Dungeons & Dragons adds first autistic character in upcoming Book of Many Things

Dungeons & Dragons will soon be adding their first canonically autistic character and in-game author in the upcoming Book of Many Things, introducing a new layer of representation for both players, DMs, and the minds behind WoTc.

The inherent nature of Dungeons & Dragons allows its players to create a story and experience that’s inclusive for all – although this hasn’t come without a few community outcries and missed opportunities for Wizards of the Coast. However, despite the inclusivity, one element players have been missing out on is the representation of the autistic community.

Now, in the upcoming Book of Many Things, this missed opportunity has finally been resolved, with the character of the book’s author being canonically autistic, lacing their mind and thoughts throughout the upcoming sourcebook.

Wizards of the Coast introduces the first autistic character in the upcoming book

Wizards of The Coast

As seen in the likes of Tasha, Xanithar, and the most recent Glory of the Giants, WoTC is no stranger to letting in-game characters become the narrator of their sourcebooks. Most recent additions have sprinkles of comments, facts, and notes from the ‘writers’ allowing fans the chance to get into their minds and often have a little laugh thanks to the jokes.

The Book of Many Things is no different, except for the fact that the new ‘author’ of this book is Asteria, a “princess turned paladin” who happens to be the first canonically autistic character in D&D.

During an interview with Polygon, Game Designer Makenzie De Armas explored the notion of Asteria being autistic, explaining how “It’s not just a little ribbon that’s put under her character. 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.”

She then went on to compare Asteria to her own experiences with Autism, highlighting how the Deck of Many Things within the set represents a “thing that you use to change and alter fate and challenge the perception of what a story should be.” then explained how “that resonated so much with my own journey with accepting what my identity meant and how people had perceptions about me and how I wanted to rewrite those.”

This is exactly the focus of Asteria, who shows little elements of her personality through hyperfocuses on puzzles, forgetting to eat because of those hyperfocuses, and frustrations towards other characters for breaking their fidget toy.

The Book of Many Things will be released on November 14th, 2023, and marks a thrilling change for inclusivity and autism representation.

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