Hello! Thanks for clicking on this, I do appreciate it.
So I am experiencing a bit of a conundrum here, because I am white, but I'd really like to play a character based around African culture. (She is a fire genasi, so she is a person of color in every way except for her skin (red)). I grew up in South Africa so I wanted to bring some of my home country into my role playing games, particularly African music, as the character herself is a bard. I have based her look, culture and beliefs around Zulu culture.
I really enjoyed making this character, but I'm not sure if I should play her or not, because I am white, and I don't want to offend anyone.
Please leave your advice below!
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Pronouns: She/her/her's
Currently playing as Titaani Leelathae in The Wild beyond the Witchlight
You’re not concerned about playing an entirely different species than your own, but you’re concerned about a different skin tone of the same species.
Yep, and it's completely valid. One is a fantasy race that is fake, and the other is something that is real, and could legitimately offend people if done the wrong way.
I think the key point here for you specifically is, it's where you grew up. You have roots there OP, so while I, someone not from that country, would maybe misunderstand or misconstrue certain aspects, you have that knowledge from growing up there. As long as it's done in a way that you aren't making the character a stereotypical portrayal of that race, I think it's fine to explore certain aspects of it in a roleplaying/fantasy setting.
Obviously, real life has different connotations and delves into the concept of cultural appropriation, and some tables might see it that way too, so consult the people at your table to see how they feel on the concept because if someone does feel that way about it, you shouldn't do it. That being said, stepping outside our comfort zone in D&D is a wonderful thing and allows us to explore and experience things from different viewpoints.
In the end it’ll only matter to a handful of people: just everyone in your group. I’ve played in groups that were incredibly vulgar, and in others where everyone watched their tone because there were kids participating. That doesn’t mean that a group that’s unlikely to take offense absolves you of any moral responsibility, but as long as they can tell you’re being respectful you should be fine. Nobody outside the group is going to get the wrong idea, since they won’t experience what you’re doing - you don’t need to live up to some ideal standard, only to one that meets your group’s expectations and to your own.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I concur with Spideycloned. Talk with the people at your table, if any of them object or are otherwise uncomfortable then that is reason enough to run with a different character, but if they voice no concerns then I say go for it. From the sound of things, you have at least some familiarity with the culture, and you seem to want to handle it in a respectful manner. So long as you continue to keep an open mind in how you portray things with this character, I think that would made for a fun and interesting game.
Hello! Thanks for clicking on this, I do appreciate it.
So I am experiencing a bit of a conundrum here, because I am white, but I'd really like to play a character based around African culture. (She is a fire genasi, so she is a person of color in every way except for her skin (red)). I grew up in South Africa so I wanted to bring some of my home country into my role playing games, particularly African music, as the character herself is a bard. I have based her look, culture and beliefs around Zulu culture.
I really enjoyed making this character, but I'm not sure if I should play her or not, because I am white, and I don't want to offend anyone.
Please leave your advice below!
As a DM, I perform accents that represent many different cultures and people.
In my current game world, dwarves typically sound Welsh, Elves are Greek and have Greek names, the warrior monks are Chinese, genasi are East European and so on. In part this is just a way of doing different accents for different characters and having some kind of consistency.
There are clearly issues when one character is leaning heavily on a particular cultural background (and potentially getting it wrong) but it is the intention that matters. A culture or even an ethnicity is not one thing: it is made of millions of individuals, so play as an individual. Take inspiration from the world around you, however that is, and then change it into a fantasy version. The more you make it your own, the better. Be careful that you aren't playing a charicature.
I live in a multicultural and progressive city, and my players have been a mix of British, German, Greek, Italian, Kiwi, Polish, Chinese etc. They tend to understand that my accents are often not spot on (oddly I cannot do a Spanish accent, even after watching videos about it). But if someone rocked up with a bad cultural stereotype as a character I'd tell them "hell no," whatever culture or ethnicity it represented. My NPCs may have bad accents, but the characters themselves don't have any racial or cultural indicators. Patricia, the pregnant Neutral level 5 cleric of the Coastal Path deity may sound Welsh, but she is first and foremost an NPC and exists in my game world, not our own.
The best option:
Fundamentally you are going to be playing a fire genasi: take aspects of the culture you want to emulate, then change them a lot so that they're not recognisable. Be inspired by people, don't try to roleplay as them.
