Iconic role playing game Dungeons & Dragons has embraced the possibility for characters to have varied sexualities and gender identities in its newest version.

The game, which was published in its first version in 1974 allows players to create their own characters of any species within the Dungeons and Dragons universe to embark on adventures guided by the group’s elected Dungeon Master.

Version 5 of the game, which launches this week, encourages players to consider sexuality and gender identity when creating a character in its Basic Rules. ““You don’t need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender.” it states.

“Think about how your character does or does not conform to the broader culture’s expectations of sex, gender, and sexual behaviour.”

The rules also refer to an existing character who has a non-binary gender identity as an example:

“The elf god Corellon Larethian is often seen as androgynous or hermaphroditic, for example, and some elves in the multiverse are made in Corellon’s image. You could also play a female character who presents herself as a man, a man who feels trapped in a female body, or a bearded female dwarf who hates being mistaken for a male. Likewise, your character’s sexual orientation is for you to decide.”

Dungeons and Dragons have never had any set restrictions on characters’ sexuality, and the game has attracted a number of enthusiasts from the LGBT community, as the nature of the characters in the game is largely up to the players’ imagination.

However, this is the first time the game has openly encouraged players to consider possibilities for gender and sexuality when creating characters.

Sophie Joske