Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Dungeons & Dragons, has published a blog post outlining a new approach to diversity in the famous tabletop role-playing game.
“Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is strength, for only a diverse group of adventurers can overcome the many challenges a D&D story presents,” the company posted on June 17. “In that spirit, making D&D as welcoming and inclusive as possible has moved to the forefront of our priorities over the last six years.”
WotC then outlined a series of measures it would take to alter racial depictions in their published content. “Racially insensitive” messaging in Tomb of Annihilation and Curse of Strahd is first on the block for reprint, including the latter adventure’s stereotypical “gypsy” race, the Vistani.
Furthermore, the gaming company will release a supplement highlighting rules-compatible customization of characters of any fantasy race, which “emphasizes that each person in the game is an individual with capabilities all their own,” removing traditional restrictions — like races that are naturally “evil.” In the brave new world of Dungeons & Dragons, the orcs and goblins are now apparently the good guys.
They also announced a “proactive” search for “new, diverse talent to join our staff and our pool of freelance writers and artists,” saying:
We’ve brought in contributors who reflect the beautiful diversity of the D&D community to work on books coming out in 2021. We’re going to invest even more in this approach and add a broad range of new voices to join the chorus of D&D storytelling.
“This part of our work will never end. We know that every day someone finds the courage to voice their truth, and we’re here to listen,” WotC concluded. “We are eternally grateful for the ongoing dialog with the D&D community, and we look forward to continuing to improve D&D for generations to come.”
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