D&D 5E Orion Black No Longer a D&D Designer [UPDATED!]

WotC employee Orion Black announced yesterday that they were no longer working for the company or on D&D, citing the corporate culture at the company.

"It's July 3th and I no longer work for Wizards of the Coast. I no longer work on D&D, the little that I did. This is going to be a long thread and my last for quite a while, so bear with me.

I took the job for two reasons. The first was for the dream. To escape poverty doing what I love, writing and making games. The second was to make D&D welcoming to the millions who are scorned by it.

A lot of people had hope for D&D that they carried with me. While some people were upset to see me work for a corporation that overshadows indie, others hoped that I would be able to make real change. I tried. I failed. And I lost a lot.

Liking a tweet or post, RTing, or even following people who speak ill of WotC can lose you your job in an instant. That's why you never see it happen. @Zbeg is 100% correct. It's a silencing tool. I can say more now.

Kindness doesn't replace respect. Working within your comfort zone doesnt support change. Most people in that group were not ready for me to be there, a nonbinary Black person who would actually critique their problems. Idk what they expected.

I worked hard for a very long time. I got a lot of smiles and vocal support, but it was followed by inaction and being ignored. My coworkers were frustrated for me, and still are now. I confided in them often, cried on shoulders on a few occasions.

I realized at one point that leadership had given me 2 assignments over about 5 months. It was mostly me asking project leads for work, searching out opportunities. Leadership didnt really care about me or my growth. I had to.

I firmly believe that I was a diversity hire. There was no expectation for me to do much of anything. I probably disrupted them by being vocal and following up. It didnt matter if I was supported by seniors and positive.

I think genuine people proposed me as an option and it was accepted because it would look like a radical positive change. It would help quiet vocal outrage. And because I had to stay silent, it was a safe bet.

I started to lose all of my confidence. I started to lose trust in myself. After finding out that I wasnt getting an extension or FTE, I resolved to just finish things out and take care of myself. To stop fighting and to just survive, quietly. But it just kept getting worse.

They would talk about how they're going to start working on treating staff better, retaining contractors, actually answering questions. How much they were invested in diversity and change even though they hired two cis white dudes into two big leadership positions during this. One of whom claimed that he doesnt know what he's doing. No naughty word. I never want to hear "maybe they just hire the best person for the job" again.

I found out that some of my work was stolen, which destroyed me. It lined up with a project they were going to do and I had sent it in to someone in leadership months ago. The project was announced and this person who contributed "forgot" that we had a meeting where I gave them my ideas, and then a follow up document the day after. I knew nothing was going to be done about it. Someone else told me that the person said sorry that they forgot. That's it.

I was really losing my ability to do much of anything. I have depression and anxiety and ADHD, all of which I manage pretty well. But those parts of me were under the pressure of being ignored, disrespected, "forgotten", and not being able to say a word to the world.

Then, as social unrest continued global due to BLM, the D&D team comes out with their statement. It was like a slap in the face. How much they care about people of color, how much changing things (that I and others had been pushing for months, if not longer) was just going to happen now. It took weeks of protesting across the globe to get D&D to do what people they hired have been already telling them to fix. You cannot, CANNOT say Black lives matter when you cannot respect the Black people who you exploit at 1/3rd your pay, for progressive ideas you pick apart until it's comfortable, for your millions of profit year over year. People of color can make art and freelance, but are never hired. D&D takes what they want from marginalized people, give them scraps, and claim progress.

I spent my time in that building worrying about how much people hated me for working there. I spent a lot of time thinking about how much it hurt to work there. I had and still have supporters, and many. Thanks to you all for being my voice and speaking out when I could not. But I felt so isolated and alone. If not for some coworkers who checked in on me, who were going through the same things? I would've quit. Every angry statement about D&D felt personal because I couldn't fix it. Because I failed, whether it was my fault or not. I felt like I was being trashed by everyone because I could not disconnect what I set as a personal responsibility from the state of the game. That part IS my fault.

But I wound up as I am now because of all of this and much, much more. I am depressed. I am unable to write. I constantly question if anything I create is worth anything. I feel like I let everyone down, and no matter how much people tell me I didnt, that doesnt change. I feel guilty for not being what y'all needed me to be, what I wanted to be, and betrayed for how I was treated at that company. It's an exceptionally kind place on the D&D team. People are very nice to each other in a very genuine way that I truly enjoyed. However, that doesnt replace respect. That doesnt delete how I was treated. It doesnt change the fact that I honestly never want to play a trpg again and am definitely not working in that field anymore.

