D&D General The Art and the Artist: Discussing Problematic Issues in D&D

[BookTenTiger]

All these comments cuz people don’t like to be reminded that DnD is and always has been a murder simulator lol

For myself, while D&D is combat-focused, I would prefer for it to not be a racism simulator.

 

[jmartkdr2]

But what if we say, "He should have seen it if he collaborated with people of color."

In the 70's that would be a very weird thig to say.

Of course, the fact that there wasn't a lot of diversity in the genesis of D&D is also a product of institutional racism.

Ding ding ding! Institutional racism (and colonialism in general) is everywhere, and affects everything.

 

[Umbran]

So if a product offends you, start by putting yourself back in that age and see why it might have been written that way. It might be that, by your current standards, it is flawed beyond redemption, but criticism of the past is pointless, the past has happened, these products exist, so criticising them purely for existing in the light of your newfound "wisdom" is worthless.

But, we cannot criticize the future. Indeed, everything we can criticize is already done, a fait accomplis. The only way to make a better future is to look at the past, see what we don't like, and act so that the future is perhaps less likely to have some of the issues of the past. That is an act of criticism.

Or, in other words, those who do not examine the past are doomed to repeat it.

 

[Quartz]

A topic that has been regularly arising recently has concerned the continuing use of certain material in Dungeons & Dragons;

I'm sorry but that flew by me. I'm sure there's something important you're trying to say, but it's not making it through your wall of text. You really need to summarise in your opening paragraph then expand on it, then summarise everything again at the end.

Let me offer two points which seem relevant:

People who want to be offended will find a way to be offended.
We need to celebrate - or at least acknowledge - that humanity has morally improved over time. Ingeminating on the past is not productive.

 

[Willie the Duck]

Or, in other words, those who do not examine the past are doomed to repeat it.

Ingeminating on the past is not productive.

Welp, we got the ends covered, now to fill in every point between I guess.

 

[Gradine]

In the 70's that would be a very weird thig to say.

Part of why I'm leery of "product of our time" arguments is that comments like this are completely ahistorical. Of course people were saying things like this in the 70's; they just were the types of folks that white people never listened to.

 

[Lyxen]

But, we cannot criticize the future. Indeed, everything we can criticize is already done, a fait accomplis. The only way to make a better future is to look at the past, see what we don't like, and act so that the future is perhaps less likely to have some of the issues of the past. That is an act of criticism.

Or, in other words, those who do not examine the past are doomed to repeat it.

And as I wrote in my post, and specifically within the context of this thread, i.e. D&D material, is that it indeed should be examined, what can be salvaged reused, and what is beyond salvation not used again, but there is a difference between critically examining the past for that purpose and being judgemental about the author, as if the people doing the criticism today were better people and would obviously, have avoided these traps if they had lived at the same time as the author. Because, today, they are not avoiding the "problems" that the future will reveal about our present, and as far as I know, most of them are not producing evern a fraction of what the author did at the time...

 

[Bedrockgames]

For myself, while D&D is combat-focused, I would prefer for it to not be a racism simulator.

The heart of this debate is over whether it is or not. A lot of people feel mountains are being made of nothing on this front

 

[Scribe]

For myself, while D&D is combat-focused, I would prefer for it to not be a racism simulator.

Thankfully, it isnt.

 

[CleverNickName]

Thankfully, it isnt.

I mean...it has feathers and a bill, it quacks, it waddles when it walks, it lays eggs, it hangs out in the water a lot...
...are you sure it isn't a duck?