D&D’s attempt to root out racism in its books has taken a step backward

Dungeons & Dragons’ newest campaign, Spelljammer – Adventures in Space, has been hailed by critics as a return to the game’s joyful and satirical roots. Fans are now pointing out a problem with the content, which has circulated for several weeks. It is rooted in racist archetypes. The issue has plagued D&D since its inception, and it has returned to sully what is an otherwise exceptional new release.

This is the source of the offending passage. Astral Adventurer’s GuideThis effectively functions as the Player’s HandbookThree volumes Spelljammer set. Page 13 introduces hadozee the spacefaring mammal, which is similar to a primate.

“The first hadozees were timid mammals,” the passage begins, “no bigger than housecats. Hunted by larger natural predators, the hadozees took to the trees and evolved wing-like flaps that enabled them to glide from branch to branch.” From there it tells the tale of a wizard who trapped and effectively enslaved these creatures with the intent of selling them “to the highest bidder.” Eventually, the wizard’s apprentices befriended these hadozee and set them free.

Fans on social media have been pointing out the parallels to the Black experience, and the history of slavery in the United States and abroad — including the setting’s reliance on antiquated sailing ships, the same kinds of vessels that brought enslaved people to North America in the first place. Some critics also find images within the book that recall racist minstrel show imagery. Amid this controversy, some have dug even deeper into the archives of D&D’s original publisher, TSR. In the 1990s, Wizards of the Coast bought that company. These archives are full of racist stereotypes about Black people.

Wizards is well aware that this back catalog can be problematic. That’s why it includes a content warning on those materials at DriveThruRPG and the Dungeon Masters Guild:

We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today. Some of the older content might reflect prejudices that existed at the time in American society. These portrayals were inaccurate back then as they are today. Because it is impossible to present this content in a different way, it would mean that these prejudices are not even there. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. It is a part of our daily work that will not stop.

Wizards recently reaffirmed its support for inclusion. Wizards stood firm against racism during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 and condemned the contribution the company made in encouraging it. It vowed to do better going forward for fans of D&D and The Gathering: Magic and the Gathering. It altered several 5th edition D&D books, and stood by author R.A. Salvatore as he expanded the cultural footprint of the drow, the black-skinned race of elves that counts the hero Drizzt Do’Urden among its number. The book was also published. The Radiant Citadel: JourneysThe Black and Brown Anthology, an exclusive collection of stories written by Black authors. Its creator, Ajit George, went on to win the coveted Diana Jones Award at this year’s Gen Con.

These progressive steps have won many admirers. as well as other tabletop game designers, have been vocal in their criticism of Wizards’ choice to reintroduce the hadozee in this way.

All of this raises questions about why the hadozee are included in the new book. They weren’t part of the original setting, but were instead introduced in an even earlier game called Star FrontiersThe first publication of this book was in 1982. Wizards is involved in a legal battle with another publisher. They are trying to reboot. Star Frontiers without Wizards’ permission. This litigation will be heard in court next October.

Polygon reached Wizards before the publication and they declined comment.