D&D (2024) One D&D Permanently Removes The Term 'Race'

In line with many other tabletop roleplaying games, such as Pathfinder or Level Up, One D&D is removing the term 'race'. Where Pathfinder uses 'Ancestry' and Level Up uses 'Heritage', One D&D will be using 'Species'.

Moving On From 'Race' in the 2024 Core Rulebooks

We understand "race" is a problematic term that has had prejudiced links between real world people and the fantasy peoples of D&D worlds.

www.dndbeyond.com

In a blog post, WotC announced that "We have made the decision to move on from using the term "race" everywhere in One D&D, and we do not intend to return to that term."

 

[Demetrios1453]

I dislike the term species as this could imply the biological species concept as members of a population that can potentially interbreed. Where does this leave half-orcs, half elves etc? Its too loaded a term to be of use for the game as is race. My preference is ancestry

Some species can interbreed and have offspring. Granted, in most cases those offspring are sterile, but in the fantasy realm, they could breed true.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Biologists use "specific". Using "generic" (related to genus) and "specific" (related to species) traits is, however, a bit awkard in that that is not how people will read these terms in common usage. Then again, talking about "traits specific to elves" or "dwarf-specific traits" reads well enough to me.

Oooh, good point! That does work pretty well.

 

[talien]

Back in 2018 I converted all my 5E supplements to use the term "species" instead of "race" and it started with this article: Do We Still Need "Race" in D&D?

I'm glad to see a better reception this go round.

 

[R_Chance]

Not a big deal for "race" to go out of use. Especially given it has a negative connotation for a lot of people. But "species"? IIRC the term entered common use in English with the scientific revolution via Latin, 17th century? Anyone knows for sure (or has already posted it and I missed it) I would be curious. I would think "ancestry" would be the appropriate reference to ones... ancestors Ancestral would be a useful adjective reference to things connected to that too. I totally divorced my game world from real world science from the start and "species" (for me) evokes science.

 

[Marandahir]

Giant apes! Giant, technologically superior apes!

More than meets the eye?

 

[Cadence]

Not a big deal for "race" to go out of use. Especially given it has a negative connotation for a lot of people. But "species"? IIRC the term entered common use in English with the scientific revolution via Latin, 17th century? Anyone knows for sure (or has already posted it and I missed it)

Here ya go .

Species in a sense that applies pretty well to this situation goes back to at least 1561 ("Species of Homo"). The more specifically general biological sense goes to at least 1608 (used with Genus in a zoological sense about crocodiles).

These dates are more modern than many D&D things, but older than I thought they would be. The spyglass (on the D&D equipment list) looks like it goes back only to 1608.

Avoiding work and wikipediaing, it looks like Aristotle used genos and eidos that were translated as genus and species (even if they don't map exactly). And eidos is sometimes means "form". Does "form" seem odd, or does that work?

 

[Weiley31]

"okay, so that means there are no half elves any more?"

Oh no: they are still there. In the 2014 PHB. Which OneD&D is STILL backwards Compatible with. Now if you have any questions on how I know this, please direct ALL your questions to Morrus and Umbram since they handle all my calls. Thank you, thank you, you're all beautiful!

Goes into Trailer and slams door shut.

 

[Weiley31]

More than meets the eye?

Well, that's just prime.

 

[Marandahir]

Well, that's just prime.

Eh, less prime, and more Primal…

 

[Weiley31]

I know I’ll get used to it, but as a biologist, now I’m going to want the Latin names for all the species, subspecies, and genetic variants…

Behold: The Ardling pc: Genus Thievius Racoonus.