The Ravens Nest

In Defense of Fellow Chuds

I want everyone reading this and, honestly, it’s time a lot of this was just put out there. I know there will be those that refuse to listen or play some kind of whataboutism games but I won’t be playing along at all.

I’ve mentioned certain things in the tabletop RPG space here and on Twitter before and, my thoughts on certain demands from TTRPG players are simple. No.

The reason I say that is because I really want you to have a look at something that I’ll address here. Today, some things were said on Twitter from a friend of mine and I’d like to share them here.

It seems like Wizards of The Coast simply refuses to ditch the behavior that has created growing discontent with their customer base to the tune of once to twice per week. They’re still going to keep demanding their customers subscribe to the new moral panic (whatever it is at the moment) …or else.

One person who commented asked a really good question and it was how does anything WoTC does affect our respective tables?

Well, in all reality, when it comes to the game you may be playing at my table, it really doesn’t, however, lest we forget, WoTC has done everything they can, by hook and by crook, to change that. The OGL Scandal, anyone? I’m certain many of us remember this and, while forgiveness may be Divine, I don’t think we should be stupid enough to trust them with this IP or the ideas behind it. They’re putting heavier emphasis on D&D Beyond, wanting to make it your go-to way of playing, they’d also love for you to be on a subscriber base where they can force your behaviors by implementing a Discord-esque rule where, if you’re reported for anything you say off-platform that may run afoul of their rule, you can then be banned from the walled garden without explanation (or one that’s as vague as possible) or recourse and then, any money you may have sunken into the game, well it won’t matter, you’re gone. Not to mention they’re going the way of 90s Marvel with their book distribution, raising the cost of their books, changing language in a move that’s so stupid that many of us are sitting here going “What the hell?”

Just because WoTC couldn’t hamstring us all in one shot doesn’t mean they won’t try to do it in a Death By 1,000 Cuts type of way. Again, these people should not be trusted.

If you do not believe that WoTC won’t attempt this Discord-esque system, you’d be wrong. They’ve done it before and the user that was banned was actually banned from their Magic Online service and had to fight to gain access long enough to sell his collection before finally departing for good. It’s why I prefer physical cards and playing at a table with friends over playing in a walled garden online.

At my table, nothing WoTC screams from their glass tower matters to me.

So I think the real question is, why be critical when companies perform these nonsensical moves and demand we conform…or else?

The answer is simple; None of us are battling expectations any longer.

I’ve written articles about how the books set expectations, how to handle those as both a player and a GM and many others in my commentary here, however, it needs to be noted that gaming companies are indeed attempting to force behaviors, especially at conventions.

Speaking of Conventions, let’s have a look at some of the rules that Goodman Games has set for conventions, particularly Dungeon Con.

Harassment includes:

Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neurotype, physical appearance, body, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, or religion

Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment

Deliberate use of incorrect name or pronouns, including misgendering or use of ‘dead’ or rejected names

Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behavior in spaces where they’re not appropriate Physical contact and simulated physical contact (eg, textual descriptions like “kiss” or “massaging”) without consent or after a request to stop

Derogatory comments that refer to a particular person without directly mentioning them, especially for, but not limited to, means of mockery or criticism (eg, “subtweeting” or “vaguebooking”)

Making intentionally false communications, either written, spoken, or posted on any social media, that harms a member’s or Dungeon Con Online’s reputation

Stealing or misappropriation of any property (including digital) belonging to another member or Dungeon Con Online, including all materials developed for or on behalf of Dungeon Con Online without the express permission of the member and/or Dungeon Con Online

Acting in a manner that endangers the health or safety of another person Exhibiting disorderly conduct, including but not limited to, abuse of controlled substances or overt drunkenness

Any social media posting reflecting any of the above behavior occurring at an Goodman Games/ Dungeon Con Online-sponsored/affiliated event or activity

Threats of violence

Incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm

Deliberate intimidation Stalking or following, including both physical and digital spaces Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes

Sustained disruption of discussion

Unwelcome sexual attention

Pattern of inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others

Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease

Deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity without their consent except as necessary to protect other Dungeon Con Online community members or other vulnerable people from intentional abuse

Publication of non-harassing private communication via any platform within or without Dungeon Con Online network without consent by the involved parties

Might seem reasonable to some. I mean Don’t Be A Dick, right?

Until they clearly illustrate just how one-sided this will be in it’s application.

Dungeon Con Online prioritizes marginalized people’s safety over privileged people’s comfort.

Dungeon Con Online reserves the right not to act on complaints of ‘reverse’ -isms, including ‘reverse racism,’ ‘reverse sexism,’ and ‘cisphobia’.

Dungeon Con Online reserves the right not to act on complaints against the reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” “go away,” or “I’m not discussing this with you.”

Dungeon Con Online reserves the right not to act on complaints of someone communicating in a ‘tone’ you don’t find congenial.

