5e races

For people who love D&D but want it to change, promises to look at the alignment system and rework “evil races” often feel like one step forward and two steps back. The issue is complicated and fraught. It’s tied into a history of racial stereotypes and nerd power fantasies. But the conversions are happening, and the change is often led by the community. “I think more thought needs to be put into how we communicate the dnd races behavior of monsters, ‘races,’ and more,” Kwan says. “Belief systems and cultures are complex, as are the behavior of creatures in nature! While I welcome the effort that Wizards is making, I think it’s also important for them to introduce new ways of characterizing the entities that players encounter in their stories.”

The loudest voices criticizing D&D right now are doing it out of love. They don’t want to see it destroyed, they want it to change with the times. “If what I say has any impact on changing the things that I fought so hard for, that got ignored or pushed aside, if that can go away just a little bit, it’ll be worth it,” Black says.

Walker thinks D&D is an important entry point for tabletop role-playing but hopes it will push people to seek out other forms. “D&D crossed over, but role-playing games didn’t,” he said. “The space is incredibly vibrant right now. It’s better than it’s ever been. To its credit, part of that is that D&D is a great entryway into the hobby for many people. I just wish more people looked outside of it to see what the solutions for those problems were.”

Wizards of the Coast declined to provide any comment on this story and pointed me to its blog posts on the subject.

Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D, has grown from a complicated game played in musty basements to a worldwide phenomenon. Thanks to shows like Stranger Things and Big Bang Theory, the world of D&D has been introduced to more people than ever before – while the rise of podcasts and web series like Critical Role and Acquisitions Incorporated, where people play D&D online for everyone to watch, the latest 5th Edition of the game (known as '5E') has attracted a wider audience far beyond your typical nerds.

D&D is all about imagination. It’s a system that allows you and your friends to tell a story together, and it can be any story you want it to be. As someone who's been playing for years, I often have friends and family ask me to explain what this strange fantasy game is all about – and why I’m so addicted to buying new dice.