TSR TSR3 Blames Widespread Pushback On WotC

In an unexpected turn of events, the primary individuals behind TSR3 have claimed the pushback they've received on social media and elsewhere was orchestrated by .... D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast (a company which has thus far remained completely silent on recent events).

TSR3 is run by Justin LaNasa, Stephen Dinehart, and Ernie Gygax. The controversy has been raging for over a week, since TSR3 announced itself with a press release.

TSR - Companies & Freelancers Distance Themselves From The New TSR

The new TSR (which I refer to as TSR3 to avoid confusion) has doubled down on its stance--which has been widely condemned online--via an ongoing series of tweets and replies from its TSR Games, Giantlands, and Dungeon Hobby Museum social media accounts (possibly operated by Justin LaNasa) in an...

www.enworld.org

Stephen Dinehart and Ernie Gygax have since deactivated their Twitter accounts; Justin LaNasa doesn't appear to have one, but it is believed he is the person operating TSR3's Twitter account. A couple of days ago, Ernie Gygax posted about recent events on Facebook (note that he edited the post, but the original can be seen here).

I wish to state in the strongest terms that I never meant to hurt anyone of any race, creed or color. My video From the Bunker caused some to feel that they would not be welcome or would be looked down upon. That was never the intent, I was reacting to focus of modern role play into a more background and Role Play rather than the wargame that so made so many lives happy over 40 years ago.

As a gamer it meant that most of us were not worthy of any attention from others of our own age. We were Nerds. We were brainy-acks and others would snicker. Older classmen would ask to "borrow" something of ours to then pass back and forth a game of keep away. I used to receive some special attention from about 4 Juniors in my Freshman year. I played the Violin and often I began to wish that I had Super Powers, perhaps become a Giant.. I was far to shy and then embarrassed as attractive ladies would just lower the eyes while the jocks or other socially vibrant fellows had some fun at another geeky nerds expense. Thank goodness I grew 4 inches my junior year.

The only real comfort zone we all could share was a table in the lunch room. At least the fledgling TSR found fertile minds in those who had only those like us - gamers. Rather than have to risk embarrassing myself, since Phy Ed was going to force us to dance with those wonderful and yet scary girls. Well to get my Diploma I had to slave for a month to Mr. Gerber the head of the Phy Ed department. Fortunately I knew all about janitorial work as before D&D and TSR dad only made $5,000 as a Cobbler (five children) and we had food stamps and even free school lunches. Yes you had to go to the councilors office every week to collect your free lunch passes. Obviously you could feel all the eyes on you and the talk about....

Everyone has been welcome at my gaming table and multitudes of new friends have been created by the time spent playing the games we Love. Look at pictures of gaming on my site or anywhere I run games. Everyone is welcome, just like a Boot Hill game leave your guns at the bar until you leave town. If you come to the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum Jeff R. Leason will show you courtesy and a smile and you will see that gaming with elder gamers is a safe and entertaining environment.

TSR - Ernie Gygax on New TSR, WotC Beefs, Trademarks, Licensees, 5E, & More

A YouTube channel, 'Live From the Bunker', interviewed Ernie Gygax about the new TSR. I've watched and decided to try to transcribe the most relevant parts of it, but the full hour-long video is below if you want to see the whole interview and full context. Ernie Gygax is one of D&D...

www.enworld.org

 

[Essafah]

This maybe neither here nor there but how did you feel about Tomb of Annihilation? I never played or ran it but I read it and thought...well, thought a few things, but among other things that they missed an opportunity to create a non-stereotypical 'fantasy Africa' with player options for Chuultian characters, as well as exploring the aftereffects of colonialism from Amn.


Is that an urgent demand? I'm not sure about that. I think the main demand is, 'hey, game creator, don't be transphobic or some people won't buy your product.' Of course, EG doesn't actually have a project because he's a grifter, but, I don't know, shouts to Gabor Lux who is a self-described transphobic reactionary.

