I notice the word “race” isn’t used. Is WOTC looking to exchange that word with another, perhaps more accurate word?

2 thoughts on “I notice the word “race” isn’t used. Is WOTC looking to exchange that word with another, perhaps more accurate word?

  1. Adventuren3rd says:

    Is that a hint? I like “Ancestry” and “Culture”. To me, “Species” is too science-y not in an anachronistic way, but in a verisimilitude way that will that beg consideration of things like “Are half-elves infertile like mules?” And that, my fellow adventurers, is the same kind of thing that got us into this mess, asking “What race is superior?” and “Can you have half-orcs without rape?”

  2. Rico says:

    My group has pretty much wholesale moved to “ancestry” as well, as it’s a better, clearer term. (But we’re not terrible sticklers: “species” and “race” are acceptable synonyms.) I think “race” is mostly troublesome because it’s so nebulous and in the real world is so often used to describe arbitrary distinctions. In fantasy and sci-fi, it almost always means species. In any case, racial identity (in any of its meanings) is nothing to hide from, in the real world or in fantasy, as long as you’re going to be open and honest about it. If you just want to blow stuff up with fireballs, yeah, you should probably find a less politically charged word and avoid the controversy.

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