Basically, it cuts short Zak S' collaboration with LotFP.
Like many people and organizations have attempted, it's a good solid compromise. No more books by Zak S., but neither will there be a book burning party. Previous stock will slowly be sold off, and then that's it.
No one's great at everything. One may quibble at the man's style or aesthetics or taste, but Zak Smith/Sabbath could write, draw, self-promote, and he even had some great ideas. But there's always a flaw, isn't there. He couldn't be a decent human being. Actually, I don't think he could do his own layout, either. Oh well.
Additionally, WotC/Hasbro is erasing all consultant credits from future printings and digital versions of the Player's Handbook. That sucks for everyone who isn't currently besieged by abuse allegations. Legally, it may be sound, and I'm sure it'll cover their asses in regards to the online activist outrage mob, but is it fair? Nope, not really.
Never did get James' apology for throwing Jordan Peterson under the bus... [sigh] This is a depressing blog post.
p.s. I thought it was amusing that out of dozens of FB comments, mine is pretty much the only one that no one without a "like" or reply.
Here it is for posterity (until Google annihilates this blog), "I hope we can all learn and grow from these experiences." Not just pretty words. It's a civil and objective wake-up call to those keeping at least one eye open.
Just before going to bed, I noticed a post on MeWe about Zak S.
Normally, it would be about one of his books, since he is a good writer, and because by this time, I think a lot of people are tired of his drama, his attacks, his harassment, his arguments, his blocking people, his influence on such people as James Raggi and things like Lamentations of the Flame Princess.
It turns out that his former girlfriend just came forward with her story, corroborated with several other women, about Zak S' abuse, assault, and sheer awful behavior towards women.
Having been in conversations with Zak S, as well as, having lived in a hobby/industry where he parades around like the imaginary king of social justice and roleplaying, I 100% believe these women. Zak S. absolutely seems capable of what's described.
I feel bad for those he's hurt. I hope their recovery is swift and sure.
Authoritarians need to be recognized, confronted, and defused ASAP. Don't wait. Don't appease them, don't give into their demands, don't bend over backwards... just don't.
I heard that Zak S. was a socialist. Normally, this wouldn't be the time or place to mention this. In fact, at any other time, self-identifying as a socialist would be a "Who cares?" moment, rather than a sub-section of this #MeToo moment. However, with President Donald Trump coming out and saying that America will never be a socialist country in his State of the Union address, I think it's topical.
Socialism is based on government control. As government expands, that control broadens and strengthens. Power, especially when centralized like that, leads to horrific abuses. Like people being imprisoned and/or killed if they don't conform. Of course, authoritarians like it when they're the ones in control. They like to set everything in order - their order - that others have to follow... or else.
Well, I'll never lay down for tyranny. I don't care if it's Zak S, a foreign power, "democratic" socialists (like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) within our United States, SJWs, armed and masked SJWs (Antifa), or anyone else.
The moment you try to force me to live by your arbitrary rules, against my self-interest, I know it's time to fight back.
Here's to fighting back against tyrants!
VS
p.s. James, I expect a full retraction of your statement disavowing Jordan Peterson. He's a goddamn Canadian treasure, and as you're probably aware, the world doesn't have many of those. Treat him with the admiration and respect he deserves.
Books of She Bleeds for Lamentations of the Flame Princess destroyed at the warehouse because it disgusted and offended one or more people who didn't even bother to read it!
To paraphrase the teacher from that Twisted Sister video, why would anyone destroy a defenseless sourcebook? If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's just that simple.
THIS is what the free-speech advocates, the Jordan Peterson fans, the anti-SJWs, the normal folks, and OSR Shit-lord RPG Pundit have been warning us about for years now. Cultural and political upheaval is manifesting war, and it's high time the average gamer got his hands dirty!
These people are mentally ill, trying to stifle creative freedom in order to preserve their conformity... or perhaps their own miserable and fragile sense of self?
I hope the individuals responsible get fired, author Elizabeth Chaipraditkul (that name just begs for an apostrophe or two) gets an apology, and LotFP gets reimbursed for the damages. You can get the PDF here.
I can easily imagine this shit happening to Alpha Blue, so we all need to keep our guard up and call bullshit out when we see it!
VS
p.s. Does this post make me a feminist? Yeah, it probably does. So be it!
Yes, state an opinion, cite a source, mention a statistic, or even reveal a deeply-held belief...
Now, you're in danger of using hate speech, committing a hate crime. Basically, you're a Nazi, or at the very least, a white nationalist.
Jesus H. Christ on a pogo-stick! James Raggi IV is somehow in trouble for having a picture of himself taken with Jordan B. Peterson while holding his Lamentations of the Flame Princess rulebook.
There's a lot to unpack here, but I'll be as brief as I can.
Two high-profile LotFP collaborators, Zak S. and Kiel Chenier, believe what James Raggi did was a big mistake, that James has something to answer for. Namely, his crimes against the LGBTQ+ for associating (or not utterly disavowing) the clinical psychologist, philosopher, best selling author, and free speech advocate Jordan B. Peterson.
