In case you missed it over the weekend:

Our co-owner @eugenemarshall was interviewed for this important article in @WIRED. Our book, Ancestry & Culture: an Alternative to Race in 5e, is discussed too!

Here’s the gist of the article's argument:

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#dnd #dnd5e @Wizards_DnD https://twitter.com/WIRED/status/1353388784801472514

Race in #DnD needs revising for 3 reasons.

First, it has its origin in racist fantasy tropes inherited from Howard, Lovecraft, and Tolkien.

Yes, their ideas were racist, even for the time they were writing, and they’re worse now. But that’s not the only issue here.

#DnD5e
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Orcs don’t need to stand for a minority for the idea to be harmful.

Having racially inferior races deserving only of enslavement or death, even children, is what the worst racists said about blacks, Asians, etc.

See this thread for more on that:

https://twitter.com/arcanistpress/status/1345414149363400704?s=21

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Second, many players report feeling unwelcome in #DnD when they encounter these real world racist tropes in their escapist fantasy.

If we want a bigger, better community, we should change the game to make it more welcoming and inclusive.

#DnD #dnd5e #orcs
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Third, now that folks have spoken up about this issue, some in the community have been pushing back, doubling down on the racist tropes. Some have even attacked the marginalized players who have shared their experiences.

#DnD #DnD5e @Wizards_DnD

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Even if racism wasn’t an issue in #DnD before, those racist attack show it is now. A great way to support those folks being attacked is to listen to their stories & respect their experiences. If they say these tropes are harmful, then, damn it, they are. Period.

#DnD #racism
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@Wizards_DnD is moving in the right direction, but we all can do more, both to keep pressure on WotC & to improve our community directly.

We should remove racist tropes from our games, listen to & support marginalized players & creators, & call out racism everywhere.

#DnD 7/8

We speak out because we love #DnD5e, but we think it can be even better. We want the #DnD community to be as big & welcoming as possible. That's why this article matters.

Thanks to @cecianasta, & to the others who spoke to her for the piece. We're honored to be included.

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Addendum:
Our book tries to remove some of the racist tropes from #DnD5e.

There are also some amazing marginalized creators doing the work of improving #DnD for us all, concerning race, disability, & more. They deserve their own thread, up next. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/314622?affiliate_id=297003