The Ravens Nest

Opinion on The Demand for Old School Players & GMs To Soften Their Approach & Stance

Recently, this particular tweet caused a bit of a shitstorm over Twitter. Could it be worded better? I’ll grant that. Was it a little oversimplistic? Sure. Barring that Manwar has a substack, I’m not sure you’ll get much nuance until you read his follow-up posts to the responses he got, including this one and then you’ll begin to understand it better. Until then, have a look…

For this, I do have a response. Let’s go to this graphic for a second.

To give a bit of context, we were enjoying our niche hobby. We were vilified, beaten, stuffed into lockers, made targets for cheap shots from those abusing their authority, so on, so forth, some of it coming with lasting effects that have yet to leave us. Bad as some of us got it, others got it worse, some were even driven to suicide over it.

At the time, we excluded no one. Get this clear in your mind: No one. Gay, straight, lesbian, Hispanic, White, Young, Old, Black, Asian, all stripes, all walks. Know who didn’t want to ever join? The normies and the popular crowds. In fact, if anyone was excluded, it was us. We wanted everyone to enjoy this hobby.

Some of us began to celebrate the normalizing of our hobby…and then the ridiculous demands began to surface. We were told if we didn’t cave entirely, we were evil, bad, etc.

Well, it was either cave or become subjected to the same treatment which some of us were already used to.

These very people making demands made even more demands, then those demands became ultimatums and the more we gave at our tables, the more they took. They even bullied the corporations into caving to their every whim and desire and we were told that we no longer belonged. If we didn’t like it, we should make our own and then those little giggles followed, the implication being “but no one will ever want what you produce.” When was it truly enough for these people? Well, it isn’t. Ever. Hence why I wrote about my own experiences and why this entire argument should be avoided at all costs. Choose your own happiness. We’ll come back to this later.

It happened with movies. It happened with comics. These types tried that shit with metal music and were shown the fucking door and that’s what should have happened with TableTop RPGs but it didn’t. This is where we show just how severely what these infiltrator tourists did was a fuckup in the most severe sense.

We did. We made our own. Let’s face it some of the older books were far too expensive so, those with those books went through them, using the license that was given and took those rules, changed the presentation, cleaned them up and offered them at fair prices. Players and GMs rejoiced because now, we didn’t need official product. We could still play stuff like old school D&D (Original, B/X, BECMI, AD&D 1 & 2 Eds.) and the only thing we’d give up was the official name. The fact is, this was created long before the infiltration but many of us saw the writing on the wall. We knew when D&D blew up in popularity in a near-meteoric rise at the onset of the lockdowns and with shows like Critical Role dominating things, also, multiple references through Stranger Things and The Big Bang Theory that things could really go south very quickly.

These “problems” never truly existed until that “side” began their push. We made our own and those games are called “problematic,” “racist,” & even, baselessly, “bigoted” in an attempt to lump us all in with the creator of Myfarog, Varg Vikernes. Attempting to honestly question the people making these claims will only yield someone training for their Olympic-level mental gymnastics event. What passes for “logic” is so convoluted that no one would ever actually agree to it if they had a sense of reason and critical thinking. In just a matter of a few posts, you will find yourself under attack through ad hominem and there’s literally nothing you can do to stop it. The ultimatum is clear: Join Us Or Perish.

Choose neither.

Certainly, 5th Edition D&D has some issues like power creep, so much given to the player with no accountability and the DM is made to just accept that their job has been made into a labor that may just consume their love of the game. The slightest deviation or suggestion that perhaps trying a B/X system will result in a turn up of the nose and “I don’t want to play a game bigots play.” That’s the conditioning. If you doubt, have a look.

Honestly, They can think of me whatever they want but the ones claiming that these were only two tweets are probably some of the same people that lost their minds when Troll Lord Games insisted that their staff keep it about the games and leave politics to others. They didn’t last very long in that argument either and attempted to bait TLG into “gotchas” as well.

Speaking of which, another tactic used is the attempt to “hold to account” a publisher for how the players are going to use material. Weird flex but…ohhhh-kaaaayyyyy!