I don't have any answers here. I love that you asked the question. It's important to be empathetic and sincere. I think your question shows both. I also appreciate the thoughtful responses.
It's commendable that you're valuing the culture and values of others to do a decent job of representing their culture properly rather than as a caricature or a shallow white man's idea of what a black man thinks. That you're going to such lengths speaks to your intent and desire. I can't offer you tips in regards to Zulu culture, I'm not particularly knowledgeable about it and so I won't speak of what I don't know. However, if you show this real intent to understand the culture and have it genuinely influence your character design to those you play with, then any person worth their salt will not be offended. To the contrary, they'll be impressed and, if they're related to the culture, honoured. Anyone who still takes offence isn't worth worrying about. Hope you're able to have an awesome campaign with her. Let us know how it goes!
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
One is a fantasy race that is fake, and the other is something that is real, and could legitimately offend people if done the wrong way.
Supposed differences in human beings based on skin tone is what is fake.
Attempting to avoid offending someone who can claim to be offended for any reason or none at all is pointless.
While that is true ideally, the reality is that anyone white portraying someone of any other skin colour has, historically, almost always been used to ridicule non-whites. As such, there is massive emotional baggage there that society is still, sadly, a long ways from overcoming.
Furthermore, if skin colour has finally become irrelevant in current society (again, a very valid societal goal), then why would anyone feel the need to play a character of any specific skin colour?
Furthermore, even setting skin colour aside, there is the question of cultural sensitivity. The OP's question is misplaced since it is actually not specific directly to skin colour but to a specific culture, namely Zulu. No one would see the character's skin colour other than, perhaps by way of a single cameo image or figurine. Their appearance is likely to be described only on first introductions, relatively rare things. No one is likely to see the player's skin colour. However, portrayal of the culture is something that would happen constantly.
Some cultures guard their cultures jealously and feel strict about portrayals by anyone seen as an outsider, whereas other cultures rejoice in spreading their ways, even at the risk of cultural dilution. That would be a question the OP should ask locally, though. But, the OP being from South Africa, it begs the question as to why they would be asking here rather than asking there.
I'm afraid I was forced to immigrate to Australia a couple years ago so I can't actually ask over there.
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Pronouns: She/her/her's
Currently playing as Titaani Leelathae in The Wild beyond the Witchlight
I don't have any answers here. I love that you asked the question. It's important to be empathetic and sincere. I think your question shows both. I also appreciate the thoughtful responses.
Thank you, and I second your appreciation for all these thoughtful responses.
I really do appreciate you guys taking your time to answer me, I promise I am going to start putting your suggestions into practice. In the meantime, if you have any further comments, please feel free to share!
If you want to play a fictional race (a fire genasi) who has red skin, and want to have them using african style culture inspiring their music and origins, and you're doing so because you want it to be part of the world and not for face value, then I fail to see how this could in any way be seen as an issue.
Increasing the cultural base of the world you're playing in will only make it a richer one. Too many worlds are based entirely on medieval europe with a dusting of the orient for the monks. Very few feature any other extremely interesting cultures, presumably because the main creators of the franchise were white and there's this stereotype that white people can't represent other cultures properly.
The idea that the OP, who was raised in Africa, cannot use african culture because of their skin colour is, frankly, racist. There's no other word for making a decision about someone based solely on their race.
I want to remind EVERYONE that chooses to post in this thread that the OP is asking for constructive criticism, advice, and feedback, ideally from people of colour (aka, people with lived experience on the matter) on how to sensitively portray someone of a different ethnic, cultural or racial background than themselves. This post IS NOT for debating the existence of racism, what is or is not racist, or any other similar topics. If you cannot stay on topic, contribute constructively, and provide input in line with what the OP has asked for, you are under NO obligation to post. You can simply go about your day.
The OP reached out to the moderation team prior to making this post and was given explicit approval to ask this question. However, we will not allow bad actors to attempt to derail this valid discussion into inappropriate rants and tirades about faux victimhood, the non-existence or normalisation of racism, etc.
