D&D 5E March's D&D Book To Be Announced On January 9th

A mysterious entry has appeared on Amazon! With a product title of "Dungeons & Dragons March Release Book (Title announced January 9th)" and a release date of March 17th, 2020, this $49.95 hardcover release will be revealed in under a week!

The description reads "Your first look at the next D&D title comes on January 9th! Keep an eye on wherever you get your D&D news for a preview of the book."

Could there be a clue in the dice being released on the same day? Laeral Silverhand's Explorer's Kit is described as "Dice and miscellany for the world's greatest roleplaying game" for $29.99. We'll find out on Thursday!

Who's Laeral Silverhand? She's a prolific creator of magic items from Waterdeep, and one of the most powerful wizards in the Forgotten Realms. She's one of the Seven Sisters, introduced in 1987's Forgotten Realms boxed set, although Laeral herself wasn't described in that product. Ed Greenwood'sThe Seven Sisters supplement fully detailed them in 1995. Laeral and Khlben 'Blackstaff' Arunsun led a group called the Moonstars. In 5th edition, she appears in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist.

 

[Parmandur]

It’s a difference of focus.
It’s harder to use it to promote public support for forced assimilation.

My experience, descending from Euripean ethnic immigrants (mostly non-English speaking ancestors), the "Melting pot" metaphors is more about denying Nativist and racist paranoia about foreigners than anything else. Those sorts of barriers are artificial, and can disappear within a generation, 40 generations at the most (literally, the most before everyone is mixed mathematically). But, hey, that's getting pretty far afield, so I'll jus tleave it "boo racism, yay diversity!"

 

[Urriak Uruk]

My experience, descending from Euripean ethnic immigrants (mostly non-English speaking ancestors), the "Melting pot" metaphors is more about denying Nativist and racist paranoia about foreigners than anything else. Those sorts of barriers are artificial, and can disappear within a generation, 40 generations at the most (literally, the most before everyone is mixed mathematically). But, hey, that's getting pretty far afield, so I'll jus tleave it "boo racism, yay diversity!"

I will just say that the "melting pot" analogy deserves some criticism, probably best expressed by Trevor Noah from the Daily Show (search Trevor Noah France and it should come up). Essentially, it's the idea that "if you come to X country, be prepared to ditch the customs of the country you left, because you are a citizen of X now."

It's a POV that treats citizenship as some higher reward that non-citizens need to "earn" by becoming "more like people of X."

 

[Parmandur]

I will just say that the "melting pot" analogy deserves some criticism, probably best expressed by Trevor Noah from the Daily Show (search Trevor Noah France and it should come up). Essentially, it's the idea that "if you come to X country, be prepared to ditch the customs of the country you left, because you are a citizen of X now."

It's a POV that treats citizenship as some higher reward that non-citizens need to "earn" by becoming "more like people of X."

Yeah, that's alien to my understanding of the term and the historic meaning.

The question here wasn't so much about "citizenship" but about culture. Culture is diffusive by nature, citizenship is an artificial political concept.

I don't disagree that WotC has a looooot of work to do here...good Lord, they published "Oriental Adventures" barely more than 15 years ago.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Yeah, that's alien to my understanding of the term and the historic meaning.

The question here wasn't so much about "citizenship" but about culture. Culture is diffusive by nature, citizenship is an artificial political concept.

I don't disagree that WotC has a looooot of work to do here...good Lord, they published "Oriental Adventures" barely more than 15 years ago.

And there should be no pressure to culturally assimilate.

also, you know that even some cultural groups that have been in the US for over 200 years still have distinct cultures, right?

Basques in Europe are still distinct from their co-citizens on whatever country they live in, after hundreds of years of living alongside.

My Hispanic family has lived in California since it was part of Mexico, and are still very much Hispanic, and my little cousins aren’t any less Hispanic than my grandmother was.

assimilation isn’t inevitable, and it isn’t always desirable.

 

[SkidAce]

I will just say that the "melting pot" analogy deserves some criticism, probably best expressed by Trevor Noah from the Daily Show (search Trevor Noah France and it should come up). Essentially, it's the idea that "if you come to X country, be prepared to ditch the customs of the country you left, because you are a citizen of X now."

It's a POV that treats citizenship as some higher reward that non-citizens need to "earn" by becoming "more like people of X."

"Melting Pot" references over time, not an individual joining a country and immediately "ditching" their customs.

I am the result of the melting pot, as my ancestors came from everywhere.

 

[Parmandur]

And there should be no pressure to culturally assimilate.

also, you know that even some cultural groups that have been in the US for over 200 years still have distinct cultures, right?

Basques in Europe are still distinct from their co-citizens on whatever country they live in, after hundreds of years of living alongside.

My Hispanic family has lived in California since it was part of Mexico, and are still very much Hispanic, and my little cousins aren’t any less Hispanic than my grandmother was.

assimilation isn’t inevitable, and it isn’t always desirable.

Mixture is inevitable, and it is good. 200 years is small. The Basque people remain distinct and individual, but they are related to their neighbors, and share culture.

 

[Wiseblood]

And there should be no pressure to culturally assimilate.

also, you know that even some cultural groups that have been in the US for over 200 years still have distinct cultures, right?

Basques in Europe are still distinct from their co-citizens on whatever country they live in, after hundreds of years of living alongside.

My Hispanic family has lived in California since it was part of Mexico, and are still very much Hispanic, and my little cousins aren’t any less Hispanic than my grandmother was.

assimilation isn’t inevitable, and it isn’t always desirable.

I agree, and I’ll add that the U.S. is vast. I experience culture shock visiting the places like Chicago and New York. I don’t see it as a melting pot. More like this.

Like a variety pack of cheesecake. Varied and delicious.

 

[Parmandur]

And there should be no pressure to culturally assimilate.

also, you know that even some cultural groups that have been in the US for over 200 years still have distinct cultures, right?

Basques in Europe are still distinct from their co-citizens on whatever country they live in, after hundreds of years of living alongside.

My Hispanic family has lived in California since it was part of Mexico, and are still very much Hispanic, and my little cousins aren’t any less Hispanic than my grandmother was.

assimilation isn’t inevitable, and it isn’t always desirable.

I really think we are talking past each other, and this is wildly off-topic (particularly since I chimed in to agree with you?): "Melting Pot" in my understanding, and experience of the term being used, is entirely about positivity of including more people in society as they are. This is opposed to Nativist or racist ideas that diverse people can't mix together in one society. But it seems that you are talking to something else, so let it be.

 

[Parmandur]

I agree, and I’ll add that the U.S. is vast. I experience culture shock visiting the places like Chicago and New York. I don’t see it as a melting pot. More like this.

View attachment 117320Like a variety pack of cheesecake. Varied and delicious.

This...makes me uncomfortable. This seems like a much more problematic metaphor.

 

[Wiseblood]

This...makes me uncomfortable. This seems like a much more problematic metaphor.

I am sorry I made you uncomfortable.