To all the genasi, celestials, tieflings, spagetti monsters

[Darkwind]

This whole thing is a very two way street as many already astutely pointed out. If the PC in question is acting very normal and friendly it would be odd to continue to discriminate especially after repeated interactions.

If they are acting the part, then that is great and it is obvious they are open to that type of RP experience. I feel like this whole thing is being needlessly overcomplicated. I also feel like people are casting this global net of "well its like this actually..."

Hrmm, no, it isn't. That is the true beauty of roleplay isn't it? If my character feels the world is dark and murderous, hopeless and dreadful? *poof* It is all those things because of his/her perception. If my character wants rainbows and unicorns and puppies and kumbaya, that is what they get.

If this is beyond anyone's capacity then it is time for self examination. Cast the mirror upon thyself versus trying to turn it on the world at large. I am actually quite in shock that people are mentioning people getting OOC'd messages about IC discrimination/racism. That is mind boggling to me.

PRO TIP: If you don't have the RP range or are too sensitive to handle "Mean People" (much like IRL) minimize your exposure to said things, it is just that simple. Do not roll up races that will be prone to such things. The entire world needn't bend to your proclivities and lack of range.

I leave my IRL stuff at the door, so when I see SJWish things leaking into places where it has no place (a RP game world which has immense racial conflict in its decades old established canon) I get a bit twisted out about it. As I said, if you are a very sensitive flower, I suggest avoidance and a safe space like staying inside BG proper.

[Ariella]

I think to may people jump to the current RL status quo, Forgotten realms is a very racist setting. Even goodly races such as Sun elves are extremely racist to just about everyone who's not also a sun elf. Throughout all of forgotten realms every race has other races they generally oppose or claim to be better then. Tieflings, Aasimars and other Genasi's by lore are typically treated as outcasts.

That said in lore there is a lot less of them, Currently they make up a sizable portion especially in the cleric and knight areas for Aasimars. So i could see why people would have a different view to lore.

[Invoker]

That said in lore there is a lot less of them, Currently they make up a sizable portion especially in the cleric and knight areas for Aasimars. So i could see why people would have a different view to lore.

I feel this might be true, but it stems from a misconception.

Those 20-30 Planetouched are probably the only ones on the Coast, and most of them come from somewhere else and are just passing by/adventuring. Even if they all belonged to the Coast's population, they'd hardly constitute a troubling percentage, RP-wise (example: if you consider a population of 1 million, as instance, for the whole Sword Coast, having 50 Aasimars Clerics and Paladins would mean 0,005% of the population. Assuming about 0,25-0,5% of that "other races" to be constituted by standing or wandering Tieflings, Aasimars, Genasi and whatnot, that's probably not too troublesome a number for RP purposes).

It's easy to forget that players aren't the whole Coast's population: they are very few exceptional individuals, not to mention they are often basically tourists or fortune seekers.

[Ariella]

That said in lore there is a lot less of them, Currently they make up a sizable portion especially in the cleric and knight areas for Aasimars. So i could see why people would have a different view to lore.

I feel this might be true, but it stems from a misconception.

Those 20-30 Planetouched are probably the only ones on the Coast, and most of them come from somewhere else and are just passing by/adventuring. Even if they all belonged to the Coast's population, they'd hardly constitute a troubling percentage, RP-wise (example: if you consider a population of 1 million, as instance, for the whole Sword Coast, having 50 Aasimars Clerics and Paladins would mean 0,005% of the population. Assuming about 0,25-0,5% of that "other races" to be constituted by standing or wandering Tieflings, Aasimars, Genasi and whatnot, that's probably not too troublesome a number for RP purposes).

It's easy to forget that players aren't the whole Coast's population: they are very few exceptional individuals, not to mention they are often basically tourists or fortune seekers.

But they are for other players, There might be a hundred thousand people in BG, But the day to day for most people is spent with players not npcs. So there for the perspective of the adventurers would reflect that over all. After all if two of your friends are Aasimars and you have a good opinion of both, And you do not later then run into an evil Aasimar your opinion of the race is going to be warped by your own experience if that makes sense.

[Invoker]

But they are for other players, There might be a hundred thousand people in BG, But the day to day for most people is spent with players not npcs. So there for the perspective of the adventurers would reflect that over all. After all if two of your friends are Aasimars and you have a good opinion of both, And you do not later then run into an evil Aasimar your opinion of the race is going to be warped by your own experience if that makes sense.