I have not played Tomb of Annihilation either. I read brief glimpses of the adventure. From what I saw it seems like the Chuultains were portrayed as a people with a thriving civilization and by civilization I mean stone/adobe buildings, a system of law, learned scribes, holy people, etc, and not just thatched huts like in the old Tarzan movies are something. Given that I personally was not offended by anything I saw but I know some were and there will be those always offended by something. The main point is that from what little I saw (and again let me preface I have not ran or played the adventure) the Chuultains were depicted the same way many Black writers in the Sword & Soul genre such as Charles R. Saunders (rest in peace to the father of the genre), Milton Davis, and Balogun Ojatede have depicted certain pseudo African civilizations in some of their work.

I think WOTC hiring cultural consultants for future products like was done in the portrayal of the a culture based on the Roma people after their depiction of Ravenloft is generally a good faith effort but I again I personally from what I saw was not offended but I would have to dig deeper into the product.

As for the second part I again fully degree that not being trans or any phobic or ism is a good thing. I will also say that it is almost laughable to think WOTC/Hasbro actually considers this TSR a threat enough to be orchestrating a smear campaign. If WOTC wanted to trademark the TSR name or acquire any of the IP like Star Frontiers because they thought it was profitable they would have reached out years ago to do so.

 

[Faolyn]

Very well. I will accept that argument. Given the scenario provided I would be offended and would want the group (Blacks) to be mentioned in the apology. My only point of contention is that given the above scenario I am still not going to come into the game and DEMAND that the DM say my character is Black. When I do my character sheet and put my character's description in there as Human why would the discussion of real world human race then come up in game? Likewise if I list my PC character as male or female (of whatever origin cis, etc.) Why would the exact nature of the character's gender ever come up again in the game unless I demanded that the DM say my character is trans or something? It would not.


Right. So we are on the same page. Here is my confusion: If the transwomen are women and transmen are men. I am saying they are. Then when the DM describes a female in the game and says "X character is female. She stands about 5 feet tall and has red hair and is dressed like a typical villager." How would the fact that the person is trans ever come up in the game? Again, I am saying some homosexual representation should be present in the game, some representation of various races, and definitely in the real world as far as hiring practice I would hope to see different groups present. I just don't see how the trans aspect is going to be present in an RPG especially if that RPG is about adventure gaming like I am trying to think where in say Storm Kings Thunder that just comes up.....

Can't say about SKT, but ones gender or gender identity can easily come up in game. Some examples, which can work if the transgender person is either a PC or NPC:

Person running away/exiled from home due to prejudice.

Person experienced prejudice (possibly severe, possibly just cruel taunts) due to being transgender and now stands up for anyone being hurt for who they are, and will loudly announce that fact.

Person leaving home because, in that area, transgender people (or intersex people) are considered holy and must go on a quest to speak to a particular god/spirit/whatever who rules over such people.

Person leaving from home because, for whatever reason, their home or family needed someone of one gender ("every firstborn woman of every generation in our bloodline has become a priestess of the Forest King") but the individual has realized they're transgender and can't fulfill that need.

Person is seeking magic or technology that would fully transform them into the right sex (and true polymorph is a 9th-level spell), or make them look more masculine or feminine--or neither; perhaps the person is NB or agender.

Person is asked to do the "dress as a girl/guy in order to infiltrate the enemy's base" thing, but doesn't want to do it because it bothers them--or because they hated wearing that type of clothing even back before they transititioned.

Person looks like a man or woman, but when someone uses what would appear to be the appropriate pronouns for them, that person is corrected.

There's a prophecy involving a transgender person. Because there's always a prophecy.

For NPCs, they can mention it in passing. There was that Doctor Who episode where the Lady Cassandra reminisced about the old days, when she was a little boy. Or the PCs can ask an NPC about a particular individual. The NPC could say something like, "Yeah, we used to date, waaay back when I was a <other sex>."

Plus, transgender PCs can mention it whenever they feel like.