I want to remind EVERYONE that chooses to post in this thread that the OP is asking for constructive criticism, advice, and feedback, ideally from people of colour (aka, people with lived experience on the matter) on how to sensitively portray someone of a different ethnic, cultural or racial background than themselves. This post IS NOT for debating the existence of racism, what is or is not racist, or any other similar topics. If you cannot stay on topic, contribute constructively, and provide input in line with what the OP has asked for, you are under NO obligation to post. You can simply go about your day.
The OP reached out to the moderation team prior to making this post and was given explicit approval to ask this question. However, we will not allow bad actors to attempt to derail this valid discussion into inappropriate rants and tirades about faux victimhood, the non-existence or normalisation of racism, etc.
Thank you. It would be nice to able to read this thread without all the interference.
Communication is the solution to the majority of worries in D&D.
(I cannot speak for any other group than our own. You must speak to your group. None of us outside your group can provide a solid answer for you.)
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Hello, I'm an indigenous person. I personally feel flattered when others take an interest in my culture, but the main thing I look for is that the character being portrayed is a nuanced character. It can't just be a collection of stereotypes and an accent. Now, this doesn't mean you shouldn't do an accent, or avoid including any stereotypes, go on ahead! Just make sure that your character is much MORE than that.
Take the cartoon Samurai Jack, for example. He's voiced by a black man who pretty much leans into stereotypes with Jack's mannerisms and accent-- but Jack is SO much more than that and it's a large part of why he's such a beloved character.
Hello! Thanks for clicking on this, I do appreciate it.
So I am experiencing a bit of a conundrum here, because I am white, but I'd really like to play a character based around African culture. (She is a fire genasi, so she is a person of color in every way except for her skin (red)). I grew up in South Africa so I wanted to bring some of my home country into my role playing games, particularly African music, as the character herself is a bard. I have based her look, culture and beliefs around Zulu culture.
I really enjoyed making this character, but I'm not sure if I should play her or not, because I am white, and I don't want to offend anyone.
Please leave your advice below!
As a South African white person, you are radically more familiar with at least one African culture - the one you come from, in South Africa - than a "person of color" born and raised in a different culture. It's one thing to ask people of Zulu descent if they'd find this offensive - it's quite another to ask what you asked. It would be like asking white people in general if they'd be offended if you played your character as Swiss.
I'm not making this post to lean into attacking you for your post - I'm trying to answer you competently, which is why I'm trying to be explicit about what is and is not generally considered offensive. What is offensive is leaning into shallow racial "memes" (about any race) - for example, assuming someone of East Asian descent is good at math or martial arts. What isn't offensive is leaning into an actual, bona fide culture, provided you do your research - what you want to avoid is being a caricature/Flanderized. Accordingly, don't assume Zulus have any correlation with the entire set of Black people. Do actually look up the culture you're emulating, and try to get it right.
(I am bumping this post bc I think it is a worthy read.)
From my experience as a player and DM (online and IRL), as long as you have a good understanding with your group, and that you are not disrespecting the culture that you are representing, there should not be an issue. I am Asian, and I just started playing a voodoo witch doctor (he is actually based on the Disney character Dr. Facilier, long story). It never occurred to me to bring this facet of the character to the DM, for I never thought he would have a problem with this. The character also has a faux Jamaican accent. I explained the reasoning/story behind it to the DM, and he was cool with it. I play the character as I envisioned he would be in the adventure, and as far as I am concerned, he is a living breathing person. Just in like in real life, I never disrespect another person (player or DM), and as long as your character does the same, one should not have to worry about offending anyone.
I hope that you have the opportunity to play your Zulu character, and demonstrate to the world what is is all about. We all could use more cultural diversity in D&D or anything for that matter, really. Cheers.
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Kazri - Level 10 Human Paladin (Oath of the Ancients) - The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks Droknin Palemane - Level 4 Leonin Barbarian (Path of the Beast) - Where the Cold Winds Blow... A Lost Mines of Phandelver Story Faelan (Cottontail) Whisperwind - Level 3 Ranger (Fey Wanderer) - Zorg's Lost Souls II
"Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."
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Hello! Thanks for clicking on this, I do appreciate it.
So I am experiencing a bit of a conundrum here, because I am white, but I'd really like to play a character based around African culture. (She is a fire genasi, so she is a person of color in every way except for her skin (red)). I grew up in South Africa so I wanted to bring some of my home country into my role playing games, particularly African music, as the character herself is a bard. I have based her look, culture and beliefs around Zulu culture.