Yes, perfect sense, but I feel we're discussing two different things: you are (correctly) stating that it's one's RP and IC experiences that dictate the character's reactions, and that's fine. What I am saying is, OOC PMs to explain that it's OK to not be racist because of the player population and their character choices (race selection) seems misguided, yet awfully possible.

[Steve]

We've come a long way since, but original D&D had Elves and Dwarfs in the Monster Manual.

This is not the first time this subject has come up on these Forums in particular—the Forgotten Realms are both open-minded and xenophobic, both accepting and complete animosity for your neighbor situations.

I think that the Community, at this current moment in its history, has little-to-no incentive to RP hostility between Races...even if there is a desire among many to see it "play out."

I think that if it wasn't for the auto-Hostile that mobs have, we'd even see a plethora of PCs trying to befriend every monster race on the Server. Bear hugs in the High Moor for all!!!

The OOC drive behind Players on BGTSCC is very high. BGTSCC is classified as a medium-level RP Server, but it should also be sub-tagged as a High OOC Aligned Server—who you know or don't know, often dictates who a Player will "subject" their PC to RP with.

So, on one hand, BGTSCC has all sorts of OOC avoidance, but on the other, very little IC avoidance of what are D&D "standards," such as half-breed fears. I mean, let me put it this way: the staple template for a Half-Orc is a creature who's Human mother was raped by a male Orc. Hello!!!! If that wouldn't be cause for wariness around Orcs...well...what's even left to inspire our RP!!??

But back to incentive: what drives our Characters to be "against" those that are not like us/our own toons? One can also ask what drives our Character to "be for" those that are not like us/our toons?

Kleomenes talks well about the Ilmatair dogma guiding his RP in one specific way. But this IS D&D, so there is going to be a direct opposite of view point/dogma to employ. But were is the current incentive and culture for this alt-Ilamter dogma and RP?

If one is always rewarded for saving the day and being good, but not rewarded for destroying the day and being bad...what do you think Players are going to go for in the mucho majority? And then, this filters into the IC aspect.

[AC81]

My PC doesn't even like most other types of humans. He thinks orcs and half orcs are one step removed from pond scum, halflings/dwarves/gnomes are just a gods cruel joke and are to be mocked. Elves are to frail to be of any real use and anything else is just a monster to be slaughtered.
I must admit I kind of raise an eyebrow when people 'allow' monstrous races to walk around unmolested. I mean even IRL there is still a lot of prejudice in our world and we are supposedly civilised and well educated as a whole - hell, we're all even the same species. And we still have grievances. Imagine a rednecks reaction if an Orc walked by or an air genasi... guaranteed the shotgun would be used before any kind of welcome doormat.

[izzul]

My PC doesn't even like most other types of humans. He thinks orcs and half orcs are one step removed from pond scum, halflings/dwarves/gnomes are just a gods cruel joke and are to be mocked. Elves are to frail to be of any real use and anything else is just a monster to be slaughtered.
I must admit I kind of raise an eyebrow when people 'allow' monstrous races to walk around unmolested. I mean even IRL there is still a lot of prejudice in our world and we are supposedly civilised and well educated as a whole - hell, we're all even the same species. And we still have grievances. Imagine a rednecks reaction if an Orc walked by or an air genasi... guaranteed the shotgun would be used before any kind of welcome doormat.

Classic cowboy in the west story.

[Hrafnar]

I should mention that for every 'snowflake', there is atleast one traditional character to balance things out. That applies to any race. Maybe they don't stick out as much, or are not as memorable in a way, but they're around!

See, it's not that I lack originality - I'm just trying to maintain the Balance.

This was some good morning reading! I didn't expect so many to be interested in this. My main char is a text book wood elf. He has had a very sheltered upbringing, but raised with the values of tolerance, compassion and humility. Plus he's on a personal mission of sorts to understand the lesser other races.

That said orcs have always been THE enemy. He's had a personal encounter with a certain half-orc that has improved his view somewhat - as a previous poster said, surely it's difficult to maintain the prejudices in light of all the decent characters you will meet. Then again, I would say that depends very much on the enlightenment of the individual.

One problem I have is that I haven't been playing NWN2 very long and I honestly have difficulty telling if someone is a full-blood orc or not unless they write it in their character description. This is an OOC problem as my ranger with high spot and racial enemy orcs would certainly be able to most of the time.

[metaquad4]

I really connected with that statement Rhifox wrote. Its always been my 'issue' with playing a racist character. The subjects of racism keep acting nice and decent, and it just becomes hard to justify a racist position.

