It is apparent to all but the most obnoxiously retarded buffoon that institutionalized racism towards the so-called ‘monster’ races in Dungeons and Dragons takes many forms. Consider, for instance, the attributes of the character races. Specifically, consider the rich panoply of bonuses and other extra features that most of the standard races receive; it takes several days to read most entries, and the saving throw and circumstantial bonuses for dwarves alone are enough to choke a horse.
Compare said entries to that received by the humble half-orc, whose entry is so short it can be read between iterative attacks. Half-orcs get Darkvision, and . . . ‘counts as an orc’, which is so valuable because we all know how many orcish wizards there are out there cranking out the orc-only magic items. Meanwhile, the player choosing to play a dwarven PC is trying to figure out what his saving throw vs magical poison is while dodging a giant near the underground secret doors guarding the exotic dwarven axe he’ll be able to wield for free after the battle. A battle which he’ll win, because, well . . . how could he not?
Bringing things back to goblindom, the treatment hobgoblins receive is as deplorable, if not more so. Hobbies get a small Dex and Con bump, +4 to Move Silently, Darkvision . . . and that’s it. And for this, they are saddled with a +1 level adjustment. We will not use these pages to explain what a huge hit to a character below 10th level a +1 LA is, or the insanity of thinking that the two small ability bumps the Hobgoblin receives are not equivalent in power to the one ability bump plus laundry list of special abilities that Dwarves receive.
But, enough! The Intertubes are replete with discussions of this sort, and there is little point in rehashing arguments between noble, just, right-thinking scholars and the criminally insane. And so, without further adieu, the Real Monster Manual Entries for character races:
