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General Tabletop Discussion
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Two underlying truths: D&D heritage and inclusivity
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<blockquote data-quote="Dire Bare" data-source="post: 8024849" data-attributes="member: 18182"><p>How much of D&D tradition has already been excised from the game for various reasons? Level limits, THACO, ability adjustments by gender, race-as-class, varying XP charts . . . . today's 5E is pretty different from all prior editions, even with the design intent to carry forward what we love about D&D.</p><p></p><p>Orcs and drow as intrinsically evil races is pretty traditional for D&D, and for the fantasy genre it pulls from. It is comfort-food for some of us who like to escape from reality for a while by engaging in indiscriminate slaughter of the baddies.</p><p></p><p>But tradition always takes a back seat to improved inclusivity in my book. Just like the game ditched the misogyny of ability adjustments by gender, the game needs to ditch the racist tropes embedded in the way the concept of race is treated. The game will be the better for it, and we won't be losing very much.</p><p></p><p>We won't be losing evil orcs and evil drow, we'll be losing the idea that those entire races are defined by their evil and savagery. Just as humans aren't inherently evil, but yet have been behind ALL of the atrocities committed in the real world.</p><p></p><p>Even with orcs and drow losing their evil souls, there will be no shortage of cartoonishly evil villains to vanquish. We lose nothing, we gain much.</p><p></p><p>The more this circular discussion has dragged on, the more I'm convinced that some folks just fear change and will hold us back for no valid reason. And I'm happy that WotC and the industry will be leaving those folks behind. I'm sure most of them will adapt and continue playing the game anyways.</p><p></p><p>So tradition vs inclusivity? Screw tradition. At least when it is being clutched by those with myopic viewpoints who value their comfort food over the hurt and unwelcome caused to gamers of color.</p><p></p><p>This thread has had some good posts . . . but it's long past jumped the shark. I'm done.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dire Bare, post: 8024849, member: 18182"] How much of D&D tradition has already been excised from the game for various reasons? Level limits, THACO, ability adjustments by gender, race-as-class, varying XP charts . . . . today's 5E is pretty different from all prior editions, even with the design intent to carry forward what we love about D&D. Orcs and drow as intrinsically evil races is pretty traditional for D&D, and for the fantasy genre it pulls from. It is comfort-food for some of us who like to escape from reality for a while by engaging in indiscriminate slaughter of the baddies. But tradition always takes a back seat to improved inclusivity in my book. Just like the game ditched the misogyny of ability adjustments by gender, the game needs to ditch the racist tropes embedded in the way the concept of race is treated. The game will be the better for it, and we won't be losing very much. We won't be losing evil orcs and evil drow, we'll be losing the idea that those entire races are defined by their evil and savagery. Just as humans aren't inherently evil, but yet have been behind ALL of the atrocities committed in the real world. Even with orcs and drow losing their evil souls, there will be no shortage of cartoonishly evil villains to vanquish. We lose nothing, we gain much. The more this circular discussion has dragged on, the more I'm convinced that some folks just fear change and will hold us back for no valid reason. And I'm happy that WotC and the industry will be leaving those folks behind. I'm sure most of them will adapt and continue playing the game anyways. So tradition vs inclusivity? Screw tradition. At least when it is being clutched by those with myopic viewpoints who value their comfort food over the hurt and unwelcome caused to gamers of color. This thread has had some good posts . . . but it's long past jumped the shark. I'm done. [/QUOTE]
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