Frazier approaches the changes with a cautious optimism, saying that one of the most important things Wizards of the Coast can do is bring on more diverse writers onto its roster. The world of tabletop role playing games - like many other communities - is currently figuring out its role in the broader dialogue about racism.

The announcement of these changes was met with mixed reviews by the fanbase. 'It's just they will be villains because they have made villainous choices, not because they were born villainous,' says Crawford. Of course, any good game needs its villains. And D&D is a game about being yourself and being anyone you want to be.' they're evil, they're very one dimensional. 'A lot of the characters that are black or brown or blue. 'It's hard to see yourself in any role playing D&D if you're a person of color - specifically Black and brown people,' she says. When she first started getting into the game, and was trying to encourage her Black friends to do the same, she got a certain amount of hesitance. Lauren Frazier is game developer and a massive D&D fan. 'It is this thing lurking under the surface that really is painful for people who have faced those sorts of stereotypes in the real world,' says Jeremy Crawford, the principal rules designer for D&D. Drow (dark elves that live underground) were dark skinned and inherently evil.Īuthor Interviews After 40 Years, Dungeons & Dragons Still Brings Players To The Table

While it's generally up to you if your character is good or evil or somewhere in between, historically some of these characters were depicted in a villainous, monstrous light. These classifications each come with their own backstories, as well as their own baggage. D&D heroes come from widely varying backgrounds: sturdy, practical dwarves, high-minded elves, savage half-orcs, trouble-making humans, and others united in seeking glory. They can be a human or an elf or a gnome or some other mythical creature. When you play Dungeons and Dragons - usually referred to as D&D - one of the first steps is to create a character. While this includes editing some past racist descriptions, as well as adding more diverse writers, the game's designers are also making a fundamental change to the way certain playable characters are portrayed. The classic role playing game's publisher, Wizards of the Coast, recently announced some changes it was making to the game in response to the ongoing protests over racism and police violence. In Dungeons & Dragons, races like orcs and the dark-skinned underground elves known as drow will no longer be inherently evil.ĭungeons and Dragons is reconsidering what it means to be evil.

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