I suppose you could always go the route many irl racists go:
"All tieflings are evil. But, I know tieflings A, B, and C are good. But they are exceptions."

Racism doesn't have to be rational. And IRL, many racist people who know and are friends with subjects of their racism often make statements like the above.

That said, after every single tiefling you encounter is decent, it gets hard to RP racism. After all, that is how racism can be defeated. Just. . .consistant exposure and pleasant interactions with the subject of your racism. It kills racism in RP. And that is the case here.

Basically, the fault doesn't lie with the players. The fault lies with the entire server enviroment. The DMs who create friendly tiefling/gensai/whatever NPCs and don't create hostile ones. A-bit the players who do the same as well, but most tieflings/gensai/whatever are also just trying to get by. They won't go out of their way to be hostile, because why would they? I'm not sure if that is coherent, but basically, its noone's fault. Its just one of those things that has to happen organically. It cannot be forced suddenly, because it just falls apart when that happens. Actions and reactions must take place.

Maybe make a bunch of tiefling terrorists? Idk, that works so well IRL to create racism. Might as well do it here? Maybe the Aasimar population can start taking jobs, too. Their high charisma makes them great at applications!

Maybe we are like England. Maybe we chose classism in favor of racism. We have no problem discriminating against warlocks, necromancers, and the like!

[Wyatt]

Most of my characters tend toward goodly alignment so I suppose I err more on the side of acceptance and tolerance, though I think the reasons are varied. Firstly, I can't help but think that fear plays a major part in a character not standing in the middle of an area berating or verbally attacking a planetouched/half-orc/what have you. As has been said, planetouched beings are often rare sights and I find people typically fear what they are not familiar with. Who am I to say that if I start taunting some fire genasi they won't just incinerate me on the spot?

I find a cautious wariness fits my playstyle and RP better than outright hostility in most cases. The exception of course would be my dwarf battlerager who cares very little for orcs, elves and has no qualms about making a scene. At the same time, I still can't imagine a character of goodly alignment just outright attacking something in the middle of a populated area when that "something" is not actively involved in doing violence itself. Full-blooded orcs are of course an exception in my mind but most of them walk around hooded or masked. I am not a pvp'er in general and have little interest in such things especially in a game that is not even remotely balanced around it, so I find it more amenable to RP the mistrust than to actually try to physically enforce it.

[Babuguuscooties]

So far I've tried to take a similar approach to Wyatt (posted above ^). My character is a half-elf, and also from Silverymoon. Silverymoon is a fairly diverse place from my understanding, and being half-elven has also adjusted his perception of to treat people who are different. He tends to judge more by action and perceived intention rather than outward appearance. However, he is quite wary of things that would make more people uneasy or downright stressed. Just the other day I made sure to emote him cautiously keeping an eye on a rather large and intimidating ice elemental some other player-character had summoned near the FAI. I try to follow my character's logic based on his own upbringing and biases. I try lol.

[Winterborne]

Tiefling player here.

I play a Tiefling that is almost always using the ingame disguise abilty to appear human. He goes out of his way to masquerade as Human wherever he can, and he is TERRIFIED of being revealed involuntarily, as an angry mob accosted him once when he was younger and did not have his tell hidden.

I like roleplaying with people who hate Tieflings, especially when they don't know I'm one. The element of risk involved is enjoyable. If someone does find out and wants to declare me an enemy or even PvP attack me over it I'm cool with it as a player. I am pretty sure you as a player don't think I as a player am a half-fiend IRL so I won't take it personally, just maybe give me a heads up OOC because if I don't have a ton of time right then I might want to do it another time when I can react appropriately.

In short, if you want to roleplay an intolerant racist and want a target (and can figure out IC that I am not human), I am absolutely willing to be your bullseye with zero hard feelings or OOC drama of any kind.

[Lyna]

I haven't seen a character of a race that in lore would be subject to general hostility do anything reprehensible in game for a while, that would warrant such reactions from other PCs.

In short: blame the orc/tiefling/human-from-wild-region player characters for being s.

There was some orcs at the campfire earlier today that did relatively well, and no complaining or OOC after they got killed for it. Admittedly a lot of people acted hostile at my elf for killing said orcs but the RP was rather fun, I didn't catch the orcs player names but they deserve a big thumbs up.

[Tsidkenu]

I attempted to dish out a significant dose of intolerance.

The server's response?

It's not the last time I will try, though