WotC WotC's Chris Perkins On D&D's Inclusivity Processes Going Forward

Over on D&D Beyond, WotC's Chris Perkins has written a blog entry about how the company's processes have been changed to improve the way the D&D studio deals with harmful content and inclusivity. This follows recent issues with racist content in Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, and involves working with external cultural consultants.

The studio’s new process mandates that every word, illustration, and map must be reviewed by multiple outside cultural consultants prior to publication.

Leveling Up Our Creative Process: Learnings From Spelljammer

In this blog post, I'll talk about how we in the D&D Studio are changing our review process following the problematic content that appeared in Spell...

www.dndbeyond.com

 

[FrogReaver]

When the content mirrors actual racist depictions and epithets, you should definitely believe it's offensive

Then why would someone of that race say it’s not offensive?

 

[Azzy]

Then why would someone of that race say it’s not offensive?

Ask them.

 

[FrogReaver]

Not mirroring real world racist depictions and epithets is always better.

Impossible. Nearly every negative depiction imaginable has has been used against some marginalized group. Often against multiple marginalized groups.

 

[FrogReaver]

Ask them.

Maybe you should before telling me that what they find no issue with shouldn’t be done.

 

[Azzy]

Impossible. Nearly every negative depiction imaginable has has been used against some marginalized group. Often against multiple marginalized groups.

Let's do nothing then is your argument, then?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Then why would someone of that race say it’s not offensive?

Why aren't all LGBTQ+ offended by the Q-slur?

Because these communities are not hiveminds. They all have different opinions and experiences. However, the offense of the people that do find the Q-slur offensive is not any less valid because there are people that don't find it offensive.

 

[FrogReaver]

Let's do nothing then is your argument, then?

Do nothing about what? Let’s get specific!

 

[Ixal]

As an American descended from people from Norway and Sweden that immigrated to the USA, I have heard some other people of Nordic descent complain about misrepresentations of their ancestors in the media. Not major complaints, but just small ones like Vikings having horned helmets or all Vikings being perceived as brutish barbarians when most were traders and farmers. And there is the larger issue of white supremacists using runes.

But, note, these issues either don't exist in D&D (white supremacist runes) or are really minor (frost giants having horned helmets). There is absolutely no valid comparison between "horned helmets are probably not historically accurate and not all Vikings were barbarians" and "hey, this lore and art echoes a lot of racist propaganda that has been used to justify systemic oppression against our people for hundreds of years".

That's the main point. Black people have been subjected to centuries of discrimination, including chattel slavery, for hundreds of years and the fallout of this discrimination is still a part of our modern culture. Norwegians are mildly annoyed about their ancestor's culture which did include raiding, raping, and stealing being a bit misrepresented in pop culture.

There is no good faith comparison between these two situations. Trying to compare the two shows a lack of education on the topic and extreme privilege.

You are free to instead of Vikings use a different group which often gets copied in RPGs who currently do not get the same kind of care and support from the public and who have a more tragic history.

Polish/Russians/Slavs for example (Area around Rashemen I think).

 

[Azzy]

Maybe you should before telling me that what they find no issue with shouldn’t be done.

"Nu-uh, you!"?

Again, some people not being offended does not negate the ones that are.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Then why would someone of that race say it’s not offensive?

It's not this forum's place to educate you on the complexities of racism, misogyny, homophobia and other forms of prejudice and discrimination.

Google it.