Does DnD encourage racist thinking?
- Thread starter NoOneofConsequence
- Start date
LostSoul
Adventurer
Dragonblade said:
The problem is that we only have real-world things to draw upon (nice anachronistic word) and thus things like orcs, etc. are seen to be parallels to real-world cultures. I remember watching the movie with Antonio Bander-ass, written by Mike Chriton... the Seventh Warrior, I think; anyways, the uncultured barbarians were just like D&D orcs. These fantasy "monsters" are real-world embodiments of our fears and hatreds. We dislike orcs (et al.) because they do Evil things, like murder, pillage, rape, and torture; but they are the representation of the unknown outsider that we fear. Just like Demons are the representation of mindless, chaotic evil that plagues people, a serial killer that can't be found (actually, werewolves fill that mold better).
But the thing is that it's all okay. Everything that we do in the role-playing world is just in our minds, doesn't hurt anyone (unless you go overboard and hurt other players in the group). I think that's why we like to kill the orcs, people who oppose the modern culture and are violent about it. Or demons, who represent everything bad and cruel about people.
I guess my point is that everything that we have in D&D is an analogy to real-world people, place, and things.
Darkness
Hand and Eye of Piratecat [Moderator]
I'll gladly do the impossible right now - but miracles might take a bit longer.LostSoul said:
If you really want to help, post a campaign setting with rules that exactly mirrors what I want from fantasy role-playing!
And you could check out Exalted, if you haven't already.
Dragonblade
Adventurer
Ah but where we differ, Lost Soul is the fact that I don't believe everything in DnD or a fantasy universe like Star Wars is analogous to something in the real world.
I don't see Jar Jar as racist, for example, because I don't see GunGuns as being African. They are from Naboo not Earth. Last time I checked there was no Planet Mexico in the Star Wars universe or a even Planet Earth so there are no Hispanics either. Or Chinese or any other ethinic group that we know.
There may be dark-skinned or light skinned humans but they come from different worlds and I accept that as part of the internal reality of the Star Wars universe.
Mace Windu isn't African. Nor is Jango Fett a Maori. They are both some dark-skinned near human race from Corellia or who knows where. Likewise Luke isn't European. His mom is a near human from Naboo and his father a former Tattoine slave turned Jedi.
I use Star Wars because everyone is familiar with it and it makes for good examples.
By the way, that link to the RPG.net thread is a great one!
I don't see Jar Jar as racist, for example, because I don't see GunGuns as being African. They are from Naboo not Earth. Last time I checked there was no Planet Mexico in the Star Wars universe or a even Planet Earth so there are no Hispanics either. Or Chinese or any other ethinic group that we know.
There may be dark-skinned or light skinned humans but they come from different worlds and I accept that as part of the internal reality of the Star Wars universe.
Mace Windu isn't African. Nor is Jango Fett a Maori. They are both some dark-skinned near human race from Corellia or who knows where. Likewise Luke isn't European. His mom is a near human from Naboo and his father a former Tattoine slave turned Jedi.
I use Star Wars because everyone is familiar with it and it makes for good examples.
By the way, that link to the RPG.net thread is a great one!
LostSoul
Adventurer
Dragonblade said:Ah but where we differ, Lost Soul is the fact that I don't believe everything in DnD or a fantasy universe like Star Wars is analogous to something in the real world.
That's cool. I do. I think I feel the way I dos because we only have our limited perceptions to draw upon. Thus everything is related to what we deal with. However, it sounds that, in your campaign, orcs are distinctly Evil, and not analogous to another type of human.
Thanks for the reply!
NoOneofConsequence
First Post
Dragonblade said:Ah but where we differ, Lost Soul is the fact that I don't believe everything in DnD or a fantasy universe like Star Wars is analogous to something in the real world.
I don't see Jar Jar as racist, for example, because I don't see GunGuns as being African. They are from Naboo not Earth. Last time I checked there was no Planet Mexico in the Star Wars universe or a even Planet Earth so there are no Hispanics either. Or Chinese or any other ethinic group that we know.
There may be dark-skinned or light skinned humans but they come from different worlds and I accept that as part of the internal reality of the Star Wars universe.
Mace Windu isn't African. Nor is Jango Fett a Maori. They are both some dark-skinned near human race from Corellia or who knows where. Likewise Luke isn't European. His mom is a near human from Naboo and his father a former Tattoine slave turned Jedi.
I use Star Wars because everyone is familiar with it and it makes for good examples.
By the way, that link to the RPG.net thread is a great one!
None of the characters in Star Wars are from any specific Earth race or culture, but that doesn't mean that the audience aren't. SW is a cultural artifact, it reflects the culture that produced it. If all the characters of a particular type are portrayed by a particular minority of actors then some form of prejudice may be involved.
BTW I don't see anything of this sort in SW, though there is another famous science fiction franchise that is not so guiltless.
Anyhoo, I've been more worried by the "Orcs are evil so killing them is fine." kind of roleplaying which is often mentioned in the alignment wars. I think roleplaying has a unique capability to offer players a chance to see difference and diversity and to celebrate it, not fear or hate it. I'm just worried that almost all of DnD's divisions are along race lines, not cultural or historical ones.
