To the dismay of some long-time players who resist the world’s evolution and to the joy of a new generation demanding that “Dungeons & Dragons” become more than just a role-playing game still steeped in the stereotypes of the 70s, Wizards of the Coast has decided that the world’s number one role-playing game should grow in every way. While in the past, they removed some unequivocally negative racial features, they have now created characters for a minority that were more than necessary.
They hide among the shadows
It’s not that there haven’t been autistic characters before, of course, but they didn’t appear in the game books in any way; instead, they were born (and probably died, like everyone else) at the players’ tables. In the end, it’s the players who have shaped the course of D&D for years. The game has never stopped being a reflection of its own players. When they asked for more complexity, they got 3.5E, and when Critical Role brought it back into the spotlight, they made special rules for it.
Now, in ‘The Deck of Many Things,’ a deck of cards similar to tarot cards representing different magical items and spells, which is an updated version of what Gary Gygax launched in 1975, it seems fun enough to introduce into a modern D&D session. Furthermore, the deck will come with a book called, of course, ‘The Book of Many Things,’ which is written from the perspective of Asteria, a princess turned paladin who is also autistic.
Makenzie de Armas, one of the designers of this edition, is autistic and wanted to incorporate much of her own experience into it. For example, Asteria can become so focused on a mission or a book that she forgets to eat or creates an enmity by breaking a toy. To put it this way, it’s not just a nod but permeates the entire character and her actions, even though it’s not what defines her.
The book and the deck will be released in the fall in the United States as part of the celebration of the ten years of D&D 5E, an edition that will be challenging to surpass as it has become the standard for a whole generation that may not readily accept potential changes in 6E. They have announced a sort of sixth edition called One D&D for next year, but it will be fully compatible, just in case anyone decides to stray from the flock.
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