I know that I'm probably losing a ton of opportunities writing elsewhere because of what I've said here, as well as what I've sent in internally. It may mean that I will return to poverty, which makes me feel like a failure to my race, my family, and my partner who I want to provide the world. But under all these things, I have my integrity. I worked my ass off. I did my best for as long as I could. And I didnt let them treat me like that without telling the world what needs to be said.

Trust actions, not words. Not "look at how much we freelance so and so", because freelancing is exploitation of diversity with no support for the freelancer. Not "here we finally did what we KNOW we should've done a long time ago", because they only care about how optics turn to dollars. EVERYTHING involving D&D will continue to farm marginalized people for the looks and never put them in leadership. They wont be put on staff. They will be held at arms length. I hope they prove me wrong.

A lot of BIPOC and other marginalized people are trying to make their way by using D&D. Dont shame them for that. Think about how much, and when you wield your anger, that it is done righteously.

That said, I dont recommend to anyone, working for the D&D department of Wizards of the Coast."

Orion's Tweet about this. They also cite this statement, The Wizards I Know, by Zaiem Beg.

WotC's PR person, Greg Tito, commented publicly on the issue.

This should not have happened the way it did & I'll continue to fight so it does not happen again. I'm sorry if I let you down, Orion. You deserve better.

In response to an observation that this required more than just a PR statement or donation, and that it required diversity at the executive level he continued:

I have said almost these exact words for years, and more recently to executives put in charge of a community they don't understand. I am in the awful position of saying things I believe without the company making even a single, simple action of real change.

UPDATE! WotC has issued a short statement:

We sincerely apologize to Orion Black for the negative experiences they had as a contractor with the D&D franchise team. Their statement is being taken seriously and is an opportunity for us to improve the experiences of all those who contribute to our company and community. We're not perfect and we know there is more work to do. The ongoing dialogue with our community is critical to make meaningful change. We remain committed to making D&D a more inclusive community by supporting voices from people of all backgrounds.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

Well thought out reply that shows you really read and understood my point.

or are you arguing that your point of view is the only one that matters and RPG companies have to follow your instructions based on your feelings?

 

[Todd Roybark]

I feel that orcs are more reminescent of the Huns. and Drow are more in line with the Roman Empire

Helldritch, I believe you have used examples like the above quote before, in other threads as well.

As a matter of introspection, is it not curious that you assign the creature (meant in the 5e technical rule sense), generally held in higher esteem to one of the hallmark's of Occidental culture? Meanwhile Huns are Orcs.

At some point, I think it reasonable to presume, that wether you were besieging a town, or in the town being besieged, both sides likely considered the other to be dangerous and wrong.

You have a command of history Helldritch. Would it be untoward to suggest, to ask that you could use that command and find less curious examples for your point, then the ones quoted above.

I don't associate myself with Illithid. So should a black person not feel compared to a drow or an orc. For me, this is utter nonsense.

So because you do not associate yourself with the impossibility of a Cuttlefish headed humanoid that eats brains and wanted to destroy the sun in 1e, that racial representations that rely on skin tone the color of pitch, tar, or shoe polish, might disturb those that acknowledge how in real history, not D&D history the demeaning depictions of BIPOC?

For you "this may be utter nonsense", but not for others.
To have empathy, to understand and share the feelings of others, one oft has to put aside your own sensibilities, to even begin to see the point of view of others.

Your word choice, is indicative, that you might not be exactly succeeding at this.

If I have been able to make a Muslim (and a good friend too) see Al Quasim as an homage to his heritage and culture, so should anyone else.

Is the word "make" really the best word choice here? You made your good friend adopt your point of view? Is that really what you want to say there?

Oriental Adventures, for me personally, might have been an early step in sparking an interest in a group of cultures, that I was not familiar with, but it is hubris, in my opinion, to presume, assume, or demand that everyone else should feel the same way, or respect my feelings regarding the product.

Everyone has to take a first step on a journey, but after a bit of sojourning one oft finds that in the light of experience, one's first steps might not have the best form, or even be missteps.