Here's a video where Peterson speaks for himself. If you haven't read his book or listened to him debate the issues of the day, be careful of those putting words in his mouth because it serves their loathsome political agenda...
This shouldn't even need to be said, but Jordan Peterson is not Alt-Right. He doesn't speak for them or espouse their political beliefs. Well, that's if your definition of Alt-Right includes fascists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists.
If, on the other hand, you define Alt-Right as populists, nationalists (like President Trump), free speech advocates, and alternative right-wing individualists, then sure, he's Alt-Right - and so is half of America!
But the radical-left doesn't mind offending 50% of U.S. citizens. They're too preoccupied assuming that they're correct and everyone else is wrong.
So, shame on Kiel Chenier and Zak S. for shooting down their former creative comrade. Hey, what's wrong with a little friendly fire? James is just collateral damage in the greater fight, I guess... the fight against freedom.
What's worse, James took the photo down?!? Why? I mean, I know there's an impulse to be agreeable, to cave in the face of the SJW mob, their Ctrl-Left vitriol and outrage, but we all have to reach beyond that kind of weakness. Peterson talks about courage, and that's what it takes to stand up to the far-left cyber bullies... well, that and balls.
Over the years, James has thrived being apolitical and kind of sitting in the middle of the culture war, unscathed. His RPG stuff is occasionally offensive and in bad taste, but LotFP shielded itself by paling around with the totalitarian left.
Of course, as we all know, that side of the fence has no qualms about eating its own. Purity tests are all the rage, and James Raggi IV has been found to be less than ideologically pure. So, he must be disavowed, purged, blacklisted, and made an example of. Because what else can these SJWs do to him, besides un-buy his products (and not purchase any more)?
As the RPGpundit has taught me over the years, these people cannot be left alone. We must struggle against them like weeds in our garden. We ignore their backwards, regressive values at our peril. The radical-leftist ideologues Peterson fights on YouTube are cut from the same cloth as the SJW censorship-fascists we face in the RPG trenches.
So, free speech is hate speech. If thinking for yourself and speaking your mind makes you a Nazi, then I guess we're headed for even more interesting times.
Venger As'Nas Satanis High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing
So, I and many others read this review of Maze of the Blue Medusa right over here. There's been a lot of feedback, as well as, quite a bit of push-back from the OSR.
Now, if the reviewer was railing against commonly accepted OSR staples, I would wholeheartedly agree with their rebuttal. However, I got the sense that the reviewer is himself an OSR gamer and was judging MotBM on its own self-proclaimed old school merits... and found it lacking.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see the reviewer advocating for adventure paths. He simply wants a megadungeon to have some logical cohesion along with something going on that relates to the PCs. You know, an adventure! That's not some newfangled modern 4th edition story-game nonsense. On the contrary, it's the foundational bread and butter of RPG scenarios: there's something going on that draws the PCs in and makes some kind of sense as they involve themselves.
I don't know if this is quite right, not having read MotBM (though this is probably the 13th review I've read over the last year), but from the reviewer's perspective, it seems like a deconstructed megadungeon. All the parts are there, but it tricks you into thinking it's fully assembled.
Just because an adventure (any adventure) says, "You can do what you want with it - make it your own!" that doesn't mean it's useful, what the customer wants, or is worth paying for. Now, I think MotBM is worth buying and I intend on purchasing the 2nd edition yonder. But my acquisition is not why the ordinary gamer wants it.
I'm looking for inspiration, what worked, what didn't work, why it captured the 2017 imagination as hard as it did. Why? So I can surpass it, of course. Hoping to publish my own megadungeon in 2019!
Anyways, when it comes down to it a gaming product should be gameable - especially when it's expensive, talked up to the nth degree, and was a work-in-progress by two accomplished gaming authors for 4 friggin' years (trying to verify that, but not finding a source - will keep trying)!
If the reviewer, and he's not alone - I've seen lots of feedback over the last 12 months - thinks it stops short of providing satisfactory gameable content, that's a flaw. Thankfully, I don't believe MotBM's flaw is shared by the OSR. If anything, MotBM strayed too far away from old school principles - and that's what bit it in the ass.
But I'd love to read your thoughts, will gladly engage in discussion and hope to have my beliefs either verified or reduced to ash after I've read the damn thing (probably end of August).
VS
p.s. Ever since I realized my interview with Patrick Stuart pictured not Patrick Stuart, I've felt a little bit bad about it (but not so bad that I actually did anything). So, here he is pictured! Also, here's a link to that post-MotBM interview. For completion's sake, here's my post-MotBM interview with Zak S.
I've had this blog post on my mind for a while now... It all started with a discussion on g+ about Labyrinth Lord.
How one of the first big retro-clones has been virtually eclipsed, why, and if it's possible for Labyrinth Lord to reclaim its former glory.
Well, what makes for a successful RPG? I'm sure there are many factors that could and should be discussed by those interested in the answer. But today, I'm going to focus on the primary reason: SUPPORT!!!
Support for that RPG keeps it going, makes it feel alive, engages players, and provides material for using that game now and in the future. The ideal kind of support is adventures, the backbone of roleplaying. Various supplements can't hurt, but a large number of scenarios is probably the best gauge for success when it comes to new RPGs.