Dungeon Con Online reserves the right not to act on complaints against criticisms of racist, sexist, cissexist, or otherwise oppressive behavior or assumptions.

I know that was a lot to take in but, consider this; the way these rules are written, it’s clear that I could attend Dungeon Con, rent a table, invite others to play at the game I’ve taken the time, money, energy, etc to prepare, get the plane ticket, head there, spend money on a hotel for the weekend, get this together and while everyone as welcome at my table, it’s not just for anyone. I’ve illustrated this in a previous article as well with, what I feel to be a reasonable approach to how I conduct myself as a gamer and as a game master.

Under these rules, if someone decides to change their pronouns up to the minute and it becomes confusing to me, I am not even allowed to state the problem with that and, if I do and the player begins to become verbally combative and abusive, I can expect no support in the matter. …because I’m straight, I’m white and, according to these rules (going on past behaviors I’ve observed from other conventions) I’m in the wrong due to how I am from birth? This is a colossal reason that all support for Goodman Games is support that I have personally dropped altogether.

It’s not that we’re not empathetic to your plight, here, players. It’s not that we’re unreasonable. I’ve got a pretty good cross-section of friends who are trans, gay, straight, lesbian and of a varied group of ethnicities and backgrounds. My table will not be a fit for everyone, it’s just open to everyone. That’s alright, it doesn’t make you or the table bad, it’s like two pieces of a puzzle, when they fit, they make a part of a great picture but when they don’t, the search needs to continue to find the pieces that do, in fact, fit. That’s reasonable.

The tabletop space has been a hobby full of people who’ve constantly made the game their own. For example, Jeffrey Talanian created Hyperborea which is his AD&D First Edition game set in his own homebrewed world. Thanks to how easily people can write, publish, market and sell today, he’s able to share that with us. Troll Lord Games created Castles & Crusades, Amazing Adventures and Victorious, all games that are fantastic and center around games for the sake of gaming and they take a complete hands-off approach to your table and this is just to name two of the many examples. This is where those that have come in wanting to make demands of us messed up and in a huge way. Again, not much we could have done about what Marvel and DC, Disney, WoTC, Paizo, Steve Jackson Games, the showrunners from Doctor Who have done and so, consuming their product is out. When they disappoint us, we get to say so and we will. No longer does the Cancel Cult have any final authority. They never had it to begin with.

As a GM, despite what others may think, I’ve always tried to reason with others and have discussions about some elements of the game but it’s always been understood and shall, that at my table, the final word is mine and there are reasonable things you can do from there, meaning, get up and find a new table, go start one of your own or accept that this is the way it is and play. That will be all on that issue. Do so politely and I’ll help you any way I can but don’t and you can expect all bridges burned to hell and gone and the door to swing in only one direction. Contrary to what Goodman Games may think, any table I pay for is my table and shall operate in this manner.

One such TTRPG player was made famous in the ‘90s because his status was constantly affirmed…by his mother. His name was Rod Ferrell and he ended up ending the lives of both of Heather Wendorf’s parents. He was also very mentally ill and did not receive the treatment for his mental issues. This is why I stated previously that attempting to put on GMs the hat of therapist is dangerous and irresponsible.

Wizards of The Coast has banned anyone who disagrees with them on social issues (even respectfully) from all sanctioned events. They have harassed customers in the past, they have actively hired and protected judges that were actual pedophiles and, again, have attempted to hamstring giant swaths of the industry and still continue to control what you do at the table today. Why would you trust them?

We, as players and GMs have made every attempt at being reasonable and we shall continue but, make no mistakes, we are not dogs nor are we ponies. We will not be jumping through any more hoops.

Call us all the names you want but it says absolutely fuck all about us and says more about those flinging those names, like they’re supposed to mean anything to us.

It’s high time some out there started to understand that we’ve always been welcoming. Hell, to this day I invite random people to play in any of the games I have only to be met with disinterest and my only real comfort is that I may have dodged a bullet. But welcoming I still very much am …it comes with some understanding that I won’t be battling your expectations set by the books that you’ve read by a company who peddle delusion. Goodman Games and WoTC have zero in the way of authority at my table. I do. If you don’t like that I’m not using combat wheelchairs in my D&D Game, you’re free to join my Cyberpunk game where there’s a chair with spidery appendages to move your character around. If none of those will satisfy you, then you’re not a good fit as a player for my table, go start your own or join another…politely.

For companies, if your books and convention rules absolutely just must contain these lectures then we don’t want or need your books and we won’t recommend them. I hope the customers you do get will be enough to sustain you because, when it comes to the rest of us, “That’s Not Enough!” will tell us that nothing we do will be good enough and thus, we will do nothing for you.

You can even hate us all you want for not caving to your ridiculous, delusional and unreasonable demands.

As far as we’re concerned, you, your walled gardens and your conventions shall hate all of us for absolutely free.