I guess you do need some background information, especially because Wizards sure doesn’t like spelling it out anymore.
In older editions it was assumed nearly all half-orcs were the offspring of rape, and “the blessing of Luthic” was given to make orcs fertile with nearly every other race.
The implications were clear, even more once you start diving into things like orcish society being a rigid patriarchy with a slave economy and one of Luthic’s domains being not just servitude, but specifically female servitude.
In early DnD’s defense, monster races were objectively, comically evil, and players were pretty heavily incentivised to pick humans (and assumed to be played by extremely nerdy guys), so it wasn’t supposed to come up that much.
The fantasy was in killing the cannibal rape monsters, freeing their slaves, and not having to ask yourself “Are we the baddies doing an imperialism?” for burning down the orc village.
My dad used to play red box D&D (which I believe was the first edition ever released). Still has some manuals, which I got the chance to read.
Not only it was encouraged to play humans, it was assumed! You didn’t get to pick a race, only a class. And while the classes of “elf” (think like 5e’s ranger) and “dwarf” (5e’s barbarian, sort of) were a thing, all of the other classes assumed for the player to be a human. You couldn’t play an elf wizard: you either are an elf OR a wizard. Wild stuff, compared to some of the crazy stuff we get to do in modern D&D.
I guess you do need some background information, especially because Wizards sure doesn’t like spelling it out anymore.
In older editions it was assumed nearly all half-orcs were the offspring of rape, and “the blessing of Luthic” was given to make orcs fertile with nearly every other race.
The implications were clear, even more once you start diving into things like orcish society being a rigid patriarchy with a slave economy and one of Luthic’s domains being not just servitude, but specifically female servitude.
so, the evil version of big booba goblins?
Is that a thing?
you’re asking if horny people had the idea to give massive honkers to the small green people and make their whole schtick to bonk everyone they see?
if that’s a question that needs to be asked you should treasure your innocence
In early DnD’s defense, monster races were objectively, comically evil, and players were pretty heavily incentivised to pick humans (and assumed to be played by extremely nerdy guys), so it wasn’t supposed to come up that much.
The fantasy was in killing the cannibal rape monsters, freeing their slaves, and not having to ask yourself “Are we the baddies doing an imperialism?” for burning down the orc village.
My dad used to play red box D&D (which I believe was the first edition ever released). Still has some manuals, which I got the chance to read.
Not only it was encouraged to play humans, it was assumed! You didn’t get to pick a race, only a class. And while the classes of “elf” (think like 5e’s ranger) and “dwarf” (5e’s barbarian, sort of) were a thing, all of the other classes assumed for the player to be a human. You couldn’t play an elf wizard: you either are an elf OR a wizard. Wild stuff, compared to some of the crazy stuff we get to do in modern D&D.
So, like DCC?
Like these?
If your first-level halfling is wearing plate mail, you may be playing Red Box D&D.
Early DND sounds a lot like pulp comics.