So, at the risk of being slapped around for bringing this up, I am wondering if anyone else has seen a bias in the recently published Dragonlance campaign. Although I cannot say for certain, I believe I have enjoyed seeing a pretty even spread of race and gender throughout the 5e WotC campaigns. And while I am really enjoying the playthrough of Shadow of the Dragon Queen, I've noticed that there is a strong bias toward female NPCs in the writing. Granted, I have not read all the way through the campaign, but I do believe there is a pattern. For instance, here are the NPCs through the chapter on Kalaman:
Becklin Uth Viharin = Female
Darrett Highwater = Male
Lord Bakaris Uth Estide = Male
Bakaris the Younger = Male
Yalme (owner of the Brass Crab) = Female
Froswin = Gender Unknown
Raven Uth Vogler = Female
Captain Ridomir “Cudgel” Ironsmile = Female
Jeyev Veldrews (mercenary assassin) = Male
Wharfinger Umpton Lanth = Male
Leedara = Female
Gragonis (Cudgel's disloyal lieutenant) - Female
Than (creator of the gnomeflinger) = Male
Kansaldi Fire Eyes = Female
Governor Calof Miat = Male
Marshal Nestra Vendri = Female
Kadmos and Tiria Hammerstrike = Gender Unknown
Meulara (Meulara's Oddities) = Female
Jesen Thold (of the Steady Beacon) = Gender Unknown
Wyhan (black-robe mage) = Female
Tatina Rookledust = Female
(bolded names are NPCs with relevance to the story)
I would argue that most all of the main NPCs who have a positive impact on the story are female, with the exception of Darrett Highwater. And, the only NPCs who seem to have a negative impact on the story thus far (Lord Bakaris and his son) are male. Yes, there certainly is Kansaldi Fire Eyes, who is female, but my players have yet to interact with her.
Is there a thematic element in the story that I've missed? I have no issue with female characters (putting that out there before I'm accused of it), but there is definitely a strong bias towards them in this campaign. Just wondering: 1. if anyone has recognized this, and 2. what your thoughts might be.
The story arcs in the original dragonlance had examples of women over-coming the patriarchy, and others over coming specie-ism and racism. Contemporary DND says ... we're trying to have fun at this table not delve into social issues that upset people ... and so the fantasy world is post patriarchal and post racism/specie-ist. However, the drow have remained matriarchal. The downside is that individuals that fell into these traps in the past could readily be identified as evil, and fantasy typical relies on good vs. evil themes. Nothing in these comments are intended to be emotionally charged but simply offered as an explanation of both sides of the story.
Im just wrapping this adventure up after playing it once a week for 2 years straight! I can say without a doubt that there is balance in the male/female casting choices. It never seemed over the top to me. My players loved it. I had to embellish parts of the book because not enough attention was given to character development and story moments.
A.) What I recognize is that portraying women as capable and in positions of leadership on parity with men is good storytelling. And I question using the term "bias" with all its negative connotations to describe WotC depicting women having agency and making meaningful contributions to the movement of the plot, especially after decades of men being over-represented as leaders and shapers of events.
2.) I find it weird the original poster claims to not have a problem with women being portrayed prominently (which they absolutely shouldn't, by the way) but still made a whole thread to call it out as a problem.
Men were never the sole demographic. Women played D&D back in the day. They were unfortunately excluded from a lot of tables - a problem that hasn't entirely been extinguished. And you're right that in ages past when D&D wasn't as popular as it was now people who did play it were often looked down on for it, and not just when the satanic panic hit. I remember how things were back then. I remember being ostrasized for a lot of my hobbies because I grew up being a nerd before it was cool That's why I reject gatekeeping and exclusivity and making people who have traditionally been excluded feel unwelcome. The lesson I learned from living through those times was this: Being bullied and othered and excluded sucks, and I have an obligation to not perpetuate that kind of behavior.
You're right that D&D is a product of our real world. And that's the source of a lot of the problems that have made people feel unwelcome. Because without significant, maintained, intentional effort it's impossiible to have a product of our real world that doesn't replicate our real world problems. For decades D&D replicated real-world problems around racism and sexism, partially because people steeped in our culture didn't closely interrogate how they were recreating our cultural problems in the game and partially because some of the early designers - Gary Gygax included - explicitly wanted to invoke real-world racist stereotypes as in-game stereotypes.
Ok, This again THIS AGAIN. I know i missed it, but I don't care, to what ever fresh skidmark startecomplaining about ladies in adventures...
STOP WHINGING THAT WOMEN PLAY AND APPEAR IN THE GAME! When i started in the 90s, there were veteran women player who started in the 70s. They wouldn't say much because a 40 year old woman might not want to talk to a 12 year old boy (me) during the height of the satanic panic. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE.
as to Drangonlance specifically, I want to point out, that one of the Authors, the person who created half the setting, Margaret Weis, IS A WOMAN. We wouldn't have Drangonlance without women so stop getting your boxer stuck in your braces about women in the game.
(For anyone wondering why i am going off so hard, I had to deal with some 'women out of gaming' chud last night and i was not able to force choke him through the internet, so I am still pissed. So pissed i became British for a second. )
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
I feel like I look a little unhinged complaining about necroposting now that the last comment before the one I posted yesterday is... one I posted in June. I swear there was a comment there, and part of it took a rather naive position that real-world issues don't affect the game and part of it was that men were the target audience when the game began. I feel like the guy in the cartoon with the singing and dancing frog, but nobody else sees the frog sing or dance but him.
