The world of Dungeons & Dragons is vast, with its colourful tapestry of interesting characters, different species, and sprawling epic adventures ensuring that it entertains every step of the way. Even if you haven’t played the tabletop game, you’ll likely have experienced D&D in one form or another.
Due to the kind of world it champions, it makes sense that D&D has announced its first canonically autistic character. Releasing in November, The Deck of Many Things is an item that also includes The Book of Many Things, and it’s within that book that fans will be introduced to this new character. For those who are familiar with the written instalments in the franchise, it’ll come as no surprise to learn that the book is written from the character’s perspective, thus offering a story you can enjoy even if you’re not a devote fan.
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Asteria is the creation of designer Makenzie De Armas, who spoke with Polygon about putting a bit of herself into the character. “It’s [austism] not just a little ribbon that’s put under her character,” she explains, “It permeates all of her actions, but it doesn’t define her. She gets to express her love of other things beyond just I’m autistic, and it’s so rewarding to see her experiences and get to reflect her experiences through the notes and her story.”
Knowing that someone who understands those experiences and interactions has made this character will undoubtedly offers fans an authentic character rather than a throwaway diversity checkmark. In a different vein, though not too dissimilar, it’s why people have fallen in love with Baldur’s Gate 3 – because it’s a celebration of kink, of diversity and all types of individuals.
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Being able to see creators in their work is what makes a game and/or story a lot of the time. What is more, De Armas’ Asteria is about showing people who claimed D&D would worsen her autism that they were wrong, “I decided to come out as autistic because I wanted people to know that those people were wrong. This feels like a wonderful next step for me, and for making this game really reflective of all the wonderfully amazing people who play it.”
If you’re excited to follow Asteria’s journey, make sure to check out The Book of Many Things when it releases on 14 November.
Topics: Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards of the Coast