D&D 5E Tasha's Drow Art and the Future of Their Depictions in D&D

[Vaalingrade]

Way to snip out the context of a hypothetical where someone NOW just takes offense at their 'near whiteness'.

Gotta love forums.

I was just trying to be nice and cut out the pointlessly incendiary anti-PC part.

 

[Alzrius]

As a sidebar, according to an article (which I sadly can't find right now) the reason drow have black skin is because the idea originated with Norse mythology. But in that mythology, their skin color wasn't specified it was their hearts that were black as coal. Supposedly Gygax just misunderstood, the artists needed some way for the hair to be visible so they went with white and here we are.

That doesn't match what's on the Wikipedia page for Dökkálfar:

In the Prose Edda, the Dökkálfar and the Ljósálfar are attested in chapter 17 of the book Gylfaginning. In the chapter, Gangleri (the king Gylfi in disguise) asks the enthroned figure of High what other "chief centres" there are in the heavens outside of the spring Urðarbrunnr. Gangleri responds that there are many fine places in heaven, including a place called Álfheimr (Old Norse 'Elf Home' or 'Elf World'). High says that the Ljósálfar live in Álfheimr, while the Dökkálfar dwell underground and look—and particularly behave—quite unlike the Ljósálfar. High describes the Ljósálfar as "fairer than the sun to look at", while the Dökkálfar are "blacker than pitch".

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

But why? Natural selection or adaptation has nothing to do with their skin color. They have been cursed with dark skin for worshiping Loth and comiting evil deeds, and their offspring inherit this curse.

 

[Scribe]

Original/Inherited Sin certainly is not something one would expect to see pushed anymore.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Original/Inherited Sin certainly is not something one would expect to see pushed anymore.

Especially when that curse is . . . dark skin. I honestly cannot fathom how some people don't see a problem with this.

 

[Scribe]

Especially when that curse is . . . dark skin. I honestly cannot get how some people don't see a problem with this.

I've given up on humanity.

 

[Umbran]

Way to snip out the context of a hypothetical where someone NOW just takes offense at their 'near whiteness'.

Gotta love forums.

Mod Note:
Folks, use of simplified hypotheticals to prosecute social issues is a losing proposition. Using them to dismiss what little movement we can make on real systemic social issues does not fly. How about we not do that again, hm? Thanks.

 

[Scribe]

Mod Note:
Folks, use of simplified hypotheticals to prosecute social issues is a losing proposition. Using them to dismiss what little movement we can make on real systemic social issues does not fly. How about we not do that again, hm? Thanks.

FWIW my response was poorly written, my point was that people will always take things and twist them to their own ends, regardless of original intent.

Apologies.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Especially when that curse is . . . dark skin. I honestly cannot get how some people don't see a problem with this.

"You realize that pretty much every dark skinned race in your game is evil, right? Certainly how you can see how that could be a problem and appear racist."
"Oh, it's not racist because it's not the fault of the black folk they act like that. They can't help it because of X."



Taking a historically marginalized and attacked group, and assigning additional negative circumstances to them (like a curse), prolly isn't the best way to explain why they keep getting assigned these negative traits that have close ties to racism to begin with. Just say'n. Insult to injury.

 

[delericho]

I like the change. I also hope that this isn't the look for drow going forward, but rather that we'll see a variety of drow and elves. (And, actually, I prefer both to have distinctly inhuman skin tones - greys, blues, greens, or whatever...)