Helldritch, you love D&D, that is clear. You are open to discussion. Is it possible that your words are telling a story, you don't mean to tell?

I'm on the autism spectrum, I have to work really hard to show empathy, to understand that using some words at certain times, upsets people. I fail at this, more then I wish I did.
So by this post, in no way am I denigrating you, or saying I am superior....I am most assuredly not.

 

[Panda-s1]

Well thought out reply that shows you really read and understood my point.

or are you arguing that your point of view is the only one that matters and RPG companies have to follow your instructions based on your feelings?

if you're gonna characterize Kwan as just some guy looking to make money off videos I see no reason to believe you've given him any due consideration.

 

[Todd Roybark]

You dehumanize them and equate them to a troll?

You are correct, "being" was the wrong choice of words. "Acting Like" is a better selection.
To be clear, as we are all on the Internet...referring to someone as an Internet Troll..is not denying their humanity.

It is instead questioning wether said human is trying to provoke a reaction, instead of moderating their language so people feel comfortable, feel safe to have a difficult conversation.

I, as I have oft stated, fail at this as well. I try not to be between Troglodyte and Umber Hulk, but I fail as well.

I will change the verbiage in my post. Thank you for your constructive criticism.

That said, a pattern is a pattern. If on a D&D board, you only post on racial, politics, or whataboutism, and never on any other D&D topics....yes, I am suspicious and wary now.
History repeats when you ignore it.

Agent Provocateurs are people too, I do not deny their right to exist, when I question what they post.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

If you say so. But remember that for each expert that claims one thing, there is an other to claim the opposite. Even global warming has its detractors.
So why are you hurt by this work of fiction? I am really curious because some of my friends aren't hurt at all. What is so offensive? I would like to know.

At 20+ pages in, we know some are offended and some aren’t because people are different. So this seems a bit like sealioning. If it is, please stop. If it isn’t, a private message might be a better path to pursue this line of inquiry.

 

[Panda-s1]

At 20+ pages in, we know some are offended and some aren’t because people are different. So this seems a bit like sealioning. If it is, please stop. If it isn’t, a private message might be a better path to pursue this line of inquiry.

as the person being sealioned I feel the need to speak up: no, a private message is not a better path to pursue this line of inquiry, I don't believe he is asking these questions in good faith. @Helldritch: do not message me.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

as the person being sealioned I feel the need to speak up: no, a private message is not a better path to pursue this line of inquiry, I don't believe he is asking these questions in good faith. @Helldritch: do not message me.

1) please don’t respond to moderation in thread, even like this. It’s against site rules. If you must talk to a mod about moderation, take it to PMs, always.

2) If you don’t want to deal with PMs from someone, put them on your ignore list. That should take care of it. (If not, post a thread in Meta.)

 

[Sadras]

Agree on all accounts @paramandur. Theros has a lot of potential though I found it a little underdeveloped.

In what way did you find it underdeveloped?
I have not purchased a copy as yet, just gathering people's perspectives before committing.

 

[Doug McCrae]

On personal interpretations of orcs:

If I was going to use the 5e MM orcs in a game of D&D I'd probably have them represent toxic masculinity. It's something that I regard as a significant evil in the world today, and therefore worth exploring. There is some support for this in the text - they are patriarchal, violent, aggressive, an environmental danger, and a sexual threat.

But that isn't what the text most closely supports. Toxic masculinity isn't a race, it isn't dark-skinned, it is NOT bioessentialist, there's no such thing as a half-toxic masculinity, it doesn't worship demons or evil gods, it doesn't sacrifice sentient beings to those gods, it doesn't outbreed other races, it doesn't live in tribes, or have lower than human intelligence, or greater than human strength, or have inferior technology to the "civilised" races.

I think therefore it's possible to distinguish between one's personal interpretation of orcs (and other potentially racist elements of D&D), based on one's personal conception of evil, and what the text actually says.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Could orcs represent racism itself? No, they are mostly anti-racist, though they do hate elves. 5e MM (emphasis mine):

Strength and power are the greatest of orcish virtues, and orcs embrace all manner of mighty creatures in their tribes. Rejecting notions of racial purity, they proudly welcome ogres, trolls, half-orcs, and orogs into their ranks. As well, orcs respect and fear the size and power of evil giants, and often serve them as guards and soldiers.​