For context, and DM Chris and I do follow each other, I’m not entirely sure why this tweet wasn’t visible to me but I do have it…

I also happen to agree, you have official D&D and Pathfinder 2nd Edition. We’ve determined that we don’t need them. You told us we didn’t belong, so where’s the problem? Again, 5th Edition mechanical gripes aside and no system is perfect, some are better than others, the biggest problem is with the cult it’s created. The question though, is this really a cult? Well, the responses in that thread will tell you everything you need to know but, here’s how Troll Lord Games responded though they owed this guy nothing and he’s still owed nothing…

And it makes sense. One commenter somewhere in the original thread that I can just ignore those parts and do whatever I wanted with the book.

Thanks for that, however, I think I can stick with Pathfinder 1st Edition, which I do have or I can even play Castles & Crusades, which I have much more of, thank you very much.

Some of the books I’ve purchased without knowing anything about them other than concept, (ex: Monster of The Week & Wicked Ones) have sections on Safety Tools, Lines And Veils, Session Zeros and all the other add-on nonsense these infiltrating tourist posers have been trying to assure us are needed and have been there for a multitude of years and insisting we use lest we be labelled as “unsafe” people with whom to game. The difference between those and Pathfinder 2nd Edition is that I didn’t know that going in. I know that with Pathfinder and I choose to say a very proud “No, thank you.”

It’s the same response as the one I give Myfarog. If you’re that hung up on character sexuality that you must, must, must have it at the table, then I can opt out of ever playing it.

I wonder, since the people insistent that I absolutely just purchase things like Pathfinder 2nd Edition or Coyote & Crow or else are so adamant about me just buying the books and leaving those parts out, how many of them have Myfarog on their shelves? I mean couldn’t they just buy the book and leave those parts out?

Honestly, I’d never suggest they purchase it. Instead, I think Codex Nordica and Codex Germania are better books and far more well-researched and respectable in comparison. I’d suggest those books instead.

Okay now I said I’d come back to the point where people like this fucked up. They don’t care about diversity. Not at all. Remember when I pointed out that it’s never enough? It isn’t. Their fanatical cult-like devotion to their poor excuse for culture continuously asks for another purity test. The problem is, they’ve fucked up by stepping into a realm where we’re all used to making our own and with self-publication being easier now than ever before, they’ve found themselves in a quagmire and unable to face the fact that no one gives a single shit about their constant auto-fellating, self-important, self-indulgent, self-deluded virtue signaling. What they seek is hegemonized control and nothing less will suffice. They fear with absolute certainty anything resembling actual diversity, in fact, diversity of thought goes right out the window. You will follow. You will not question. You will do as you’re told or else.

Speaking only for myself, I’m used to the “or else.” Your ultimatums hold no power whatsoever. Neither does your cult.

If we come across as mean or unwelcoming, understand, we have been through it and we’ve seen what encouraging the unstable and stupid to enter does. We may not be able to control the corporation (unless we can starve the fuck out of their coffers) but we can control what we buy, where we buy it, when we buy it and our tables.

My own stance is this. Gay, straight, black, white, all shapes, sizes, colors, stripes, economic backgrounds (Look if you come in dead broke, I’m the type that will literally fucking give you a set of dice and some PDFs that are available for free) no matter what, you are welcome at the table but you have to understand that this is my table and I have some rules.

First, no real-world politics, religion or identitarian nonsense at my table. None. No t-shirts, music, nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Not negotiable or up for discussion. Whether or not I agree with your “9-11 Was An Inside Job” or “Black Lives Matter” t-shirt or not, leave all of that shit at home. I can’t even allow you to drop it at the door. Leave it at home. We might have two sessions a month totalling about 8 hours. You have all the rest of the time in the world to engage in that. Won’t be done at the table I run. Second, the games may be a bit different than what you’re used to. Doesn’t mean you’re stupid and I’m not going to deride you over it. Me and any other experienced players will step in and help. There’s no dumb question other than the one you didn’t ask. Third, fictional races do not translate to any races in the real world. Fourth, some of those races will be inherently evil due to their deity and culture. Fifth, some will have negative modifiers, it’s a game-balancing mechanic. If you think a bodybuilder is about to perform gymnastics and acrobatics, hey, they might but they’re gonna suffer a penalty on the dice roll. Sixth, character death is a thing but will be treated with gravitas and respect. Seventh, none of these ridiculous safety tools, session zeroes or lines and veils. If you don’t trust me as a GM, then refer to the next paragraph.