Basically, you don't have to say that random villager is transgender because no, it's not likely that anyone is going to inquire about random villager. But you can use the idea for a named NPC just fine.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

I can't believe sexuality NEVER comes in anyone's game.

• No server or waitperson ever flirts with a customer.
• No NPC ever expresses even mild interest in a PC.
• No one is ever hired to find someone's wife/husband/lover.
• No NPC is motivated because their significant other has been fridged by the bad guys. (Terrible background, but unfortunately common).
• No couples (NPC or PC) are ever seen together in town.
• No one ever talks about the parents.
• There are no brothels in town.
• The game is solely about killing things and spending money in carefully non-sexual ways.
• All children spring from the ground through abiogenesis.

If everything in your setting is heteronormative, you probably aren't thinking that sexuality is woven throughout your game in many little details.

 

[ECMO3]

I say that not to try to out victim someone (I don't feel like a victim or play the victim card) BUT what I am saying matters in terms of transgender in gaming because: 1. there is no way that is going to come up during a game of DnD unless someone brings it up to make it an issue. Yes you (for example) can play a character who is a transgendered woman or whatever but there is no way for a DM to know that unless YOU tell them. Unless YOU make it an issue. Even back in previous editions were sex was listed if Transwomen are women (and they are) and you put female or woman down on that character sheet the only way trans is going to come up is if YOU try to push some point to interject something into the game. Now, I may make a character that is Black, Asian, or whatever but I am not DEMANDING that the DM say, "Hey! SEE MY CHARACTER IS BLACK" . The race of the PC other than whether they are non-human is inconsequential to the my character, the DM, and the game. Gender (Whether Cis or whatever) is the same way. Period. I am all for WOTC's direction of showing different sexual orientation in the game (like in Ravenloft), showing more women in the game, increasing diversity in hiring in gaming but there is a difference in saying something exist and should be acknowledged and then demanding a social issue be addressed in the game.

This is so true.

I am a man (I will avoid using terms like cis or trans for personal reasons). Most of my characters (not all) are women. The DM has never known, and to be honest for many of them I as the player have never known, whether they were cis or trans or gay or straight or had any other sexual identity. In a thread a few months ago I pointed out that if I had to identify a sexual preference for most of my characters it was asexual, because sex itself (the act) is not part of most of the games I played, so asking whether they were gay or straight is like asking whether they prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream. I had not really though about it. If it came up I would have rolled with it an improved something on the spot, but it was not a thing in terms of their character so far.

Now on the other hand every single one of my characters DOES have a skin color. This is varied, including multiple shades raging from pale tan (white) to brown (black) to light purple and even to full on blue and green. But color IS identifiable on every single one of my characters.

 

[Essafah]

Can't say about SKT, but ones gender or gender identity can easily come up in game. Some examples, which can work if the transgender person is either a PC or NPC:

Person running away/exiled from home due to prejudice.

Person experienced prejudice (possibly severe, possibly just cruel taunts) due to being transgender and now stands up for anyone being hurt for who they are, and will loudly announce that fact.

Person leaving home because, in that area, transgender people (or intersex people) are considered holy and must go on a quest to speak to a particular god/spirit/whatever who rules over such people.

Person leaving from home because, for whatever reason, their home or family needed someone of one gender ("every firstborn woman of every generation in our bloodline has become a priestess of the Forest King") but the individual has realized they're transgender and can't fulfill that need.

Person is seeking magic or technology that would fully transform them into the right sex (and true polymorph is a 9th-level spell), or make them look more masculine or feminine--or neither; perhaps the person is NB or agender.

Person is asked to do the "dress as a girl/guy in order to infiltrate the enemy's base" thing, but doesn't want to do it because it bothers them--or because they hated wearing that type of clothing even back before they transititioned.

Person looks like a man or woman, but when someone uses what would appear to be the appropriate pronouns for them, that person is corrected.

There's a prophecy involving a transgender person. Because there's always a prophecy.

