by Dungeons & Dragons is currently going through some changes. A public playtest of new rules called One D&D began in August, and several tonal shifts in its portrayal of fantasy have been introduced in recent years. That includes trying to move away from racial stereotypes by changing things like the depiction of the Romani-like people called the Vistani in the Ravenloft books. Not everything has been smooth sailing, and after criticism that the way Spelljammer’s flying ape people called hadozee resembled racist stereotypes, Wizards of the Coast first apologized and then changed the review process to include cultural consultants for all D&D books.
The next step, as explained in a blog post published on D&D Beyond (opens in a new tab) today, is moving on from using the word “race” to describe elves, dwarves, and the various other options players can choose from when creating their characters. Which, frankly, has always seemed inappropriate, even ignoring the fact that it’s been used to describe options as diverse as humanoid dragons, talking plants, and essentially robots.
“Dungeons & Dragons has a history of evolving to meet the needs of our players and create a welcoming space for all,” the blog post explains. “With that in mind, we understand that ‘race’ is a problematic term that has had prejudices between people in the real world and the fantasy folk of D&D worlds. The use of the term across D&D and other popular IP has evolved over time. Now it’s time for the next evolution.”
The final set of playtest rules for One D&D (opens in a new tab) reflect this by using the word “species” instead. “We have made the decision to move on from using the term ‘race’ throughout One D&D, and we do not intend to return to that term,” says Wizards of the Coast. “The term ‘species’ was chosen in close collaboration with several external cultural consultants.”
Other popular fantasy RPGs have taken similar steps in recent years. Pathfinder’s second edition, released in 2019, used the word “ancestors” instead, while Warhammer switched to “species” beginning with Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play’s fourth edition in 2018.
Each new playtest pack for One D&D is followed by a survey, and the next one will begin on December 21st, where “players will be able to provide feedback on the concept of ‘species’ along with everything else found in the playtest material.”
The blog post concludes by saying, “We welcome your constructive feedback on this development and the many more developments to One D&D that make this game exciting, open and accessible to all. Dragons and elves belong in our world and so do you .”