I really enjoyed making this character, but I'm not sure if I should play her or not, because I am white, and I don't want to offend anyone.
Please leave your advice below!
Pronouns: She/her/her's
Currently playing as Titaani Leelathae in The Wild beyond the Witchlight
You’re not concerned about playing an entirely different species than your own, but you’re concerned about a different skin tone of the same species.
Yep, and it's completely valid. One is a fantasy race that is fake, and the other is something that is real, and could legitimately offend people if done the wrong way.
I think the key point here for you specifically is, it's where you grew up. You have roots there OP, so while I, someone not from that country, would maybe misunderstand or misconstrue certain aspects, you have that knowledge from growing up there. As long as it's done in a way that you aren't making the character a stereotypical portrayal of that race, I think it's fine to explore certain aspects of it in a roleplaying/fantasy setting.
Obviously, real life has different connotations and delves into the concept of cultural appropriation, and some tables might see it that way too, so consult the people at your table to see how they feel on the concept because if someone does feel that way about it, you shouldn't do it. That being said, stepping outside our comfort zone in D&D is a wonderful thing and allows us to explore and experience things from different viewpoints.
Supposed differences in human beings based on skin tone is what is fake.
Attempting to avoid offending someone who can claim to be offended for any reason or none at all is pointless.
In the end it’ll only matter to a handful of people: just everyone in your group. I’ve played in groups that were incredibly vulgar, and in others where everyone watched their tone because there were kids participating. That doesn’t mean that a group that’s unlikely to take offense absolves you of any moral responsibility, but as long as they can tell you’re being respectful you should be fine. Nobody outside the group is going to get the wrong idea, since they won’t experience what you’re doing - you don’t need to live up to some ideal standard, only to one that meets your group’s expectations and to your own.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I concur with Spideycloned. Talk with the people at your table, if any of them object or are otherwise uncomfortable then that is reason enough to run with a different character, but if they voice no concerns then I say go for it. From the sound of things, you have at least some familiarity with the culture, and you seem to want to handle it in a respectful manner. So long as you continue to keep an open mind in how you portray things with this character, I think that would made for a fun and interesting game.
This post is categorically incorrect and shouldn't be engaged at all, except to say its categorically incorrect.
Well, it doesn't hurt reporting it as well.
As a DM, I perform accents that represent many different cultures and people.
In my current game world, dwarves typically sound Welsh, Elves are Greek and have Greek names, the warrior monks are Chinese, genasi are East European and so on. In part this is just a way of doing different accents for different characters and having some kind of consistency.
There are clearly issues when one character is leaning heavily on a particular cultural background (and potentially getting it wrong) but it is the intention that matters. A culture or even an ethnicity is not one thing: it is made of millions of individuals, so play as an individual. Take inspiration from the world around you, however that is, and then change it into a fantasy version. The more you make it your own, the better. Be careful that you aren't playing a charicature.
I live in a multicultural and progressive city, and my players have been a mix of British, German, Greek, Italian, Kiwi, Polish, Chinese etc. They tend to understand that my accents are often not spot on (oddly I cannot do a Spanish accent, even after watching videos about it). But if someone rocked up with a bad cultural stereotype as a character I'd tell them "hell no," whatever culture or ethnicity it represented. My NPCs may have bad accents, but the characters themselves don't have any racial or cultural indicators. Patricia, the pregnant Neutral level 5 cleric of the Coastal Path deity may sound Welsh, but she is first and foremost an NPC and exists in my game world, not our own.
The best option:
Fundamentally you are going to be playing a fire genasi: take aspects of the culture you want to emulate, then change them a lot so that they're not recognisable. Be inspired by people, don't try to roleplay as them.
I don't have any answers here. I love that you asked the question. It's important to be empathetic and sincere. I think your question shows both. I also appreciate the thoughtful responses.
It's commendable that you're valuing the culture and values of others to do a decent job of representing their culture properly rather than as a caricature or a shallow white man's idea of what a black man thinks. That you're going to such lengths speaks to your intent and desire. I can't offer you tips in regards to Zulu culture, I'm not particularly knowledgeable about it and so I won't speak of what I don't know. However, if you show this real intent to understand the culture and have it genuinely influence your character design to those you play with, then any person worth their salt will not be offended. To the contrary, they'll be impressed and, if they're related to the culture, honoured. Anyone who still takes offence isn't worth worrying about. Hope you're able to have an awesome campaign with her. Let us know how it goes!
