Thread by @ArcanistPress

#Race in #DnD:
Racial Essentialism is the view that talents, behaviors, and&personalities can be generalized across groups of people simply in virtue of their 'racial' category. It's the core of real world racism.

So why is it an central part of #DnD5e?
#ttrpg @wizards_DnD
1/4

I know, orcs & elves aren’t real. But folks who have suffered racist harm often recognize racial essentialism when they see it, & seeing it when they are trying to make their PCs for #DnD can ruin their fun and alienate them.

#ttrpgs #DnD5e @Wizards_DnD

2/4

Imagine including another form of social violence as a necessary part of PC creation in #DnD. Imagine if you had to encounter sexual assault when making your #DnD5e character! Yes, it's pretend. But that still can ruin someone's experience.
#ttrpgs @Wizards_DnD
3/5

So, if we want to include those folks & grow our community, we should make racial essentialism something to opt INTO, rather than opt OUT of. If a group discusses it & wants to go that route, they can, but the default system doesn’t mandate it.

#DnD #DnD5e @Wizards_DnD

4/5

That’s why we created Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e, so folks can play #DnD5e as written, with one small change — removing racial essentialism. Check out the free 30 page preview & decide for yourself.

#DnD #ttrpg @Wizards_DnD
drivethrurpg.com/product/314622…
5/5