D&D General NPR's Code Switch Discusses Race in D&D

[el-remmen]

Code Switch is a National Public Radio podcast/radio show that tackles issues of race and identity. In the episode that dropped yesterday, one of the hosts introduces the other host and some producers to D&D (they play a little) and discuss the legacy and problems of race in game.

In general, the topic and tone is aimed at a more general audience than hardcore gamers, but I also think that sometimes some of the suspect things about how D&D has and does handle issues of race can be clearer to those who are new to or stand outside the game than to those of us for who its assumptions have become second nature.

One of the issues that it touches on that I found interesting is the tension between the idea that each table is going to handle issues of race differently, choosing how to address potentially problematic aspects differently (if at all) and the degree to which the essentialist ideas that have been part of the game (and fantasy) since its inception are baked into its rules in a way that might make them unavoidable. The episode also discusses how rules-lawyering and pedantry has long served to lock in ideas of race through adherence to an ideal of following the rules as written. Furthermore, the issue of gatekeeping in ways that may in the past made women and/or PoC feel unwelcome in the community or as part of specific groups is tied all into this.

Unfortunately, a 30+ minute podcast is not going to be able to go deep enough on the topic or explore it to the lengths that I would like, but it seems like a good starting place and food for thought.

Oh, and it was a pleasant surprise that one of the guests interviewed was a former colleague of mine from my graduate work, Aaron Trammel who is now Assistant Professor of Informatics, UC Irvine and Editor-in-Chief of Analog Game Studies.

 

[payn]

Thanks for the link. I agree I wish they could have dived in more, but I also think its intended for the uninitiated and a good intro from that perspective.

 

[darjr]

I’d love for them to drop the live play or even do a series. What little I heard was cool. A podcast of actual play dealing with this at the table from them would be great!

 

[Cadence]

Hadn't seen this before. Showed up in my feed today with Pop Culture Happy Hour taking the day off, so :::bump:::.

I don't know what i was expecting -- and it kind of hit the range I guess.

I feel a bit odd that it hadn't stuck out to me before that the Half- in elf and orc was obviously human without needing to say it. Or that I never thought that Monty Python wasn't universal.

I did know that Nerdy hobbies tend to attract pedantic people.

I left trying to imagine heroic games that didn't involve violence. Emergency! the RPG, where you're a fire-fighter or paramedic popped to mind. While I confess to owning the full series, I'm not sure how replayable it would feel. Now I'm on a TV tangent - does Magnum PI (or most detective series) have too much innate violence? If you're imagining a world, and can imagine no violence, why not imagine one with no problems at all?

 

[aco175]

Professor of Informatics

This is a thing? Hope it pays well.

I am trying to wrap my head around the idea of tension about race between tables. Your table might have one thing like orcs as evil and mine might have orcs as good and I do not see a problem. Maybe if we somehow come together and play, but then the DM just decides. Maybe with more people online talking about these types of things, it might lead to people talking about their table and some not liking how they play.

I hope people are not suggesting we need more lawyering.

 

[Lojaan]

This is a thing? Hope it pays well.

I am trying to wrap my head around the idea of tension about race between tables. Your table might have one thing like orcs as evil and mine might have orcs as good and I do not see a problem. Maybe if we somehow come together and play, but then the DM just decides. Maybe with more people online talking about these types of things, it might lead to people talking about their table and some not liking how they play.

I hope people are not suggesting we need more lawyering.

Nah it's about how if so much is left up to the DM, a player never knows what they are going to walk into when they join a table. It's also putting a lot of pressure on individual DMs and players to handle this stuff appropriately, while WotC, a major corporation with a huge amount of resources, provides no guidance and takes no responsibility.

 

[Dausuul]

Nah it's about how if so much is left up to the DM, a player never knows what they are going to walk into when they join a table. It's also putting a lot of pressure on individual DMs and players to handle this stuff appropriately, while WotC, a major corporation with a huge amount of resources, provides no guidance and takes no responsibility.

After watching WotC over the last couple of weeks, I think I'm quite happy with them not offering guidance on sensitive topics that require awareness of human emotions.

 

[Dire Bare]

I missed this when you posted in late September, but just finished listening to it now. I thought it was a great discussion of the issues the game faces . . . I especially got a kick at how they talked about WotC trying to do better, but not quite sticking the landing yet.