Review: Book - They Came to Slay: The Queer Culture of D&D

"Queer nerds have always played at D&D tables and also worked in a professional capacity on and around the game."

So begins Thom James Carter's dive into the Queer Culture of Dungeons and Dragons.

Thom takes the role of Dungeon Master (DM) to take us through this brief history of D&D and the impact the game and queer culture have had on each other. It is a short read at just over 100 pages, but it is concise and contains some fascinating insights from queer D&D players and content creators. 

The book starts with a much needed potted history of Dungeons and Dragons, from it's inception by Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, and Gygax and Don Kaye's creation of Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) in order to get its first iteration published, to the purchase of D&D by Wizards of the Coast, who retain ownership of the IP to this day. 

Thom moves on to take a look at D&D 5th Edition, commonly referred to as D&D 5e, and explores how the renewed accessibility of the streamlined rules made for an inclusive and nurturing space for players to explore things such as gender identity and sexuality. Thom focuses on the development of the game away from outdated concepts such as the strength penalty players would face if they chose to play as female. In the early editions it didn't matter what species or class you played as, if you chose to play as a female character you would automatically have a lower strength than male counterparts. This is not to mention the complete absence of the ability to play as non-binary or a-gender characters.

In 5e, Thom highlights, "the Player's Handbook and Basic Rules prompts the reader to acknowledge" that their characters can be queer. "The text asks the reader to interrogate who exactly they want their character to be".

Thom also draws on the inclusion of queer NPCs in official D&D texts such as The Curse of Strahd in making the case that the game in its current state is an inclusive and safe space for queer players and characters. 

"From a gameplay perspective, having queer NPCs can also help queer players feel more comfortable leaning into their queerness at the table - if there are others like them, even if they're NPCs played by the DM, they're no longer 'the only one'."

The character sheet alone, Thom asserts, can be a powerful, yet low-risk, tool in helping players explore queerness before any commitments are made in real life. Experimenting in such a way in the real world can be "outright dangerous or unpredictable in many places and spaces". Furthermore, Thom states that roleplay can provide players with a safeguarded way to dig deeper into who they are. He talks frequently about how the player can become the character, and in a similar fashion, the character can become the player. Through roleplay the lines between two people are blurred and it can increase our understanding of how it feels to be someone else. Perhaps someone we truly are or want to be.

Throughout the book, Thom writes in celebration of the queer joy that D&D, its content creators, and its homebrewers can bring to the world. His passion for the subject matter shines through and with it so does this joy. His writing is accessible and friendly, and the book hits all the right beats with impeccable pacing. The world could do with more writing of this quality about such an important topic. As Thom himself points out, "homophobia and transphobia are on the rise in the real world".

They Came to Slay does more than just extol the virtues of Dungeons & Dragons, however. Thom takes time to delve into the problematic elements of the official source material, new and old.

"We cannot talk about Dungeons & Dragons' incredible potential and myriad positives without talking about it in its entirety, warts and all... In any consideration of the queer culture of D&D, it's important to look at... how certain aspects of the official materials have been problematic for LGBTQIA+ D&D lovers".

Thom draws on examples such as the 1e (First Edition) "cursed" item, the "Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity" and the 5e adaptation of the "Tomb of Horrors", which both contain problematic themes of unconsensual gender/sex changes to characters (compounding the issue, gender and sex are used interchangeable in the core material).

This book is a must read for any fan of D&D, regardless of whether they are themselves a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is written with insight and passion, and manages to get into surprising depth within a very small page count. The use of interviews with queer content creators shows a strong level of research into the subject matter. I have now read this book twice and would happily read a longer book on the same subject.

Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons - Horror is in the eye of the Beholder!

Horrified, the Ravensburger classic that has seen players take on monsters from Universal fame, North American cryptids, Greek monsters of legend, and even our lord and saviour Cthulhu himself, is set for a new outing. This time teaming up with Wizards of the Coast, Ravensburger will bring us a dungeon-themed adventure in the form of Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons, which is set to release in the UK in October 2025.

Initial previews suggest the new edition will bring with it four of the classic TTRPG's most fearsome enemies, and will include new game play mechanics inspired by D&D such as the use of a D20. Current box-art circulating online suggests that the foes will be a Beholder, a Displacer Beast, a Mimic, and as the name promises, a Dragon. Though this may change between now and the final release.