GnollItAll is right - and this happens to be true for a lot of hobbies we enjoy: Women have always been here.
I feel like I look a little unhinged complaining about necroposting now that the last comment before the one I posted yesterday is... one I posted in June. I swear there was a comment there, and part of it took a rather naive position that real-world issues don't affect the game and part of it was that men were the target audience when the game began. I feel like the guy in the cartoon with the singing and dancing frog, but nobody else sees the frog sing or dance but him.
GnollItAll is right - and this happens to be true for a lot of hobbies we enjoy: Women have always been here.
Don't worry about it. People who have been around the forums long enough know to check the post number. You were obviously (to me) reacting to a post that was deleted later.
S'all good.
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He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
You took a comment and pegged the needle all the way in one direction...yours.
Not one person on this thread ever said one gender or another doesn't belong in D&D. No-one said that one gender or another never played.
What was SAID was there are MORE of a gender playing NOW than BEFORE. But you decided to champion a narrative that didn't exist. Un'moderated' and unimpeded, apparently.
To the Moderators: Please reply with what part/s of my Post#31 were offensive so that I can correct, rewrite, and repost. Thank you, kindly.
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The story arcs in the original dragonlance had examples of women over-coming the patriarchy, and others over coming specie-ism and racism. Contemporary DND says ... we're trying to have fun at this table not delve into social issues that upset people ... and so the fantasy world is post patriarchal and post racism/specie-ist. However, the drow have remained matriarchal. The downside is that individuals that fell into these traps in the past could readily be identified as evil, and fantasy typical relies on good vs. evil themes. Nothing in these comments are intended to be emotionally charged but simply offered as an explanation of both sides of the story.
Im just wrapping this adventure up after playing it once a week for 2 years straight! I can say without a doubt that there is balance in the male/female casting choices. It never seemed over the top to me. My players loved it. I had to embellish parts of the book because not enough attention was given to character development and story moments.
Foss, I agree with you 100%
A.) What I recognize is that portraying women as capable and in positions of leadership on parity with men is good storytelling. And I question using the term "bias" with all its negative connotations to describe WotC depicting women having agency and making meaningful contributions to the movement of the plot, especially after decades of men being over-represented as leaders and shapers of events.
2.) I find it weird the original poster claims to not have a problem with women being portrayed prominently (which they absolutely shouldn't, by the way) but still made a whole thread to call it out as a problem.
Wild how this thread keeps getting necroposted.
Men were never the sole demographic. Women played D&D back in the day. They were unfortunately excluded from a lot of tables - a problem that hasn't entirely been extinguished. And you're right that in ages past when D&D wasn't as popular as it was now people who did play it were often looked down on for it, and not just when the satanic panic hit. I remember how things were back then. I remember being ostrasized for a lot of my hobbies because I grew up being a nerd before it was cool That's why I reject gatekeeping and exclusivity and making people who have traditionally been excluded feel unwelcome. The lesson I learned from living through those times was this: Being bullied and othered and excluded sucks, and I have an obligation to not perpetuate that kind of behavior.
You're right that D&D is a product of our real world. And that's the source of a lot of the problems that have made people feel unwelcome. Because without significant, maintained, intentional effort it's impossiible to have a product of our real world that doesn't replicate our real world problems. For decades D&D replicated real-world problems around racism and sexism, partially because people steeped in our culture didn't closely interrogate how they were recreating our cultural problems in the game and partially because some of the early designers - Gary Gygax included - explicitly wanted to invoke real-world racist stereotypes as in-game stereotypes.
Ok, This again THIS AGAIN. I know i missed it, but I don't care, to what ever fresh skidmark startecomplaining about ladies in adventures...
STOP WHINGING THAT WOMEN PLAY AND APPEAR IN THE GAME! When i started in the 90s, there were veteran women player who started in the 70s. They wouldn't say much because a 40 year old woman might not want to talk to a 12 year old boy (me) during the height of the satanic panic.
THEY
HAVE
ALWAYS
BEEN
HERE.
as to Drangonlance specifically, I want to point out, that one of the Authors, the person who created half the setting, Margaret Weis, IS A WOMAN. We wouldn't have Drangonlance without women so stop getting your boxer stuck in your braces about women in the game.
(For anyone wondering why i am going off so hard, I had to deal with some 'women out of gaming' chud last night and i was not able to force choke him through the internet, so I am still pissed. So pissed i became British for a second. )
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World
I feel like I look a little unhinged complaining about necroposting now that the last comment before the one I posted yesterday is... one I posted in June. I swear there was a comment there, and part of it took a rather naive position that real-world issues don't affect the game and part of it was that men were the target audience when the game began. I feel like the guy in the cartoon with the singing and dancing frog, but nobody else sees the frog sing or dance but him.
GnollItAll is right - and this happens to be true for a lot of hobbies we enjoy: Women have always been here.
Don't worry about it. People who have been around the forums long enough know to check the post number. You were obviously (to me) reacting to a post that was deleted later.
S'all good.
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World
Grab a Snickers bar, Ken.
You took a comment and pegged the needle all the way in one direction...yours.
Not one person on this thread ever said one gender or another doesn't belong in D&D. No-one said that one gender or another never played.
What was SAID was there are MORE of a gender playing NOW than BEFORE. But you decided to champion a narrative that didn't exist. Un'moderated' and unimpeded, apparently.
To the Moderators: Please reply with what part/s of my Post#31 were offensive so that I can correct, rewrite, and repost. Thank you, kindly.