For NPCs, they can mention it in passing. There was that Doctor Who episode where the Lady Cassandra reminisced about the old days, when she was a little boy. Or the PCs can ask an NPC about a particular individual. The NPC could say something like, "Yeah, we used to date, waaay back when I was a <other sex>."

Plus, transgender PCs can mention it whenever they feel like.

Basically, you don't have to say that random villager is transgender because no, it's not likely that anyone is going to inquire about random villager. But you can use the idea for a named NPC just fine.

Okay, yes a person can do any of the above but for the record in all the above that player is choosing to make the game/pc be about a particular real world issue. That person should also not be offended by the acknowledgment that they have done so.

Before the knee jerk reactionism (by whomever) kicks in let me be clear, I am not saying a DM should disallow any of this at the table. What I am saying is that the particular examples you give above would seem to be a unique demand that a specific group be the focus of a game and be acknowledged in any say that quite frankly I just don't see other groups demanding to be acknowledged.

Again to use race ethnicity as comparison I could in DnD make a PC who left his homeland because Black people were discriminated against and second class citizen in a particular society. I could have a prophecy that a Black man specifically has to save the world and all of the above that you named. I have never done that. In my 30+ years of gaming with other Blacks, Asians, Latinos, etc. I can honestly say have never seen any the said races create a character and that had their real world human race somehow be the focus of the DnD game or that PC. I have played games were non-humans such as half-orcs and half-elves were discriminated against in their home communities and left to adventure for that reason.

There are certainly RPGs that cater to specific ideals. For example, there is a game that looks really good called Motherlands that is about what an Afro-based futuristic society would look like if colonialism had not occurred. There is Khi Khanga which is a fantasy setting based on a setting based steeped in pseudo African lore. Hell, Mike Pondsmith who created the Cyberpunk RPG which is set in a setting of the near future has never (in any edition) of the game made the race(s) of the characters in the game or fiction an issue in any edition of the game. I have not seen any Asian gamer want Asian discrimination to be a major focus of the campaigns they ran or a focus for their D&D characters. I am not saying someone can't do the examples you mentioned but I guess I just don't understand the need for someone to take the issues and prejudices they face in real life and then want to role-play that same discrimination or have the problems they face in real life society be a large part of a group campaign or their PC but to each their own. It's whatever peanut butters your jelly so to speak.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Where would trans specifically come into the description at all?

Okay, so, I mostly try to just joke around and have fun, but this is a serious question I can seriously answer.

I currently have a character who thinks he is haunted (telekinesis feat). He thinks of himself as a man. The ghost “haunting” him is a woman. This plays out as whenever he wants a minor thing done, the “ghost” that is “haunting” him grabs it and brings it to him (he uses mage hand from the feat). She also trips him and causes trouble. By the time he, a fighter, is third level, he is going to understand the ghost isn’t separate from him—the ghost is him. They’ll pick a new name and pick a subclass (psychic warrior) based on this understanding that the feminine ghost that was haunting him was inside of them all along.

This is not about the “description” of my character. This is about the lived experience of my character. My character is going to have a trans experience. I’m playing at a table that makes me feel very safe. I would not play this character with Ernie. Honestly, I wouldn’t play with Ernie at all now, because I’m not sure what I’m doing would be wrong, and that makes me sad.

I hope that helps.

Thaumaturge.
Edit: spelling

 

[BookTenTiger]

Okay, yes a person can do any of the above but for the record in all the above that player is choosing to make the game/pc be about a particular real world issue. That person should also not be offended by the acknowledgment that they have done so.

Before the knee jerk reactionism (by whomever) kicks in let me be clear, I am not saying a DM should disallow any of this at the table. What I am saying is that the particular examples you give above would seem to be a unique demand that a specific group be the focus of a game and be acknowledged in any say that quite frankly I just don't see other groups demanding to be acknowledged.

