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i have a question for fellow dungeons & dragons fans and other ttrpg fans
i am making a set of humanoid species intended to be used in classic fantasy settings. the species will be reminiscent of the classic races from d&d (i.e. goblins, orcs, dwarves/gnomes) but provide a sort of... alternative? it's meant to be alternative species for players who do not feel comfortable with playing the original races due to their potentially racist and/or ableist origins.
before anyone comments, the reason i am doing this is to provide an *alternative* and not to replace them. if some people are comfortable with playing the og races then thats fine, you can do you. but there are people who find it uncomfortable at times. i am of the belief that there is a right way to do it, but you have to be mindful. that being said, these alternative species will most likely be put in one of my books, or translated into d&d itself as playable species. i dont expect them to become popular
as part of gathering data and research for this, i want to ask other people online what they think.
what aspects of goblins, orcs, dwarves, gnomes, and other creatures do you find integral to the classic fantasy ttrpg experience? for example, do you feel goblins MUST have big ears? and stuff like that. you can suggest anything for any species including ones that i have not mentioned
i am going to be using humans, elves, and faeries but i feel as though they do not need to be changed. i am creating an alternative to goblins that are based on bats, and orcs will be mostly the same but based on boars because boars are cool. the dwarves and gnomes are most likely going to be removed as a separate species, but instead each humanoid species will have people with dwarfism within the population just like real life.
if you are wondering why i am doing this, then i encourage you to look online at people's accounts of their experiences of racism and ableism and how it relates to the topic at hand. if i were to explain it then i wouldnt be able to do it justice. just know and be aware that many depictions of dwarves in fantasy are ableist and dehumanizing, depictions of goblins have been historically antisemitic, and orcs are sometimes used to be anti-black and anti-indigenous. of course, this is not always the case, but many authors and forefathers to the fantasy genre were closed-minded in that regard (looking at you gygax) and that has clearly made waves
and remember, if you dont have anything nice to say then dont say anything at all. thank you!
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