@matthewmercer @CriticalRole @GreenRoninPub @TalksMachina @GeekandSundryOpen Letter to Matt Mercer, This has taken me a while to put into words, but it’s gotta be said: I really hate the treatment of orcs in the Tal’dorei Campaign Guide. The notion that a people capable of using tools and language and working in groups, in short who have all the hallmarks of what we consider sentience, are nothing but ruthless monsters is downright toxic. I know many reading this will wonder what the fuss is about: orcs are fictional, who the hell cares how they’re treated? Well, RPG’s are a form of wish fulfillment. What does it say about us that we wish there was some class of people out there who, based solely on superficial traits like skin and teeth, we can not only kill with impunity, but actually be rewarded and praised for doing so? RPG’s are a kind of practice for functioning in society (http://geekandsundry.com/playing-dd-can-make-you-more-successful!). What sort of people are we that we train ourselves to treat whole swaths of people with a “shoot first and ask questions later” mentality based solely on their apparent ancestry? Don’t get me wrong, being set upon by a ravaging horde of orc warriors or a gang of orc bandits is Something the Heroes Should Probably Do Something About. But the same would be true if the attackers were humans or elves or gnomes. Part of being a DM is coming up with reasons for why and how the things in the world are happening. So why enshrine it in canon that orcish killers are this way because it’s in their very nature while human killers have some specific reason to have fallen so far? At best it does what? Saves a negligible amount of work because you have half a dozen NPCs whose motivations you don’t need to think about? Is that even a full minute of your time? Yes, there’s a mention of how some orcs transcend their natures and can become good people, but it’s presented as an effort of Herculean proportions (and Sisyphean endurance) just to rise to the point of “I’m not going to bother stabbing you in the face.” Acknowledging that this ONE orc isn’t a murderer, this ONE Mexican isn’t a rapist, this ONE Muslim isn’t a terrorist, or this ONE gay guy isn’t a pederast doesn’t mean squat when you point to them as exceptions to the rule, rather than evidence that the rule is just plain wrong. I get that Exandria was most of your players’ first introduction to D&D, and as such playing the genre’s tropes straight more often than subverting them made a certain amount of sense at the time. And you knew (and still know) the people sitting across the table from you; you assume they’re safely above such biases and prejudices. And perhaps you’re right. But when you get to disseminating a written work to thousands, maybe even millions of people, it’s different. You’re writing things down and letting the world know that “This came from me. This is something I’m proud of. This is one of the marks I hope to leave upon the world.” You’ve stated that you want Exandria to be more ideal than the real world in some respects. A halfling woman can marry a human woman and this is considered entirely normal. A brown skinned gay foreigner can rise to become one of the great movers and shakers of his age, and look damn glorious doing it. But that rings hollow when you’ve built the very kinds of prejudice you say you want to defy into the setting canon. Yes, anyone one of us can say at our table, “In my version of Exandria, orcs only have the reputation as marauders because everyone who isn’t in a warband lives someplace safe, so the raiding parties are the only orcs humans ever see.” But I have to make a conscious decision to revise Exandria just to support the idea that racism itself is wrong, instead of merely mistargeted. You’ve done some real good in the world. It’s disappointing to see you trample on your own legacy like this. Sincerely, A Critter
This is a thought that's been on my mind for a little bit. pic.twitter.com/oaBRpQjK5E— Sanjay Merchant (@sanjmerchant) September 10, 2017
The orcs in this setting are designed to have spawned from the corrupting blood of a dark god of brutality. Their nature is violence. (Cont)
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
They represent a largely agreed-upon source of danger and strife that most fantasy RPG world require to maintain wild dangers outside (cont)
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
As years pass, some are managing to buck the curse their ancestral creation sparked, and might show eventual redemption. (Cont)
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
They are not social commentary. They are a loose source for conflict in your world that you can shape and utilize however you wish. (Cont)
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
Many elements of a game world have morally grey areas, orc, human, or otherwise. It's up to you to employ those narratives. (Cont)
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
However, I do take offense that you would assume or compare these fantasy creatures as an analogy for minorities and pin that on me.
