D&D 5E What of the already done settings do you think WotC is revisiting for a Setting Book?

[Yaarel]

Explain to me the "implied racism" in the 5E drow's racial stats (not the lore, that's obvious)?

That is what I was referring to when saying I see no reason why a new book needs new stats for the new subdrow races. Their stats do not imply anything negative beyond "they live underground."

I did explain "implied racism". Saying it is part of the D&D legacy that transmitted from earlier editions. I dont think the original founders of D&D intended it. But it did happen, because of particular oversights for encounters. It especially happened because the founders are transmitting content from earlier speculative fiction that was inherently racist. Some of these sources were even intentionally racist.

Thus even in 5e, certain occasional terms and assumptions imply racism and need attention.

I am not aware of 5e content that is overtly sexist, albeit making the only prominent matriarchal culture (Drow) Evil, seems like a lapse of judgment. Without examining too carefully, my general impression is, most leadership seems egalitarian, where a female leader seems as likely as a male leader.

The infrequency of gay and trans leaders, of course, implies homophobia. But 5e seems to make an effort to be more inclusive.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I did explain "implied racism". Saying it is part of the D&D legacy that transmitted from earlier editions. I dont think the original founders of D&D intended it. But it did happen, because of particular oversights for encounters. It especially happened because the founders are transmitting content from earlier speculative fiction that was inherently racist. Some of these sources were even intentionally racist.

Thus even in 5e, certain occasional terms and assumptions imply racism and need attention.

I am not aware of 5e content that is overtly sexist, albeit making the only matriarchal culture (Drow) Evil seems like a lapse of judgment. Without examining to carefully, my general impression is, most leadership seems egalitarian, where a female leader seems as likely as a male leader.

The infrequency of gay and trans leaders, of course, implies homophobia. But 5e seems to make an effort to be more inclusive.

You keep referring to lore. I understand the implied racism there, but in my initial question was specifically addressing why the new subraces need new stats. As far as I can see, they don't.

 

[Yaarel]

You keep referring to lore. I understand the implied racism there, but in my initial question was specifically addressing why the new subraces need new stats. As far as I can see, they don't.

Oh. Thanks for rephrasing again.

An example of mechanical implied racism is the ability score improvement. Certain lineages are, by definition, smarter than other lineages. If any of these dumber lineages have any kind of connotation relating to a reallife ethnic group, whether from a D&D legacy or a recent accidental oversight, these ability improvements become inherently problematic.

To avoid known problems and to avoid future problems, the ability improvements are now part of the design space of generating ability scores (array or 4d6). They are no longer part of the lineage design space.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Oh. Thanks for rephrasing again.

An example of mechanical implied racism is the ability score improvement. Certain lineages are, by definition, smarter than other lineages. If any of these dumber lineages have any kind of connotation relating to a reallife ethnic group, whether from a D&D legacy or a recent accidental oversight, these ability improvements become inherently problematic.

To avoid known problems and to avoid future problems, the ability improvements are now part of the design space of generating ability scores (array or 4d6). They are no longer part of the lineage design space.

I totally agree on the ones with penalties (half-orcs for example) but drow don't have penalties beyond "sunlight sensitivity" which makes complete sense since they live entirely underground. Lorendrow apparently don't, but all one needs to do is remove sunlight sensitivity which doesn't really require a book to make official (it's so basic the homebrewing necessary).

 

[Yaarel]

I totally agree on the ones with penalties (half-orcs for example) but drow don't have penalties beyond "sunlight sensitivity" which makes complete sense since they live entirely underground. Lorendrow apparently don't, but all one needs to do is remove sunlight sensitivity which doesn't really require a book to make official (it's so basic the homebrewing necessary

The Drow legacy is complex, getting reinvented about every edition.

The 5e Drow lacks Intelligence, but has Charisma, and Charisma can be "smart".

The biggest difficulty is lore. The Drow have black or dark skin. Therefore anything said about the Drow is sensitive in reallife.

The D&D legacy says the Drow became black because of "curse". Even in 5e, the lore makes being black part of a punishment. Obviously problematic.

The 5e designers recently changed the "curse", from becoming black, to instead gaining a tattoo-like spiderweb marking around the face, neck, and upper torso. The markings display favor from Lolth. Not all Drow have these markings.

These web markings are white in color. Intentionally or accidentally, this new lore suggests, if a black person becomes too white it is Evil. Is this reallife cultural trope a new problematic? Probably it is tolerable, even if potentially anti-white racism. At least it is conspicuous spiderweb imagery, that obviously is not an ethnic trait. But it shows how difficult lore can be if a D&D lineage associates with a reallife ethnicity.

I assume, the new lore is, the Drow have always been black or dark. (In Ancient Egypt, black skin displayed fertile soil and womblike transformation, rebirth, whence was also a color of healing.) Note, the recent art in Tashas shows the Drow are grayish, ranging from near black to near white. I approve of this direction. The color of any rock or soil resonates the under-earth tropes, and the gradation from black to white avoids reallife implications.

Potentially, the Drow have always been a sunless culture, but not always a Lolth Uda culture.

I havent thought about the mechanics for the Aeven culture and the Loren culture. Either they will also be sunless cultures with Darkness magic, so that these traits now have nothing to do with Lolth, or else they have alternate mechanics that are very different from Udadrow, thus are effectively new Elf subraces.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

restating dwarves and elves to the new paradigm?

What's wrong with dwarves and elves right now?

 

[Yaarel]

What's wrong with dwarves and elves right now?

In previous editions, elves (high elves) seemed white and "haughty". But 4e walked that back. 5e is diverse and egalitarian enough, as far as I can tell.

The 5e Elf is no longer a "Dex race" mechanically.

 

[robus]

My guess is Eberron. I don’t know why, but it’s been a few years.

 

[Yaarel]

My guess is Eberron. I don’t know why, but it’s been a few years.

Heh, I guess Eberron is way due, to fix its Drow lore.

Jungle black people who are Evil. WTF was he thinking?!

I know Baker has walked that back, and emphasized the positive aspects of naturalism, and magical technology. But still.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I'd be surprised if another Exandria book isn't announced in the next 18-24 months. But before that happens, I bet we get another Forgotten Realms setting.

It all depends on when the 3rd season begins, right now its still a mystery beyond that is not for several months at least. I think your timing for it will be roughly in the right ball park, but I have no idea how long a CR season lasts.