Again to use race ethnicity as comparison I could in DnD make a PC who left his homeland because Black people were discriminated against and second class citizen in a particular society. I could have a prophecy that a Black man specifically has to save the world and all of the above that you named. I have never done that. In my 30+ years of gaming with other Blacks, Asians, Latinos, etc. I can honestly say have never seen any the said races create a character and that had their real world human race somehow be the focus of the DnD game or that PC. I have played games were non-humans such as half-orcs and half-elves were discriminated against in their home communities and left to adventure for that reason.

There are certainly RPGs that cater to specific ideals. For example, there is a game that looks really good called Motherlands that is about what an Afro-based futuristic society would look like if colonialism had not occurred. There is Khi Khanga which is a fantasy setting based on a setting based steeped in pseudo African lore. Hell, Mike Pondsmith who created the Cyberpunk RPG which is set in a setting of the near future has never (in any edition) of the game made the race(s) of the characters in the game or fiction an issue in any edition of the game. I have not seen any Asian gamer want Asian discrimination to be a major focus of the campaigns they ran or a focus for their D&D characters. I am not saying someone can't do the examples you mentioned but I guess I just don't understand the need for someone to take the issues and prejudices they face in real life and then want to role-play that same discrimination or have the problems they face in real life society be a large part of a group campaign or their PC but to each their own. It's whatever peanut butters your jelly so to speak.

But a player emphasizing the transgender nature of their character would be "demanding" no more focus than any other character whose story is motivated by their gender.

"My character is a female half-orc barbarian. She's unusual because usually only the males in her clan are warriors. She's out to prove herself as a mighty fighter."

"My character is a trans female gnome warlock of the archfey. Usually only cis female gnomes in her village get to be warlocks of the archfey, so she is out to prove herself as a talented spellcaster."

Or...

"My character is a male elf."

"My character is a trans male tiefling."

The characters being transgender changed nothing except the gender of the characters.

 

[Essafah]

Okay, so, I mostly try to just joke around and have fun, but this is a serious question I can seriously answer.

I currently have a character who thinks he is haunted (telekinesis feat). He thinks of himself as a man. The ghost “haunting” him is a woman. This plays out as whenever he wants a minor thing done, the “ghost” that is “haunting” him grabs it and brings it to him (he uses mage hand from the feat). She also trips him and causes trouble. By the time he, a fighter, is third level, he is going to understand the ghost isn’t separate from him—the ghost is him. They’ll pick a new name and pick a subclass (psychic warrior) based on this understanding that the feminine ghost that was haunting him was inside of them all along.

This is not about the “description” of my character. This is about the lived experience of my character. My character is going to have a trans experience. I’m playing at a table that makes me feel very safe. I would not play this character with Ernie. Honestly, I wouldn’t play with Ernie at all now, because I’m not sure what I’m doing would be wrong, and that makes me sad.

I hope that helps.

Thaumaturge.
Edit: spelling

Upon reading this my primary question is (and also being serious though smiling); exactly how long in real game time? I ask this not because of the trans experience, take trans out of it. This could be about the the ghost of a loved one that is male haunting you. It could be a scene where you come to talk to the person who killed someone dear to you...my main inquiry is how long does the game stop for you to explore this elaborate back story while all the other players just sit around listening. To be clear, I am not saying it should be banned and again I am not focusing on the trans part, gender, etc. I am just focusing on this what I call Critical Role effect that somehow I showed up for one person to take up a huge chunk of time having their solo scene. It does not matter if I get a long solo scene later. I don't want to have one. If I wanted to do long solo scenes I would join a drama club or LARP. I want to go on adventure, explore some ruins, fights some monsters, etc. Watching you act through a solo story (about whatever) and me sitting there while you and the DM have a solo internal expedition is my main issue.

 

[Faolyn]

Okay, yes a person can do any of the above but for the record in all the above that player is choosing to make the game/pc be about a particular real world issue.

