On Thursday, 6.18.2020, Wizards of the Coast released a statement regarding the various diversity issues plaguing Dungeons & Dragons. You can read that statement here:
It’s a start, and right now they’re just words. In the statement, Wizards mentioned three upcoming products to address some of these issues, and I hope these products are every bit as inclusive as the statement alludes (or surprise us with more!).
I love D&D for opening my eyes to the world of TTRPGs, and I’m sure many of you share that sentiment. It’s gotten me through rough times and helped create everlasting memories with my friends. BUT, don’t think for a minute I won’t drop D&D like a bad habit if the changes promised, the changes needed, aren’t made. I hope you can stand there with me.
Remember, folx.
It’s. Just. A. Game.
No game is worth reinforcing the marginalization of others, reflecting the ugly truths of the real world back at them. I’m listening, boosting, and supporting so we can stop believing the only way our non straight-white-guy friends can enjoy the same privileges and lifestyles as us is through a gods-be-damned table game.
Even then, these past few weeks have been a rude awakening for me. I’m naive and optimistic to a fault, so hearing these personal accounts of normalized discrimination in the TTRPG space have been heavy on my soul. The comments to these stories have been more damning.
I have to believe we can get better. I have to believe I can one day roll into a Convention, set down my dice, and see strangers (read as: new friends) of all sorts come to the table without hesitation (Unless you hesitate because you’re shy; I’m bad at meeting new people, too).
That world won’t just exist out of nothing; we have to take it by force. We do that by ENSURING the discrimination ends. We do that by defending our friends against bigotry and prejudice. We do that by holding WotC and all TTRPG developers to these promises.
This has been my run-on way of saying I’m optimistic, but I’m cautious. I hope you are too. If not, then I ask you to at least be cautious.
We love TTRPGs, but we have to start loving the people who play them more.
-Matthew Wulf
Amethyst Wulf Games 