D&D General Nolzur creates inclusive miniatures, people can't handle it.

[Warpiglet-7]

I have not given much thought to wheelchairs but would like some human diversity!

I enjoy playing heavier characters and you can’t get a fat priest very readily.

My good cleric resents that! And my evil barbarian from 1e days does too! More variety, not less…

Variety is not signaling. It’s more options. Same goes for this…why do I care if there is more of this?

If one of my kids could not walk and wanted to play with a representative mini, I can’t see saying ‘no.’

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Out of curiosity - why? Why can't it be a wheelchair? Why would magical spiderlegs be better than magical wheels?

I assume it's due to the fact that wheels struggle with anything beyond relatively flat and grippy terrain, while mechanical spiderlegs (or even tank treads) would be far better at navigating rough terrain.

 

[jgsugden]

I assume it's due to the fact that wheels struggle with anything beyond relatively flat and grippy terrain, while mechanical spiderlegs (or even tank treads) would be far better at navigating rough terrain.

Spiderlegs, without the aid of magic or artificial mechanics, do nothing. They'd only work here as a magical (or perhaps steampunk) mechanism. If they're going to be magical (or steampunk-ish), why would magical spider legs work better than magical wheels? We're talking about magic here ... we make SLIPPERS STICK to walls - why not allow wheels to climb steps and navigate difficult terrain?

 

[overgeeked]

That’s too bad. It’s weird how seeing an adventurer in a wheelchair sets people off and is seen as “unrealistic” but those same people can handle the fantasy of dragons, liches, fireballs, floating castles, PCs who can swim in lava and survive, etc.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Spiderlegs, without the aid of magic or artificial mechanics, do nothing. They'd only work here as a magical (or perhaps steampunk) mechanism. If they're going to be magical (or steampunk-ish), why would magical spider legs work better than magical wheels? We're talking about magic here ... we make SLIPPERS STICK to walls - why not allow wheels to climb steps and navigate difficult terrain?

Because 50+ years of sci-fi has people thinking of mechs when you need a vehicle which can go over any terrain which infantry can. And wheelchairs with treads are a thing which exists irl.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Just to be clear, I'd allow a PC using a wheelchair into a campaign I was DM'ing without hesitation.

I just don't get why the idea of a wheelchair with tank treads of mech legs is so offensive. Especially as it's a thing which already exists.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The best way to combat this is to just be a good person.

Yes, think of the many societal problems that have been solved by just quietly saying nothing.

 

[Alzrius]

Just to be clear, I'd allow a PC using a wheelchair into a campaign I was DM'ing without hesitation.

I just don't get why the idea of a wheelchair with tank treads of mech legs is so offensive. Especially as it's a thing which already exists.

Because the issue isn't one of verisimilitude, it's one of representation, and any objection is presumed to be a pretext masking hateful and anti-inclusive sentiment.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's weird that people who want historical accuracy in their D&D like the anti wheelchair and anti glasses brigade don't know enough history for their arguments to hold up

"Look, yes, dragons can interbreed with all creatures, creating hybrid half-dragon kobolds, half-dragon mammoths and half-dragon slime molds, and do it while riding in a flying pirate ship. But there's no way someone could create a wheelchair that could allow people to get around easily."

 

[Dire Bare]

So Nolzur came out with these miniatures, and the comments are like you expect (mostly jokes on clerics healing themselves):

View attachment 296870

For a group that keeps harping on the importance of verisimilitude, they seem to ignore how there is a whole swath of people today (including religious people like a cleric would be) that ignore healing themselves despite medicine being available...

Besides, and more importantly, how does this hurt anyone? How does being inclusive and recognizing how anyone can be a hero in a fantasy game hurt them or their gaming? It's like cruelty is the point.

Good on Wizkids for making these.

Thanks to WizKids for doing these miniatures. I hope they do more like this!

And thanks @Sacrosanct for posting about the toxic fan reactions, they need to be called out for what they are, both on the broader intertubes and here on ENWorld. Boo to those trying to shut the conversation down.

D&D's magical healing of all ills is, of course, highly unrealistic and poor storytelling. And not really ever designed to create a fantasy society where nobody ever is seriously ill or has any sort of lasting disability. Healing magic was just designed to counter players losing hit points and negative conditions to their characters during the power fantasy of dungeon delving, it's implications on the larger fantasy society were never really taken into account.

A world where powerful clerics are always available to cure all ills, those folks are born with and those folks acquire later in life . . . is boring. And isn't very representative of the real world the players live in. In my campaigns, I try to make healing magic rare. And it has limits. I borrow an idea from White Wolf's Mage: The Awakening . . . disabilities you are born with are part of your "pattern" and can't be healed without the most powerful and rare of magics. Disabilities you acquire, if not healed quickly (and all healing magic is relatively rare), also become part of your "pattern". So, an adventurer might very well find themselves in need of a magical wheelchair to continue doing what they love, delving dungeons! Perhaps someday, they may find rare and powerful magics to negate the need for the chair . . . but their priorities might lie elsewhere.