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

 

[Ixal]

Is your position that Black Americans deserved to be mocked and harmed in D&D products because the D&D products don't have negative representation of Poles or Slavs?

Or is there a specific product you are questioning that should be reviewed? And the harm done in Spelljammer can be removed?

There's a real improvement that WotC is trying. They'll listen. They'll act. That's good. They are being better than they were.

The representation of Rashemen and the surrounding area as backwards barbarians which are inspired by slavic culture as far from flattering. So should WotC be pressured to change that? How many people need to complain before you jump on and start to complain for the polish and slavic people? Should they even have to complain first or should you complain in their stead?

This stopped in 1648, though. A more relevant example of Polish would be the nazi-era Germany's call for "the complete destruction of all Poles".

Devshirme was the Balkans, not Poland. Although I doubt the Nazis had a much better view of them.

Point is as historic tragedy being apparently the measurement if people should be concerned about the representation of a culture (something I do not agree with), is this tragic enought that you now start complaining to WotC on behalf of the Slavic and Polish people?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

This stopped in 1648, though. A more relevant example of Polish would be the nazi-era Germany's call for "the complete destruction of all Poles".

and to this day one of the few ethnics that still get a 'pass' on being insulted... the stereotype of a dumb polish person is one of the jokes that still can be said on American tv

 

[Minigiant]

I think the big picture is missed.

It's actually easy to not be offensive to most groups in Worldbuilding as a major company.

Copying elements of real life cultures and people is usually purposeful.

90% of the time, when some worldbuilder copies negative elements of a real world culture,it usually as a shortcut, facevalue fetishization, purposeful offense, or copying 1 of the 3 due to past popularity,

There are times when it's not one of those four and it is a pure coincidental accidental oops. But that isn't common.

 

[Irlo]

How many people need to be offended before WotC must change something? Again in regards to the Satan Panic people.
And how can this number even be determined? Twitter noise?

There is never a point at which WotC must change something. They get to decide if and when to change something. Why is a specific number important to you?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The representation of Rashemen and the surrounding area as backwards barbarians which are inspired by slavic culture as far from flattering. So should WotC be pressured to change that? How many people need to complain before you jump on and start to complain for the polish and slavic people? Should they even have to complain first or should you complain in their stead?

man... maybe if they hire an outside firm to read through things for sensitivity they can catch that... oh that's what they are doing now.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Copying elements of real life cultures and people is usually purposeful.

90% of the time, when some worldbuilder copies negative elements of a real world culture,it usually as a shortcut, facevalue fetishization, purposeful offense, or copying 1 of the 3 due to past popularity,

lets be honest here though... every TSR era setting is full of this. Every updated world from 198x or 199x are going to have these things and needs to be found and fixed... but as we see with DL people will be upset at ANY change, and some of these are going to have to be pretty big.

 

[Minigiant]

lets be honest here though... every TSR era setting is full of this. Every updated world from 198x or 199x are going to have these things and needs to be found and fixed... but as we see with DL people will be upset at ANY change, and some of these are going to have to be pretty big.

That has been on my poster for 5e for more than 2 years now.

"Stop Releasing Old Settings. Make New Ones"

Reprinting Old Settings recreates the stereotypes designed by writers who didn't care about offense.
Remaking Old Setting uspets fans of the old setting and WOTC wont be carely until they make multiple scandals.

Make new settings. Have fire, water, air, and earth elves and jungle dwarves with gem armors and stone swords.

 

[Bill Zebub]

This topic always brings out the same crowd, making the same tired arguments.

Hopefully the thread will get locked soon.

 

[Ixal]

man... maybe if they hire an outside firm to read through things for sensitivity they can catch that... oh that's what they are doing now.

And have you asked if people from Poland and the Balkans have actually a problem with it?
Who gets to decide if "that" is something to be caught? Me? You? I am not from there and only imagined that some people might have a problem with the representation of NotPoland/Balkans in the FR. Is that enough to remove it?

If I had not posted all that stuff you would not have cared one bit about how Poland and Slavs are portrayed (and I have the feeling you still don't).

 

[bedir than]

The representation of Rashemen and the surrounding area as backwards barbarians which are inspired by slavic culture as far from flattering. So should WotC be pressured to change that? How many people need to complain before you jump on and start to complain for the polish and slavic people? Should they even have to complain first or should you complain in their stead?

Ok. So you are willing to agree that the Hadozee change is good. That's great.

Your hypothetical is not in my area of expertise. I cannot speak to the Rashemen and their potential being coded Slavs. I also cannot speak how their coding is harmful. I am not a cultural consultant and again, that's not an area I know well enough to even offer strong advice.

That's why it is good that Wizards is hiring experts. Because those are people with training. I happen to think that expertise matters.