If you have a problem with the rules, do yourself a favor. Excuse yourself. Take your PDFs, character sheet and the dice I gave you (they are now yours) and find a different table or start one. If you’re cool and you need your next GM to verify your character sheet with me, as long as you left on good terms, that’s fine but if you left on bad terms, well, let’s just say you might have to re-roll that character because there may be some doubt to it’s veracity.

Going back to the original point here, yes, with 5th Edition D&D, we were told in the advertising that Wizards of The Coast sought to unite old and new school players after the disaster that was 4th Edition…and then completely began backtracking on it. Radiant Citadel will show you exactly what I mean by that. Spelljammer and Dragonlance also products of disappointment by not bothering to respect the source material and, well, had we just told people like this to fuck off and go form their own tables, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this mess today.

In closing, if what we’re being asked is to constantly fold on the very same topics that brought us current year D&D and Pathfinder 2nd Edition then my response is simple.

No.

We know the pattern. We’ve seen it and we’re being subject to gaslighting yet again, telling us that we’ll always be the outcasts.

I don’t care. I’ve survived the Panic which was designed to get me to stop this gaming. I didn’t then and I sure as hell won’t start now. I’m not taking the back foot. Think of me what you will, call me what you want, I don’t care. I’m used to it. My tables will run, my books and materials will be purchased, I’m in my 40s now, you’re not my parent, I don’t owe you money and we’re not fucking so I don’t need your permission or your approval. Neither do the companies. For any reason. Trying to goad them into taking the back foot won’t work out. You should see what happened when Troll Lord Games reinforced it’s own company policy on Twitter.

I’m certain black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Transgendered, self-identified space aliens write and illustrate my games. I don’t care about that. If they make a game that doesn’t try lecturing me, has art that I like and that I can securely recommend with solid rules and a great concept, fine, I’m more than happy to buy it, read it, play it and recommend it but if you feel the irresistible urge to lecture me, no. I will not purchase, play, read or recommend your books. You feel the need to hate me as I am without knowing me then you get to do that…for free. I will close my wallet to you because, times are tough and I’m looking at getting value for the dollars I earn while listening to some of you lecture me while I’m at work. The difference is, I get paid to listen to you. I’m getting paid hourly, I don’t care, however, I’m not paying you for the second go-round on that one-sided conversation. It’s just not happening.

If you truly want to sell your game and keep your job making them, then my advice is simple. Make The Damn Game. Keep your talking points about the damn game. Understand that as long as there’s money for me to spend, I’ll spend it based on what I value and if I fuck up and happen to pick up your game, I’ll be warning others ahead and they’ll learn from my mistake. Then I’ll proceed to cannibalize your work for a game you probably have an objection to me playing. If I know ahead of time though, I’ll shop elsewhere.

I’m a firm believer in the sentiment of “Your Table, Your Rules.” I have nothing to say about how you run a table, whether or not you use a GM screen, which rules you use and which ones you don’t but I do have a say about what goes into my library and how my table is run. If you have a problem with it, it’s fine. I don’t.

No. The answer is No. If your games are so fucked that you’re now looking at ours, so be it but remember what got you to this point and learn from it.

Perhaps it seems harsh but until you’re willing to sit down like a rational, sane, mature adult and quit acting like a child, yes, you will be excluded from my table at the very least.

Thus endeth the lesson.

Author’s Note: This content will always be 100% Free to you. There are no plans to monetize it ever. If you really want to contribute, simply comment, subscribe and share these posts with friends. If you feel like I’ve earned that something extra, hit any of the wish lists (There are only two) in the link tree below and you can send a gift. If you send something, please be sure to include your name so I can personally thank you. If you don’t, then simply feel free to enjoy the content with my deepest appreciation for your visit. Thank You.