WotC Older D&D Books on DMs Guild Now Have A Disclaimer

If you go to any of the older WotC products on the Dungeon Master's Guild, they now have a new disclaimer very similar to that currently found at the start of Looney Tunes cartoons.

We recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website, does not reflect the values of the Dungeon & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end.

The wording is very similar to that found at the start of Looney Tunes cartoons.

Edit: Wizards has put out a statement on Twitter (click through to the full thread)

 

[Morrus]

I am quite positive that the employees at the BBC from the 50s - 80s thought similarly to you; real history is a noble pursuit, not this silly little idiot box programming that we are doing. No one is going to care about watching these "videos" in the future.

We can just copy over these tapes.*

That is not what I said or what I think.

 

[Conqueror Worm]

It is a fair compromise where old school gamers and progressives will not be 100% happy but they will still both have some takeaways from it.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

That is not what I said or what I think.

Good! Then there's no disagreement.

 

[Lem23]

I don’t think they even consume the stereotypes. They seem opposed on principle to anything even remotely “woke”.

It's the last gasp of the bigots. As with other bigotries, such as miscegenation, gay marriage, etc (in which they used similar arguments), they know they're on the way out and are trying to shout down the inevitable. They're on the losing side of history, and they know it, and they're flailing away trying to stop it. They won't succeed, any more than they did with the afore-mentioned arguments.

 

[Morrus]

Good! Then there's no disagreement.

With what?

 

[CleverNickName]

Well they had to do something, and I'm glad they decided to do this instead of pulling titles from the marketplace.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

With what?

Yes!

 

[mythago]

I really think The Iron Dream should be required reading in schools, because it mocks this idea as the racist nonsense it is.

Many SFF fans were upset when The Iron Dream came out because it was insulting! and they! would! never! dress up as or lionize evil characters like that.

 

[Sunsword]

That's pretty much my feelings on the matter for the same reasons.

I've always been the believer in recognizing past mistakes and owning them, rather than pretend they never existed. Now, every time someone sees an old product with that message, they will see WoTC own up to it rather than a one time acknowledgement that fades off into nothing if those products also disappear.

I agree and think this is the best course. I don't recall OA using the yellow peril trope, is it just because the authors weren't of Asian descent?

 

[Helldritch]

This is the best solution that could be hoped for. I am fully satisfied with such a warning.