Uploaded March 2019 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Dungeons and Dragons is renowned for giving players the ability to express themselves with its near limitless process of character creation and roleplaying. Though with that level of creative freedom, I think it's important that we properly examine some aspects of character creation that might have gone unquestioned by some people, namely the ways that race has been contextualized by D&D, the Forgotten Realms, and the Fantasy Genre at large. This video is not meant to be a condemnation of D&D and fantasy, and it doesn't seek to be the most definitive take on this complicated subject. Rather, it seeks to present this problem to those who have been unaware of this subject, in hopes that more people will explore ways to improve the experience of Dungeons and Dragons.
That said, I hope you enjoy this video, and may your saving throws succeed and your perception checks roll high.
Sources:
Antero Garcia (2017) Privilege, Power, and Dungeons & Dragons: How Systems Shape Racial and Gender Identities in Tabletop Role-Playing Games, Mind, Culture, and Activity, 24:3, 232-246, DOI: 10.1080/10749039.2017.1293691
“Drow.” Forgotten Realms Wiki, Fandom Incorporated, forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Drow.
Ellis, Lindsay, and Angelina Meehan. Bright: The Apotheosis of Lazy Worldbuilding. YouTube, 1 Feb. 2018, youtube.com/watch?v=gLOxQxMnEz8.
Kirtley, David Barr. “Interview: R. A. Salvatore.” Lightspeed Magazine, John Joseph Adams, 27 Jan. 2013, lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/interview-r-a-salvatore/.
“Moriquendi.” Tolkien Gateway, MediaWiki, 22 Oct. 2005, tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Moriquendi.
Olsen, Dan, director. The Thermian Argument. Folding Ideas, YouTube, 17 Sept. 2015, youtube.com/watch?v=AxV8gAGmbtk.
Salvatore, R. A. Homeland. Wizards of the Coast LLC, 2005. Originally Published by TSR in 1990, Forgotten Realms originally created by Ed Greenwood
Sturtevant, Paul B. “Race: the Original Sin of the Fantasy Genre.” The Public Medievalist, 20 Dec. 2018, publicmedievalist.com/race-fantasy-genre/.
Witwer, Michael, et al. Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: a Visual History. 1st ed., Ten Speed Press, 2018.
Young, Helen. Race and Popular Fantasy Literature : Habits of Whiteness. Routledge, 2016. EBSCOhost, login.lib-proxy.usi.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1051192&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Like what you saw? Please give this video a like and share it around, if you want.
If you would like to see more material from me, please also considering subscribing to the channel for future updates.
Were there issues in the video? Got any ideas for what I should examine next? Liked what I had to say? Do you have any other insights? Leave a comment and tell me what you thought!
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Twitter: twitter.com/kathmanhenry
Tumblr: henrykathman.tumblr.com
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#DND #DungeonsandDragons
**FAIR USE DISCLAIMER**
Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
More info at copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html
Dungeons and Dragons is renowned for giving players the ability to express themselves with its near limitless process of character creation and roleplaying. Though with that level of creative freedom, I think it's important that we properly examine some aspects of character creation that might have gone unquestioned by some people, namely the ways that race has been contextualized by D&D, the Forgotten Realms, and the Fantasy Genre at large. This video is not meant to be a condemnation of D&D and fantasy, and it doesn't seek to be the most definitive take on this complicated subject. Rather, it seeks to present this problem to those who have been unaware of this subject, in hopes that more people will explore ways to improve the experience of Dungeons and Dragons.
That said, I hope you enjoy this video, and may your saving throws succeed and your perception checks roll high.
Sources:
Antero Garcia (2017) Privilege, Power, and Dungeons & Dragons: How Systems Shape Racial and Gender Identities in Tabletop Role-Playing Games, Mind, Culture, and Activity, 24:3, 232-246, DOI: 10.1080/10749039.2017.1293691
“Drow.” Forgotten Realms Wiki, Fandom Incorporated, forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Drow.
Ellis, Lindsay, and Angelina Meehan. Bright: The Apotheosis of Lazy Worldbuilding. YouTube, 1 Feb. 2018, youtube.com/watch?v=gLOxQxMnEz8.
Kirtley, David Barr. “Interview: R. A. Salvatore.” Lightspeed Magazine, John Joseph Adams, 27 Jan. 2013, lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/interview-r-a-salvatore/.
“Moriquendi.” Tolkien Gateway, MediaWiki, 22 Oct. 2005, tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Moriquendi.
Olsen, Dan, director. The Thermian Argument. Folding Ideas, YouTube, 17 Sept. 2015, youtube.com/watch?v=AxV8gAGmbtk.
Salvatore, R. A. Homeland. Wizards of the Coast LLC, 2005. Originally Published by TSR in 1990, Forgotten Realms originally created by Ed Greenwood
Sturtevant, Paul B. “Race: the Original Sin of the Fantasy Genre.” The Public Medievalist, 20 Dec. 2018, publicmedievalist.com/race-fantasy-genre/.
Witwer, Michael, et al. Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: a Visual History. 1st ed., Ten Speed Press, 2018.
Young, Helen. Race and Popular Fantasy Literature : Habits of Whiteness. Routledge, 2016. EBSCOhost, login.lib-proxy.usi.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1051192&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Like what you saw? Please give this video a like and share it around, if you want.
If you would like to see more material from me, please also considering subscribing to the channel for future updates.
Were there issues in the video? Got any ideas for what I should examine next? Liked what I had to say? Do you have any other insights? Leave a comment and tell me what you thought!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Twitter: twitter.com/kathmanhenry
Tumblr: henrykathman.tumblr.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#DND #DungeonsandDragons
**FAIR USE DISCLAIMER**
Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
More info at copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html