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I'm afraid I was forced to immigrate to Australia a couple years ago so I can't actually ask over there.
Pronouns: She/her/her's
Currently playing as Titaani Leelathae in The Wild beyond the Witchlight
Thank you, and I second your appreciation for all these thoughtful responses.
I really do appreciate you guys taking your time to answer me, I promise I am going to start putting your suggestions into practice. In the meantime, if you have any further comments, please feel free to share!
Pronouns: She/her/her's
Currently playing as Titaani Leelathae in The Wild beyond the Witchlight
If you want to play a fictional race (a fire genasi) who has red skin, and want to have them using african style culture inspiring their music and origins, and you're doing so because you want it to be part of the world and not for face value, then I fail to see how this could in any way be seen as an issue.
Increasing the cultural base of the world you're playing in will only make it a richer one. Too many worlds are based entirely on medieval europe with a dusting of the orient for the monks. Very few feature any other extremely interesting cultures, presumably because the main creators of the franchise were white and there's this stereotype that white people can't represent other cultures properly.
The idea that the OP, who was raised in Africa, cannot use african culture because of their skin colour is, frankly, racist. There's no other word for making a decision about someone based solely on their race.
So, OP, do it!
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I want to remind EVERYONE that chooses to post in this thread that the OP is asking for constructive criticism, advice, and feedback, ideally from people of colour (aka, people with lived experience on the matter) on how to sensitively portray someone of a different ethnic, cultural or racial background than themselves. This post IS NOT for debating the existence of racism, what is or is not racist, or any other similar topics. If you cannot stay on topic, contribute constructively, and provide input in line with what the OP has asked for, you are under NO obligation to post. You can simply go about your day.
The OP reached out to the moderation team prior to making this post and was given explicit approval to ask this question. However, we will not allow bad actors to attempt to derail this valid discussion into inappropriate rants and tirades about faux victimhood, the non-existence or normalisation of racism, etc.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Thank you. It would be nice to able to read this thread without all the interference.
Talk with the DM and the other players.
Communication is the solution to the majority of worries in D&D.
(I cannot speak for any other group than our own. You must speak to your group. None of us outside your group can provide a solid answer for you.)
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Hello, I'm an indigenous person. I personally feel flattered when others take an interest in my culture, but the main thing I look for is that the character being portrayed is a nuanced character. It can't just be a collection of stereotypes and an accent. Now, this doesn't mean you shouldn't do an accent, or avoid including any stereotypes, go on ahead! Just make sure that your character is much MORE than that.
Take the cartoon Samurai Jack, for example. He's voiced by a black man who pretty much leans into stereotypes with Jack's mannerisms and accent-- but Jack is SO much more than that and it's a large part of why he's such a beloved character.
(I am bumping this post bc I think it is a worthy read.)
From my experience as a player and DM (online and IRL), as long as you have a good understanding with your group, and that you are not disrespecting the culture that you are representing, there should not be an issue. I am Asian, and I just started playing a voodoo witch doctor (he is actually based on the Disney character Dr. Facilier, long story). It never occurred to me to bring this facet of the character to the DM, for I never thought he would have a problem with this. The character also has a faux Jamaican accent. I explained the reasoning/story behind it to the DM, and he was cool with it. I play the character as I envisioned he would be in the adventure, and as far as I am concerned, he is a living breathing person. Just in like in real life, I never disrespect another person (player or DM), and as long as your character does the same, one should not have to worry about offending anyone.
I hope that you have the opportunity to play your Zulu character, and demonstrate to the world what is is all about. We all could use more cultural diversity in D&D or anything for that matter, really. Cheers.
Kazri - Level 10 Human Paladin (Oath of the Ancients) - The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks
Droknin Palemane - Level 4 Leonin Barbarian (Path of the Beast) - Where the Cold Winds Blow... A Lost Mines of Phandelver Story
Faelan (Cottontail) Whisperwind - Level 3 Ranger (Fey Wanderer) - Zorg's Lost Souls II
"Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."