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
It's an assumption you inherited and didn't challenge. Hoped it was an oversight. Don't all have the luxury of ignoring others' assumptions.
— Sanjay Merchant (@sanjmerchant) September 11, 2017
So I'll just take the thought that, on any given day, my immigrant father might get shot and just do fantasy wrong over here.
— Sanjay Merchant (@sanjmerchant) September 11, 2017
It's not about doing Fantasy wrong or right. You are very welcome to disagree with any choices in my setting! Customize however you like!
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
The choice was made, among exploring the moral grey of many "monstrous races", that orcs would be the more brutal, "slave to the curse" type
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
I can't champion every perspective of every fantasy creature's life & morals in a simple setting book. Some spectrums lean more evil.
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
I respect the intent of the letter you wrote, but whether or not I agree with it, found some of the delivery unfair. That's all.
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
I am ever eager to listen and learn, and often admit and correct mistakes I make. This, however, I believe is a simple difference in opinion
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
Wish you well, friend, and mean to confrontation. <3
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
*NO confrontation, even. 😉
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) September 11, 2017
I agree with Matt. Red Dragons are also sentient and 100% evil, but you don’t care because they are not humanoids. It is well established in WOC source material that Orcs are usually evil, so Matt is sticking with it. Take it up with the creators of D&D.
I dislike how Sanjay is trying to place western values on Orcs. They aren’t acting the way HE sees as right, so they’re poorly written, or are some proxy for some nebulous minority. Orcs live by their own rules, not yours. Don’t assume to speak for them, as they don’t need your white-knight attempts. If you want soft little marshmallow orcs, follow Mr Mercer’s advice and introduce them. That’s the beauty of RPGs… you as DM can portray them any way you please.
The fact that Sanjay is projecting that veiw on the orcs does show a type of racism , sympathetic or otherwise .It’s making a subjective view not based on the facts of how that culture truely is .Unwarrented sympathy can be just as offensive as aggression .
I am 1/4 orc on my father’s side. I find nothing offensive about what Matt is doing with Orcs. The author should meet my grandmother.
Dear Sanjay,
How do you deal with conflict and death in your campaigns? After all Orcs are sentient creatures that have children, feelings, hopes and dreams. As do all sentient “creatures” in D&D.
How do you rationalize what amounts to genocide every time your group gets together?
I think you should stop contributing to the needless deaths of IMAGINARY creatures by having a campaign with no conflict.
Perhaps if every creature in your world got a “basic income”? Perhaps the dragons should have their wealth redistributed to those in need?
Please think of all the children left without parents by ruthless adventure! Just say “No” to ever playing the game again, Sanjay.
Dumbest post I have ever seen. Why are you worried about what everyone else is doing or thinking with the campaigns THEY PERSONALLY RUN? Run yours the way you want. Have your High Elves climb in bed with Orcs and have em make beautiful elf/orc babies together and live happily ever after.
So much of this dude’s post is stupid. But What’s even stupider is that this vein of depiction of orcs isnt even new to DnD. Its honestly not very different to classic D&D orc lore. Violent, evil, and typically not inclined to diplomatic solutions or higher learning. If anything classic orcs had more of a racial stereotype as they weren’t neccisarily cursed but instead willfully following their gods command of violence.
Orcs have been the “violent evil rapey brutes” for several editions of D&D in the forgotten realms lore most half orcs originate from rape, and they face stigma amid civilized races because of that, and the belief the child will turn out to be just as brutal. Having it be less willing and more a curse their race has to fight to overcome in my opinion sets up much better dramatic story beats and character arcs even for orc players. Heck if you think about it, classic orc culture exists like an exaggerated blend of Zulu and some other bantu descendant tribes of africa, and vikings. I dont see sanjay protesting that.
And as the above poster noted, he isnt protesting chromatic dragons, undead, or any other sentient species that are less humanoid. I dont see him arguing Merrow rights or goblin rights even.
And as a final point of note Mercer has repeatedly shown civilized pure blooded orcs and goblins, living free of their respective violent traditional cultures. Several times even showing them integrating well in Kryn society.