Just look at your DCC, LotFP, and S&W. They come out with adventures all the damn time. If Labyrinth Lord wants to compete, it's got to have just as many high-profile scenarios coming out under the Labyrinth Lord name. That's why it's so hard for the little guys to compete... any one-man shop is going to be hard-pressed to generate one adventure a month or more. You need a team!
On that LL thread, I made the boastful statement that I could turn LL around if put on the payroll as brand manager, scenario connoisseur, or whatever to the tune of $50K a year. Yeah, that seems like a lot, but the juice has to be worth the squeeze.
What's funny is that it's all compatible! There's no earthly reason why you can't swap one system's adventure for another. But perception matters with these kinds of things. Brand awareness affects the market. We're only human, after all.
I've tried to maintain a regular flow of adventures myself with the several RPGs for Kort'thalis Publishing, but in the end I only succeeded with Alpha Blue. Crimson Dragon Slayer almost kept pace, but I think sci-fi more lenient than the over-saturated genre of fantasy. Alas, I realized the full extent of this lesson too late.
Having said that, I'm going to make an announcement regarding Kort'thalis Publishing's RPG lines. But first, I want to finish Alien Ass, Hydrogen Gas, or Cosmic Grass... No One Warps For Free! It'll be released before the end of July.
I've already mentioned elsewhere that I'm taking a break from RPG publishing once this last adventure is completed. There are juicier fruits out there that I have to find.
I didn't expect this to go live until next week, but here's my rpg.net review of Carcosa published by Lamentations of the Flame Princess.
While not to everyone's taste, this splendiferous tome has a coveted place upon my gaming bookshelf. I won't let players touch it, won't even allow them to gaze upon my precious for a moment...
VS
p.s. I found this Carcosa addendum which has some cool stuff like infernal pigment for Bone Men wanting to disguise themselves as other races!
I think every Dungeon Master could benefit from this idea. Instead of calling it Dungeons & Dragons, call it something else. Mazes & Monsters, Demons & Sorcery, Dark Towers, Scourge of the Crimson Wyrm, etc. Whatever you want... because this game is just like the fantasy RPGs you're familiar with, except that there are no written rules! But don't worry, if things go well, you'll be creating a home-made reference of guidelines as you game. The DM should come prepared with an hour's worth of notes (this is not an exercise in RPG design - so don't go overboard). He creates the game and lays down the law... influenced by player input, of course.
When something comes up, the DM makes a ruling. He's free to ask the players their thoughts, and listen to their suggestions; however, it's still the Dungeon Master's game. Nevertheless, I encourage the DM and players to reach some kind of compromise a majority of the time.
"What's my Elf like?" "What powers does he have?" "How does magic work?" Everything that hasn't been considered in the hour or two beforehand, must be briefly considered (3 second rule!) and adjudicated right then and there. No looking anything up in a book, deck of cards, online, or anything else - that kind of thing is forbidden! This session is a rulebook free zone.
What kind of game will evolve from such an experience? How will this game be different than your usual D&D, Pathfinder, Warhammer, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Dragon Age, Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, Burning Wheel, Houses of the Blooded, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game, etc. As DM, you should absolutely feel free to borrow a game mechanic or rule from RPGs you know and love - just as long as it's from memory. But, on the other hand, you're not bound by anything as there is no rule book to look at. You're free as the cold northern winds to do as you please.
Maybe you want to start with a version of Amber's attribute auction, take the career options from Warhammer, the rolling doubles stunt mechanic from Dragon Age, the possibility of mercurial magic and corruption from Dungeon Crawl Classics, giving narrative control to players like Houses of the Blooded, add Call of Cthulhu's sanity mechanic, post-apocalyptic vehicular combat from some kind of Dark Sun Car Wars hybrid, and the rest (as far as your memory serves) from AD&D.
This exercise is about giving us license to roleplay according to our will, without being bound to tables, charts, or having to interpret the judicial language of arcane tomes. It's all fast and furious; fueled by the raw, instinctual fire of our collective imaginations.
Not sure which way to go? Let the dice decide! Or pick another randomization method. The DM could think of a number and whoever correctly guesses it gets to decide how a fireball spell works or the chances of a cleric receiving divine intervention (remember, it works both ways - the monsters and villains encountered have fireballs and clerics, too!). Do you want to get away from randomness? Vote on it like a democracy (maybe the DM gets two votes and each player gets one?).
This is your opportunity to break away from conventions - and those insufferable rules lawyers! If this concept scares you just a little bit, that's all the more reason to go for it! Hey, it's an experiment. Give yourself permission to screw it up. If it's a roaring success like you just rolled a crit with a vorbal blade, you'll realize the awful truth - the rules never mattered as much as you thought they did.
One session should gauge your on-the-fly competence in regards to Mastery of the Game. Want to see how far the demon-rabbit hole goes? Play another session of Crimson Sorcery & Dungeon Wyrm! You'll be amazed at how the game organically evolves over time... until it feels like you're finally playing your game. After several adventures, the table can't help but roleplay differently. Not necessarily better or worse, but more intuitively.
