Having diverse worlds and representing different types of people is a good thing. For something like skin colour, sexuality or gender it’s very easy to just say that your character posseses those qualities because it doesn’t necessarily change much about them. However, how do people feel about playing NPCs who are neurodivergent?

The main example I’m thinking of is someone with Down syndrome. I don’t have that lived experience to draw from because I don’t have Down syndrome, but I also feel that these people (like all people) can be valuable members of society and I don’t like to see them excluded. Therefore, I would want to see them in my fantasy worlds too. The problem is, I worry I’d mainly be falling back on stereotypes in a potentially harmful and offensive way.

EDIT: I would especially like other neurodivergent people to chime in, of course. Personally I really like to see representation for my neurodivergence in D&D and other literature, but also it can really upset me when it’s done badly and it’s worse than nothing at all

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    19 months ago

    Well one don’t worry about offending people that aren’t the table. Its not a performance that the world will see. Second as the gm you just tel the player what the npc does, what they say, etc etc. So displaying a nps that has any conditions comes down to observable behavior quirks.