Horrified first graced our table tops in 2019 with the release of its Universal Monsters edition and quickly became a fan favourite. Its pick-up and deliver mechanics, coupled with unique puzzle solving for the different enemies, offered a streamlined experience that was quick to learn and satisfying to play. The quality of the assets and the artwork made this a pleasing addition to the Hand Limit library and it became a favourite recommendation to those who wanted an entry-way into the hobby.

The latest addition to the series, Horrified: World of Monsters, failed to hit the same level of excitement as the other editions, which was largely due to the confusing theme that blended real-world creatures of myth with a peculiar steam-punk aesthetic. Although still an enjoyable game that offered a lot of replayability, the rare-misstep on theme definitely damped our reception. So it is of great interest to us that the next edition will be using a proven and solid theme in Dungeons & Dragons. There can be little chance of the same mixed-message concept with something so universally recognisable.

While we wouldn't go so far as to say that the series was at risk of losing its shine, an injection of D&D could well be precisely what it needs to keep things interesting. The promise of new mechanics, in particular, will help things from feeling like a simple reskin, which series such as this are often at risk of doing.

Needless to say, we have already pre-ordered our copy so will wait in eager anticipation of its arrival, and will no doubt have more to say on the game when we can get it to the table.

What classic D&D monsters would you want to see in the Horrified format? Leave your answers below in the comments.

World's Most Divorced Man Wants to Ruin More Things

You may have heard on the wind recently that the World's Most Divorced Man, Elon Musk, has expressed an interest in purchasing Hasbro as a way of gaining access to the Dungeons & Dragons IP. This follows Musk's public distaste at Wizards of the Coast's (WotC) work to make D&D a more inclusive space and their wishes to distance themselves from the more problematic elements of the game, created by E Gary Gygax.

Musk and his persistent trait of confusing bigotry with freedom of speech took exception to this and suggested WotC "burn in hell" for their perceived trashing of Gygax. After feeling like his criticisms of WotC weren't being taken seriously, Musk took to Twitter to publicly ask "How much is Hasbro?". According to Forbes, shares in Hasbro are currently worth $63.89.

Although it isn't clear whether Musk was serious, or if he was just having one of his trademark tantrums, this would also give him access to toy properties such as Star Wars, Ghostbusters, My Little Pony, Peppa Pig, and Pokemon, among others. Musk purchasing Hasbro just so he can wrestle D&D back into the dark ages might seem ridiculous, but he has already shown the world how petty he can be with his disastrous take over of Twitter.

There has understandably been an outcry from fans expressing dismay at the prospect of Musk getting his grubby little incel hands on D&D, not only because his track record for tanking Twitter as soon as he bought it could spell doom for the hobby, but also because the purchase would likely herald the game becoming a hostile place for minority groups.

While it is easy to jest at the bizarre and manic actions of one of the world's richest men, it must not be taken lightly. D&D has become more inclusive over the years and while WotC still occasionally slip up, there can be no doubt that there has been a generally progressive trend. This would undoubtedly come to an end if Musk successfully purchased the property. One only needs to attempt to write the word "cisgender" into Twitter, to come face to face with Musk's personal brand of free (read: hate) speech.

We are all hoping his tantrum was short lived and will not lead onto anything else, but this story is one worth keeping a close eye on.

An Alternative (but no less troublesome) Perspective

Another take on this is that Musk does not really care about D&D, nor the memory of Gygax, it is just a front that suits the current political narrative for him and his allies. This is just another company that he can strip for assets and profit from the demise.

The exact model is known as the Bust Out playbook and has received notoriety through Bain Capital. The exact plan can be summarised using the seven points below:

1. Identify a target (The Leader).
2. Install or axquire an insider on the board of the company, maybe the CEO/CFO.
3. Spread rumours about the target through the media (The Liars).
4. Create a class action lawsuit against the company.
5. Fire up the printers and flood the market with fake shares of the company, driving share prices through the floor (The Dealer).
6. The company either declares bankruptcy or is delisted from exchange.
7. Perform a leveraged buyout of the company, busts it out, acquires other competition to capture and kill, then when the company is so saddled with debt it can no longer stand, kill the company and let the wolves feed off the carcass (The Butcher).

This is perhaps a grim prediction of what Musk might have planned and very much depends on whether Musk is as intelligent as he wants everyone to think he is, but one that offers even less hope for the future of Dungeons & Dragons.

Personally, I think Musk is not smart, just rich, so I feel it is more likely that if he does get his hands on Hasbro it will be it's ruin through stupidity and political pandering, rather than a grander scheme of venture capitalism.