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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 8502953" data-attributes="member: 59082">I think you mean the other way around? Haha.But what's wrong with a general disclaimer, then supported by an article or two that offer a perspective on specifics? Being more specific about every single disclaimer both has an element of proselytizing, and also opens a ton of cans of worms. I mean maybe you're right, and that's just the direction we need to go in. Open up the can, and try to sort it all out; have the conversation. I mean, that's happening already. But more specifically, how much does WotC need to be involved? OK, I'm fine with it, although I can easily see how this could go wrong, so I would "handle it with care." Meaning, be sure not to be too heavy-handed on "OneTrueInterpretation." But here's the thing: If you make the statement, "All Drow aren't biologically evil now" (not that they ever were) and add something like, "and depicting them as such is wrong," you potentially upset people who like their drow all-evil, all-the-time. We get into issues like, "To what degree does fantasy have to reflect real life? Do fantasy races have to relate to real world ethnicities, and if so, why?" Etc, etc.Rather, I'd like to see them take the approach of, "We are presenting an array of Drow options, but feel free to make of them what you want. In some campaign worlds, drow are depicted as generally evil, while in others they run a wider range."Meaning, I think WotC should take the approach of a big umbrella, saying, "We provide the blocks - and we're going to give you a wider range of them now, but it is up to you to decide how you put them together, and we're not going to suggest one way is right and another wrong, but provide examples of various configurations of blocks." Then they can use the setting books to offer different flavors of D&D. You can have traditional drow in Greyhawk, but Crystal Lavender Fairy Drow in a new setting. And yes, I think you can depict traditional drow (or orcs) without connecting them to the real world.By "owning the answer," are we asking WotC to dictate the right way to play the game, and giving up our own authority to do so? Doesn't D&D allow for a wide range of approaches, and differents world with different cosmological premises, including, potentially an "evil race?"But if they instead say, "D&D is a toolbox, a game of fantasy and imagination; no depiction is meant to represent anything in the real world, but only make sense in the context of the game world and provide possibilities for play. The potential for D&D worlds is unlimited - and no single depiction is meant to represent all. All these worlds are yours, do what you will with them. Oh yeah, stay away from Europa."Sure, but he has to come to that himself. This made me laugh.Look, I get it. There are instances where (I think) I see something that someone else doesn't see, and I want them to see it. But I have found, time and time again, that as long as I approach it as me trying to educate them, not only do they tend to shut down further (the pragmatic element), but I end up closing off to seeing things in a new way.So for myself, what I aspire for is sharing my view, but also looking for ways to evolve it. I don't always succeed, but I try to catch myself when I fall into"I get it, they don't, so I need to educate them."Ha!</blockquote>

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