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Two underlying truths: D&D heritage and inclusivity
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<blockquote data-quote="Dire Bare" data-source="post: 8024670" data-attributes="member: 18182"><p>Yes, but not really the point.</p><p></p><p>Why elves at all? Obviously, D&D elves (and drow) are inspired by myths and literature . . . but why use them? Why not make the concepts examples of human cultures, it wouldn't play all that different. In fact, it's been done before.</p><p></p><p>Now, I'm not truly advocating for the removal of fantasy creatures and races from D&D. Playing an elf, even if you aren't really doing much more than playing a human with pointy ears who lives a long time, is an opportunity to step into the classic stories and myths and be somone other than yourself for a while, someone magical . . . .</p><p></p><p>And I don't feel that we need to craft elven societies that are truly alien and separate from human cultures . . . in fact I'm not sure that's really possible.</p><p></p><p>The reason to have elves, drow, dwarves, and orcs in our games is to add that feeling of magic of being something different from your normal day-to-day existence, and to live out myths and stories from that magical perspective. We just have to be careful, as those pesky racist tropes are often subtly hidden in our favorite myths and stories and translated into our games.</p><p></p><p>The drow specifically are LOOSELY based on the svartalfar of Norse legend. But the dark elves of myth weren't necessarily dark-skinned, they were dark of heart rather. And of course the developed culture of Lolthite spider-worshippers is a unique creation, not really pulling directly from existing myth or story (to my knowledge). So why do our underground dwelling, dark-skinned, spider-worshippers have to be elves rather than humans with the same story? My answer is, "Why not?" Why invent totally new drow cultures like the Umbragen, Vulkoor, and Sulatar that are pretty divorced from myth and literature? Again, "Why not?"</p><p></p><p>I think a race of red-haired fire-worshippers who live in a volcano sounds pretty cool whether they are described as elves, dwarves, or humans. But by making them drow, they gain the "edginess" of this fey race with a sinister reputation. We get to play a magical elf, we get to play something interesting, unique, and new, and we get to play the "edgy" character that makes the townsfolk jumpy. That's fun. And, as a bonus, we give the drow elf race a greater degree of cultural variety, which is a good thing as we try to move away from racist and deterministic tropes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dire Bare, post: 8024670, member: 18182"] Yes, but not really the point. Why elves at all? Obviously, D&D elves (and drow) are inspired by myths and literature . . . but why use them? Why not make the concepts examples of human cultures, it wouldn't play all that different. In fact, it's been done before. Now, I'm not truly advocating for the removal of fantasy creatures and races from D&D. Playing an elf, even if you aren't really doing much more than playing a human with pointy ears who lives a long time, is an opportunity to step into the classic stories and myths and be somone other than yourself for a while, someone magical . . . . And I don't feel that we need to craft elven societies that are truly alien and separate from human cultures . . . in fact I'm not sure that's really possible. The reason to have elves, drow, dwarves, and orcs in our games is to add that feeling of magic of being something different from your normal day-to-day existence, and to live out myths and stories from that magical perspective. We just have to be careful, as those pesky racist tropes are often subtly hidden in our favorite myths and stories and translated into our games. The drow specifically are LOOSELY based on the svartalfar of Norse legend. But the dark elves of myth weren't necessarily dark-skinned, they were dark of heart rather. And of course the developed culture of Lolthite spider-worshippers is a unique creation, not really pulling directly from existing myth or story (to my knowledge). So why do our underground dwelling, dark-skinned, spider-worshippers have to be elves rather than humans with the same story? My answer is, "Why not?" Why invent totally new drow cultures like the Umbragen, Vulkoor, and Sulatar that are pretty divorced from myth and literature? Again, "Why not?" I think a race of red-haired fire-worshippers who live in a volcano sounds pretty cool whether they are described as elves, dwarves, or humans. But by making them drow, they gain the "edginess" of this fey race with a sinister reputation. We get to play a magical elf, we get to play something interesting, unique, and new, and we get to play the "edgy" character that makes the townsfolk jumpy. That's fun. And, as a bonus, we give the drow elf race a greater degree of cultural variety, which is a good thing as we try to move away from racist and deterministic tropes. [/QUOTE]
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