D&D (2024) What new jargon do you want to replace "Race"?

[Twiggly the Gnome]

This is one of my trepidations about the term species, weird taxonomy discussions about fairy tale creatures.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

This is one of my trepidations about the term species, weird taxonomy discussions about fairy tale creatures.

As someone who closely follows all sorts of palaeontology groups, discussing taxonomy is my idea of fun!

 

[Vaalingrade]

Except reptiles (including birds) are a class

Birds are Class Aves.

 

[Cadence]

Birds are Class Aves.

And the class Aves is in the theropod group of dinosaurs...

Taxonomy is fun!

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

I think the race/species debate has nothing to do with offensive depictions of real life groups. People who want to use racist/xenophobic depiction of real life group for their fantasy shlorps will do so regardless of their name in the rulebook: race or species. People who recognize these racists/xenophobic depictions will be able to do so without being fazed by the name used in the rules. People who don't care either because they never considered their fantasy linked to reality or because the depiction don't have the same association in their own culture or because they don't care about reusing this imagery will be able to use either race or species. I'm not seeing the debate being related.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Birds are Class Aves.

Birds are aves. Which is a class.
Which sits within dinosauria, which is also a class.
Which sits within archosauria, which is a clade...
Which sits within reptilia.... which is a class.
Which sits within sauropsida... which is a clade again.

Yep. Taxonomy is a disaster.

 

[Cadence]

Birds are aves. Which is a class.
Which sits within dinosauria, which is also a class.
Which sits within archosauria, which is a clade...
Which sits within reptilia.... which is a class.
Which sits within sauropsida... which is a clade again.

Yep. Taxonomy is a disaster.

Aren't all the different levels of a taxonomy clades?

Is dinosauria widely accepted as a class?

 

[Vaalingrade]

Dragons are oozes with a very distinct opinion on how they should be shaped.

There. As long as they aren't reptiles.

 

[Cadence]

Dragons are oozes with a very distinct opinion on how they should be shaped.

There. As long as they aren't reptiles.

If they are going to go anywhere...

But, they are unfortunately reptiles

kind of... However...

 

[Micah Sweet]

We lose out on the convenience of painting with broad strokes. It's more work to depict D&D races as diverse groups. It takes a nuanced approach that's sensitive to how real-world ethnic groups are stereotyped to promote racist thinking and agendas. However, I think it's worth it. Removing the word race doesn't solve the problem by itself, but it's a start.

It makes me wonder if one of the reasons that WotC is continuing to make the rules simpler is that actually playing the game the way we're supposed to now is much more complex.