D&D General New WOTC racism allegations regarding Hadozee and Spelljammer

[MonsterEnvy]

The problem is, the One D&D playtest is using the trope "divine creation" in a way that is overtly racist.

I don't agree with that, but this thread is not the place to go into it.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Mod Note:

No, not really. The gods created a species, feed of their faith and often direct their race to do their bidding. So that would make everyone else more of a slave than the hadozee who managed to get rid of their creator before he could make them do anything.

This is a gross distortion of the real nature slavery.

No, you need to see more than just the two pictures, because when you only show those two and intentionally withhold other pictures of prancing bards you are intentionally forcing people to make the connection you want them to make.

It doesn’t matter how many other images of bards are not inspired by or echoing RW bigotry- none of them erase or justify including those that do. Even if it was done without intent, the damage is done.

The proper reaction is apology, and- where possible- revision. Not defending the indefensible.

Several people have pointed this out to you in different ways, but yet you consistently miss the point and push back. I cannot tell if your persistence is genuine misunderstanding or gaslighting.

So, persist elsewhere.

 

[Mind of tempest]

The problem is, the One D&D playtest is using the trope "divine creation" in a way that is overtly racist.

fair point but that is not for this thread maybe make one on oned&d as this is not the place.

 

[John R Davis]

Ok so the new text is fine?

And there is a new ( or old) image that has caused an issue for some people?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Um you need to get a grip

Mod Note:

You need to address the quality and content of the post, not your assessment of the poster.

 

[Yaarel]

Ok so the new text is fine?

And there is a new ( or old) image that has caused an issue for some people?

No, not fine.

The 5e hadozee should have had nothing to do with slavery in the first place, but for some reason, 5e injected slavery into the hadozee origin story.

The minstrel-esque hadozee image is 5e.

 

[Hussar]

From my point of view, perspective is important.

Is this foaming at the mouth hate speech? No, of course not. It's tone deaf and kinda dumb, but, it's not like this is the sign of the end times.

Knowing that they were going for a Planet of the Apes angle, I can see why it might have passed them by. But, looking at the 5e text, it's just pretty face palmingly dumb. Then add in an image of the minstrel bard it doubes down on being dumb.

Should there be calls for boycotts and the like? No, not IMO. WotC screwed up. It happens. We all say and do stuff that is stupid. We've all been there. The point is, moving forward, what should be done? Well, hopefully the text gets a bit of an edit on the digital side, and in the next printings of the book. WotC issues an "Ah, shoot. Uhh, look, we made a mistake. That wasn't our intent at all. We're sorry and we'll sort this out going forward. Please be patient."

I think that would probably satisfy everyone no? And, FFS, hire a bloody sensitivity reader. Jeez. It's not like WotC's running on shoestring budgets, one foot in the grave. They absolutely SHOULD have the money to do that sort of thing now. It's pretty inexcusable not to have one.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That part is from a 17 year old source, not the current one. The primary thing about current Hadozee's is that they tend to have wanderlust and frequently form mercenary bands to hire themselves as crew.

I’m aware. And it’s probably why they avoided using it.

A thing about the current lore is that they never were actually a slave race. They were planned to be, but it was only a small number of them captured, and they never actually got sold into slavery before the wizard died and they went back to uplift the rest of their kind. While it hits some notes, but was clearly intended to be a reference to planet of the apes.

That’s such a close call to invoking RW issues that I probably would have called a timeout in the writing room.

Seriously, sugar gliders need some D&D love.

FWIW, If you get the chance, take a read of David Brin’s Uplift novels. Chimpanzees and gorillas both get uplifted (as do dolphins). The slavery narrative for chimps is somewhat parallel to PotA, but also significantly diverges from it. The gorillas‘ path is very divergent.

 

[Minigiant]

Ironic

The Spelljammer book that is somewhat praised yet has the criticism that it is a bit thin and some call a lore, art, and race cashgrab book published because anything 5e sells well... ends up having a problem with lore, art, AND race.

 

[ReshiIRE]

Should there be calls for boycotts and the like? No, not IMO. WotC screwed up. It happens. We all say and do stuff that is stupid. We've all been there.

No, naughty word the DND division of WoTC. They've done this before, they continue to do this, they don't often have people of colour involved in making content, and when they do they treat them like crap.

There's no good faith there and I'm done even talking about the game until that house gets cleared.

I should have realised that once I learned about the Zak S naughty word, the entire dvision was tainted.