AKA the “evil” races debate.

Disclaimer: Racism is an incredibly serious issue in the real world. This discussion is not intended to diminish that seriousness in any way. This is a discussion of fantasy racism for lack of a better term.

It is important for all of us who comment on the TableTop RolePlaying Game hobby not to blur the distinction between fantasy and reality too much. While TTRPGs offer us a wonderful form of escapism and a very safe environment to explore real world issues, it is important to remember that we are talking about fantasy games. Lessons we learn while roleplaying our characters can carry over into the real world. It is up to us to apply those lessons for the best.

Real world racism is serious business. Should we impose real world morality on every aspect of our fantasy roleplaying? Should every single game world be a reflection of real world ideals? If that’s how the Game Master wants to run it, I guess. I feel that we build fantasy worlds to explore concepts and ideas with our players, so sometimes it’s okay to push the envelope with tropes involving real world mores. That is not to say it’s okay to allow bigots and bullies at the game table or for Player Characters to be violently racist.

Disclaimer: Statements expressed in this article are strictly my opinion. If you disagree or have a different opinion, that’s okay. I’m not an expert on everything. I’m not always right. I’m just writing from my experience as I know it. Your mileage may vary.

Disclaimer 2: My fantasy campaigns are often solo or with my wife and children. We feel it is important to occasionally slip a moral or two into the story. This might not work at every table, but it definitely helps teach our kids some important lessons they can use in the real world.

What is the argument here?

The debate on TTRPG social media has popped up regarding should A, B, or C fantasy race be allowed in “regular” fantasy towns, taverns, or inns? Can a Goblin walk into a bar and get served? It tends to be a polarizing argument very quickly, one that isn’t necessarily all that “silly.” (Which is why this isn’t part of the Silly TTRPG Arguments series.)

Are there inherently “evil” races in any given fantasy world? Are Orcs and Goblins considered “bad guys” in every fantasy game? Should Goblins and Orcs be considered Terminate On Sight (TOS) just for being them? If it’s okay for Goblins to be TOS, then what other fantasy species/kin/ancestries are “bad?” The distinctions get to be murky at best.

I used to be guilty of this.

I once gave the Game Master advice of limiting the number of PC kin in your games to the ones outlined in the core rules or fewer. I wouldn’t drop that advice today, though. I once said, “I don’t want my (ampersand game) inn to look like the creature cantina from Star Wars. I still see merit in possibly limiting certain kin from your game, but it’s 100% GM and Player discretion during Session Zero.

The goblins featured in Lord of the Rings movies are quite different than the ones in the Harry Potter books and movies. The LotR goblins are portrayed as quite malevolent. Does that mean every goblin in a TTRPG should be evil and/or violent? No, unless that’s something the GM has specifically stated beforehand.

Being exceptional in a fantasy world usually has its consequences.

The goblin tries to walk into the inn. The innkeeper turns to the goblin and says, “We don’t serve his kind here.”

Sure, maybe a PC goblin is the exception to the rule. At least someone got to make one as a Player Character. But how does the rest of the world react to that particular goblin? What if every other goblin the villagers have ever met or heard-of happen to have been malevolent? Will the PC, Gobbo the Goblin be able to stride on up to the bar and order a drink? Or will the sheriff be hauling Gobbo off to the hoosegow until it can be decided what to do with him?

Now, pretend we switch up Gobbo with a human who happens to be non-European, non-Caucasian. Does the scene take on a different meaning? We wouldn’t let our friend be mistreated so horribly without protest in the real modern world. That’s where this argument on social media comes from.

Should every game world be this sort of Utopian vision of the real Earth’s future where everyone gets along? Even if the game isn’t Star Trek, should every being be treated with respect and decency. I’ve seen this argument go off the rails so badly so many times.

I’ve said it before many times on this blog.

It’s up to the group and the GM as to how different races/species/ancestries/kin are going to be handled, preferably during Session Zero. We can’t even land on a consistent term for these different fantasy beings. Personally, I prefer Dragonbane’s kin. Kin as in family. Sure, we might not always get along, but at the end of the day we’re still family and I’m still going to love you.

The GM might wish to have some kin that are known as ruffians, bullies, and thugs for the most part. I think most fantasy Hobgoblins, Bugbears, and Gnolls fall into this category. It’s extremely rare to find one that’s warm and cuddly. In the middle of a dungeon or a road ambush is probably not going to be the place to ask, either.

On the other hand, maybe a lot of anthropomorphic animal kin are neutral or friendly. Maybe they are accepted almost unanimously as PCs. Looking at you, Mallards. But I do know someone who doesn’t allow any anthropomorphic animals in any of his Ampersand game campaigns. He doesn’t even allow Halfling or Gnome PCs. Players always have the option of leaving the game if they don’t like it.

There’s the rest of the argument.

If I don’t allow Orc PCs, am I a bad GM? If the Innkeeper charges 3 gold coins for water to the goblin and only the goblin in the group, am I a bad GM? Am I a bad player if my Dwarf has an inherent beef with goblins who took over the mines he was born in and killed several of his clans folk in the process?

