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Two underlying truths: D&D heritage and inclusivity
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<blockquote data-quote="Dire Bare" data-source="post: 8024543" data-attributes="member: 18182"><p>Umbran's got it. Why are the classic drow an elven race and not a human race? Get rid of the pointy ears, slender frames, and longevity . . . . how are the drow substantially different than a dark-skinned race of evil humans?</p><p></p><p>One solution to the drow problem is to get rid of the drow and other problematic races, which to a degree, is all of them. But one of the joys of fantasy literature and gaming is exploring the archetypes of humanity through the lens of myth and story, the genre would be lessened without fantasy creatures and races. So the trick is to try to maintain this mythic quality and remove (as much as possible) the embedded racist tropes.</p><p></p><p>The point of the Umbragen, Sulatar, and Vulkoor drow cultures is, in part, the same point as the classic Lolth culture . . . to provide an exotic mirror to humanity. In addition, they provide variety and choice to DM's and players and help us move away from dark-skin as evil (although as noted, not entirely). Are adding these cultures to your game the perfect solution to the racist tropes of the drow race? No, but progress doesn't have to be complete and total all at once. Do adding these cultures balance out the Lolth "dark-skin is evil" drow culture? Nope, it remains problematic, which is why I would also advocate for a reimagining of drow Lolth culture to something more like the Eberron cultures, not really all that evil.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dire Bare, post: 8024543, member: 18182"] Umbran's got it. Why are the classic drow an elven race and not a human race? Get rid of the pointy ears, slender frames, and longevity . . . . how are the drow substantially different than a dark-skinned race of evil humans? One solution to the drow problem is to get rid of the drow and other problematic races, which to a degree, is all of them. But one of the joys of fantasy literature and gaming is exploring the archetypes of humanity through the lens of myth and story, the genre would be lessened without fantasy creatures and races. So the trick is to try to maintain this mythic quality and remove (as much as possible) the embedded racist tropes. The point of the Umbragen, Sulatar, and Vulkoor drow cultures is, in part, the same point as the classic Lolth culture . . . to provide an exotic mirror to humanity. In addition, they provide variety and choice to DM's and players and help us move away from dark-skin as evil (although as noted, not entirely). Are adding these cultures to your game the perfect solution to the racist tropes of the drow race? No, but progress doesn't have to be complete and total all at once. Do adding these cultures balance out the Lolth "dark-skin is evil" drow culture? Nope, it remains problematic, which is why I would also advocate for a reimagining of drow Lolth culture to something more like the Eberron cultures, not really all that evil. [/QUOTE]
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Two underlying truths: D&D heritage and inclusivity
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