]

I’m an American of Irish descent and I also find it bizarre. There are a lot of Americans with Irish descent (I’ve heard that it’s more than there are people living in Ireland, but no idea if that’s actually true), and I think a lot of us take a… we’ll stick with “bizarre,” Pride in that heritage, despite having little to no actual cultural connection to those roots. And unfortunately I think a lot of us take that heritage as an excuse to indulge in negative stereotypes, again despite the lack of real cultural connection to that heritage.

More than 36 million Irish-Americans, as opposed to under 6 million in Ireland, yup.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I don’t think any Orc is going to be offended by WotC using Orcs as antagonists in a campaign setting. Not do I think faeries are going to have an issue with their use in a book. Or Xenomorphs or Santa’s elves or the lizard men who secretly run the world from their caves at the center of the earth. Because they aren’t real (sorry Santa).

And yes I know the argument that “but orcs represent real people. And does every other imaginary creature ever created since the dawn of man. Why are Orcs special? We going to be mad because elves always have British accents and dwarves have Scottish ones? Those are more a modern issue than Orcs. Or is is because the elves, dwarves, and Halflings, are the “good guys”? Positive stereotypes?

Removing things like “civilized”? Why? Savage I kind of get but the reverse?

Changing madness to chaos? That evil Wizard can’t be crazy now?

Fat? I’m fat. It’s a descriptor. Yes it can be used to insult someone but in a story “Larry was a fat middle aged man who sold guns out of the back of a van.”

Changing Drider origins? Why? Where the half-spider people having an issue with it?

 

[Umbran]

To be fair, I think children's content should be treated a bit differently - and generally the public at large has always demanded it be.

Well, he original Merrie Melody cartoons weren't specifically "for children". They were shown with all kinds of films, back in the 40s, decades before rating systems.

 

[Scribe]

Removing things like “civilized”? Why? Savage I kind of get but the reverse

To indicate there is a civilized, is to imply there is an uncivilized.