My concern is things have gotten to the point where people are so sensitive that we can’t even talk about the issues without someone getting offended and screaming “Bigot!” I’ve seen it more in the last couple of years than any other time in my 52 years on Earth.

What if I happen to be a very liberal leaning guy? I think free speech, even that which I don’t agree with, should be protected at all costs. We should live in a world where we can discuss things without fear of immediate reprisals. Obviously there is an unwritten rule that comes with free speech of “Thou shalt not be a jerk to thine fellow humans.”

Admittedly, if someone is spouting obviously bigoted hate speech, then that should come back to haunt them very quickly. I won’t game with such individuals and hopefully you don’t either. Hopefully those individuals are escorted off the premises where they can talk amongst themselves or whatever. Just not ever at my gaming table, please?

The tabletop roleplaying argument is over whether or not we should explore the idea of racism within the safe confines of a game or not. I think most of us adults know what a bigoted individual likely sounds like. Is my grumpy old Dwarven innkeeper allowed to act like that toward a Goblin patron? That’s where we start getting into some gray area.

If I say there are some inherently “evil” kin n my Dragonbane campaign, does it mean I think some humans are inherently evil in the real world just because they have a different skin color? While I could argue there are some pretty awful humans in the real world, the color of their skin or any other number of defining factors is not among them.

Session Zero is the most important session of the game.

Whether you’re running a cozy game akin to Baristas & Besties or the hardest hardcore hard mode megadungeon ever made, a solid Session Zero needs to be the foundation your campaign is built on. It’s a good idea even for us old codgers that have been in the hobby forever. Get the group together before dice are ever rolled and decide what themes are or aren’t going to be okay in the game. Obviously various tropes dealing with racism need to be discussed at that time.

Not every campaign needs to be the tabletop fantasy equivalent of Animal Crossing or Animal Farm for that matter. Maybe there never has been any racism and everyone gets along all the time. Maybe the old AD&D Unearthed Arcana First Edition racial apathy table is going to be used with various races being diametrically opposed to one another automatically. There is a huge continuum of options available for dealing with the Kin and worldbuilding.

In my Dragonbane game Dragons are very old and wise while Demons are malevolent and yes, evil. I want some demons to be so vile that coming in contact with one will leave the PCs needing to take a shower as soon as they get home. (Character or player.) But are my players going to be okay with that? Alas, my wife and kids say I have to scale back on the Demons yet again. Sorry, Krampus won’t be coming again this campaign. Oh well. (I have one kid who wants to have his character summon the equivalent of a Balor. Also a huge NO!)

Likewise if we were going to have a theme of defeating evil slavers or genocide of the dark elves by the humans, it would have to be discussed at Session Zero. When I was growing up we had modules that dealt with defeating a band of slavers. Racism was commonly a theme in those games because why were they only taking “this” group of people as slaves? We had some inherently “evil” races in those days. That attitude just won’t fly in 2024.

Maybe racism and slavery exist in the world but are dealt with far off stage and never mentioned in game. If it happens to come up we just explain that a far off civilization does this strange and horrible thing to other people. Maybe it was a custom long ago that was simply abolished completely and forgotten because of its preposterousness. In other words, it ain’t happening here ever again which happens to be the lesson we wanted the kids to learn in the real world.

The argument about the goblin at the inn seems so petty and pointless to me.

What truly separates adventurers from murderous tomb robbers? What’s a monster compared to a human male fighter? It seems like one set of high morals are imposed on one side of the equation but not the other. Dragons gotta eat too, right? (That’s a whole different huge discussion for another time.)

I think the best solution is roughly the same one that exists in the real world. Each individual being is judged based on their actions, attitudes, affiliations and allegiances. People who rob, cheat, kill, and other horrible offenses are likely to be declined services in most “good” establishments. A lot of it depends on how open the patron is versus how loosely aligned the innkeeper is. That sort of thing will all come out in the wash eventually.

So, if the character of the innkeeper is so inclined, Gobbo the Goblin may enter the establishment and drink his glass of cold milk. If the innkeeper’s daughter was recently kidnapped by a marauding band of Orcs and Goblins called the One Fang Tribe, then maybe our friend Gobbo doesn’t get to drink there unless he takes up the quest to aid the innkeeper.

In the end, it boils down to what works best for you, your GM (if that’s not you,) and your group. Bigotry, disparity and hate don’t have a welcome place in the real world. Maybe we shouldn’t allow it in our fantasy games about goblins with sticks. Regardless of how it gets handled in game, let’s all be good to one another outside of our characters.

I am certain this debate is not over on social media. We’re still going to be fighting about his in one form or another for years to come. I’m sure the influx of new players this year and next are going to be subjected to it. Let’s show our best side in all these debates and maybe not chase all the nice new players off?

Thank you for being here today with me. I appreciate you. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy.