Dungeons & Dragons Live Was A Triumph In Diversity, And The Cast Knows It

I had the pleasure of attending the Dungeons & Dragons Live show at Gen Con, and it was one of the most surreal moments of my life. The incredible cast was the answer to any D&D player's dream company, with some of the biggest names in the tabletop and D&D space in attendance. Aabria Iyengar helmed the adventure as DM and was joined by Dimension 20 alumni Brennan Lee Mulligan and actors Anjali Bhimani, Samantha Béart, and Neil Newbon.

Béart and Newbon are known in the D&D community for their roles as Karlach and Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3.

With Newbon and Béart playing their BG3 characters and Bhimani and Mulligan making brand-new ones, the crowd looked to Iyengar as she set the scene for this group of misfits to meet in a tavern and start a D&D live adventure to celebrate 50 years of the most popular tabletop roleplaying game.

Dungeons & Dragons' Project Sigil Could Finally Revive My Dead D&D Campaign

Could this cRPG-like tool finally get us through a campaign?

Throughout the weekend, I'd been hearing a lot about what it means to make D&D diverse and how strides have been made to create a more inclusive community, and while I kept hearing it, it wasn't necessarily what I saw through the weekend at Gen Con. However, once this cast was revealed, it was an instant recognition that this is the future of what D&D is meant to look like. This table of players actually reflected the artwork in the Player's Handbook of several diverse players at a single table playing the game.

I joined a roundtable interview with the cast after the performance (minus Mulligan), and I wanted to know their thoughts on being one of the most diverse tables at an official D&D event. I asked if being at a diverse table like theirs came with any conscious decisions of how they might dress, react, or present themselves when coming to the table, and these delightful people gave me more than I could have imagined.

Béart, who came with all the ethereal beauty, confidence, and swag of Karlach, notes that although they are fully embracing Karlach with their outfit, they're wearing their non-binary pride pin.

While this might seem like a small decision at first, to me, it still comes with the understanding and acceptance of being a part of a marginalized community, being on a huge stage playing a game in front of hundreds, and being brave enough to represent a part of who you are.

As for Neil Newbon, he mentions that "it's not about what you look like; it's about connection." Something that thrilled him about Astarion was that "it would have been easy to make Astarion a gay femme man..." but instead, Larian Studios took the opportunity to make him pansexual.

In particular, this is something that Newbon gets to play at the table. The dynamic between Newbon and Bihmani's characters is a treat to see playout and only applicable due to choices made by those who understand the importance of inclusivity when it comes to D&D.

"It's about having a connection with whomever you are," he goes on to say, mentioning the importance of the Tav being anybody. Béart even mentions the term ‘Tavsexual,’ which the community has adopted, noting how Baldur's Gate 3 truly took inclusion to the next level, with Larian understanding the importance of identity, belonging, and inclusivity to what D&D should be.

"This is an interesting experience because we started filming for about a year, and then Larian hit us with a whole chunk of stuff to go back over, stuff we were doing. Which was simple to add they/them pronouns." Newbon mentioned he tried to work out the cost of this but notes it was a huge amount of money, but "they felt compelled to do it because they wanted to do it."

"They understand that representation in D&D now is really diverse, and actually has the possibility of you can play whoever you want, however you feel, whether you want to represent yourself or play something wildly different. It's really important. What the aim for all of us is, is to normalize it," Newbon says.

He continues that it's important for big franchises like D&D to continue making the effort to take inclusion seriously and push back against any and all backlash because “eventually, nobody gives a sh*t."

With so many issues plaguing inclusivity and racial identity in gaming today, to see Bhimani, Béart, Newbon, and Iyengar enthusiastically understanding and expressing the diversity and inclusion that D&D brings to the table and knowing that they'll have their hands in D&D one way or another really sets a standard for the game going forward.

If your home game table is anything like mine, with more women, LGBTQIA+ members, and BIPOC than your average party, a live session like this truly feels like the future is headed in the right direction, and with people who truly understand their importance when showing up on stage.

Bihmani further emphasizes this sentiment. Having played D&D since she was eight years old, she says that what's really cool about D&D is that it showcases all the different characters you can be and that, in the last few years, how this sentiment of being whatever you want at the table has been reflected at live tables and on screen.

People are finally embracing this inclusivity, and I personally believe with tables like these going forward and artwork reflective of that inclusion in the 2024 Player's Handbook, we will get even more of this for the future of D&D.

"Inclusion isn't seeing one of everything; inclusion is ‘come play at my table, whoever you are.’ You can play any character, you can be yourself, you can not be yourself, it does not matter." Bihmani says that due to this, "diversity naturally weaves itself into this gameplay in a way that if you just let it be there, it's there.

After watching and speaking with them, that's what this cast and this D&D live play at Gen Con truly represents.

As D&D progresses with people in the spotlight like this cast who are willing to put themselves out there and be authentic to who they are while playing whoever they want to be, I'm left with a sense of understanding that they truly get it. They understand the importance of this game and opening tables up to everyone, despite their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and so on.

There's space for everyone at the table, and this cast of eclectic and grounded individuals is helping spread that joy to those who may have never felt like there was a space for them at the table. Bihmani puts it best, saying, "I can be other without being othered. At this table, our imagination is all that matters."

What's With Those Mexican Orcs In D&D?

Recently revealed art from the Players' Handbook shows a variety of progressive depictions, including a family of Mexican coded-orcs