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."

 

[gamerprinter]

So I'm wrapping a Spelljammer 3PP supplement (custom ships, full deck plans and a Nebula Wildspace system), that I included a couple 'races', which I knew were being renamed. Not knowing what that is, I chose "beings" although "sapients" crossed my mind as another alternative...

 

[TerraDave]

This text is your text, this text is my text!

Races​

Racial Traits​

The description of each race includes racial traits that are common to members of that race. The following entries appear among the traits of most races.

Ability Score Increase​

Every race increases one or more of a character’s ability scores.

Age​

The age entry notes the age when a member of the race is considered an adult, as well as the race’s expected lifespan. This information can help you decide how old your character is at the start of the game. You can choose any age for your character, which could provide an explanation for some of your ability scores. For example, if you play a young or very old character, your age could explain a particularly low Strength or Constitution score, while advanced age could account for a high Intelligence or Wisdom.

Alignment​

Most races have tendencies toward certain alignments, described in this entry. These are not binding for player characters, but considering why your dwarf is chaotic, for example, in defiance of lawful dwarf society can help you better define your character.

Size​

Characters of most races are Medium, a size category including creatures that are roughly 4 to 8 feet tall. Members of a few races are Small (between 2 and 4 feet tall), which means that certain rules of the game affect them differently. The most important of these rules is that Small characters have trouble wielding heavy weapons, as explained in “Equipment.”

Speed​

Your speed determines how far you can move when traveling ( “Adventuring”) and fighting (“Combat”).

Languages​

By virtue of your race, your character can speak, read, and write certain languages.

Subraces​

Some races have subraces. Members of a subrace have the traits of the parent race in addition to the traits specified for their subrace. Relationships among subraces vary significantly from race to race and world to world.

Dwarf

Dwarf Traits​

Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.............

 

[Vaalingrade]

So find replace on 'Race' and then delete on the alignment line.

 

[AnotherGuy]

This isn't meant to be offensive or condescending, but you are not understanding how the sciences work.

With all due respect, I do not agree with your understanding of my understanding of how the sciences work.

"At the centre of this discussion, it comes down to the greater trust you place within these institutions, the system and the experts." - JFK probably

 

[Bagpuss]

It's never aliens.

 

[AnotherGuy]

It's never aliens.

These days unidentified objects are all the rage. If only we caught sight of them in space, then we could identify them.

 

[Bedrockgames]

There is an Enworld thread for it.

It is a fanwork called: Dark Sun - City-State of Urik.

Like I mentioned, the reallife archeology makes the setting cool.

But the Dark Sun setting is Evil, with the emperors personally being Evil, and the political ideology and the institutional slavery being Evil.

It kinda does end up demonizing an "other" reallife culture.

The Dark Sun setting has many aspects that I like. Personally, I love the psionics, elementalism, and godlessness. I am less enthusiastic about the slavery, dictatorship, and post-apocalyptic despair. I would prefer options to have a homebase that is more utopian, that strives to build a better city society, with a real chance of healing the planet.

For other players, the nihilism is part of what they like about the setting. I would be happy if there were options of how to decide the mood of the setting by the DM choosing which cities are present on the planet.

I hope there is a way to salvage the interesting aspects of the Dark Sun setting.

I think enjoying the flavor of Dark Sun, including its darker elements, doesn't mean the designers, the people who played it, are endorsing those elements (they are just the things that help make the setting interesting). I also don't think any of that needs to be regarded as commentary on whatever cultures or historical places dark sun drew from for inspiration. I am less familiar with Dark Sun than other settings but played in campaigns and had the original boxed set. To me a utopian home base would kind of make that a pretty dull setting compared with the original. One of the first things I recall about Dark Sun reading it was how unforgiving and brutal it was (the whole having to make character trees because most characters died was very interesting to me).

 

[Bagpuss]

To me a utopian home base would kind of make that a pretty dull setting compared with the original.

If you had a utopian home base why leave it?

 

[Yaarel]

If you had a utopian home base why leave it?

To find resources.

 

[Bagpuss]

To find resources.

If it lacks resources it isn't really a utopia then is it.