Um, no. There's nothing so "real world only" about being transgender, or gay, or bi, or ace, or even straight (or black, white, brown), that is purely a real world issue. You can easily have a world where there is no prejudice around being trans, and therefore no issues about it to be brought into the game.

That person should also not be offended by the acknowledgment that they have done so.

That makes about as much sense as seeing someone who is playing a female character and saying that they're trying to bring real world issues about women into the game. When likely that player just wants to play a female character.

Before the knee jerk reactionism (by whomever) kicks in let me be clear, I am not saying a DM should disallow any of this at the table. What I am saying is that the particular examples you give above would seem to be a unique demand that a specific group be the focus of a game and be acknowledged in any say that quite frankly I just don't see other groups demanding to be acknowledged.

So first you say that there's no reason to bring transgender people into a game. Now you're claiming that any of the above suggestions are a demand for everyone to be focused on the transgender character.

Am I to take it that you never have any NPCs with backstories, and/or you don't allow PCs to ever talk about their backstories, because it might drive the focus on that character?

Again to use race ethnicity as comparison I could in DnD make a PC who left his homeland because Black people were discriminated against and second class citizen in a particular society. I could have a prophecy that a Black man specifically has to save the world and all of the above that you named.

You could, except for one thing: you started this by saying that there would be no reason for a person's sexuality or gender identity would be known. Which is true: you generally can't look at a person and say "yep, they're trans."

But you can look at a person and say "yep, that person has really dark/really light/really green skin."

That's why I gave you a list of ideas for ways that involve indicating someone is trans. And strangely, none of those ideas would invoke Main Character Syndrome. Leaving home because you've been disowned or exiled or are running away from a bad situation is a common enough PC origin or NPC goal (you do have NPCs that talk about themselves, right?). "I don't like bullies" is a decent reason to be a hero--isn't that Captain America's reasons (at least in the MCU)? I have a character for an upcoming game who is desperately trying to be able to turn into a different shape; it's why he's a transmuter. Seeking a bit of magic or technology is also a common origin or goal. (In his case, he was a dwarf who died and was reincarnated by well-meaning druids into a luma--the pigeonfolk race from the Humblewood 5e book--and is not happy about it.

There are certainly RPGs that cater to specific ideals. For example, there is a game that looks really good called Motherlands that is about what an Afro-based futuristic society would look like if colonialism had not occurred. There is Khi Khanga which is a fantasy setting based on a setting based steeped in pseudo African lore. Hell, Mike Pondsmith who created the Cyberpunk RPG which is set in a setting of the near future has never (in any edition) of the game made the race(s) of the characters in the game or fiction an issue in any edition of the game. I have not seen any Asian gamer want Asian discrimination to be a major focus of the campaigns they ran or a focus for their D&D characters. I am not saying someone can't do the examples you mentioned but I guess I just don't understand the need for someone to take the issues and prejudices they face in real life and then want to role-play that same discrimination or have the problems they face in real life society be a large part of a group campaign or their PC but to each their own. It's whatever peanut butters your jelly so to speak.

So, from this, I'm getting that: you can't come up with any ideas for trans characters that don't involve that character suffering from bigotry, because of reasons (seriously, do you only play games where everyone is the same sex or skintone?). And because of that... you don't want to include them trans people at all?

Because excluding people who are different than you are so you don't have to deal with their issues has worked out so well in the past.

 

[Faolyn]

Upon reading this my primary question is (and also being serious though smiling); exactly how long in real game time? I ask this not because of the trans experience, take trans out of it. This could be about the the ghost of a loved one that is male haunting you. It could be a scene where you come to talk to the person who killed someone dear to you...my main inquiry is how long does the game stop for you to explore this elaborate back story while all the other players just sit around listening. To be clear, I am not saying it should be banned and again I am not focusing on the trans part, gender, etc. I am just focusing on this what I call Critical Role effect that somehow I showed up for one person to take up a huge chunk of time having their solo scene. It does not matter if I get a long solo scene later. I don't want to have one. If I wanted to do long solo scenes I would join a drama club or LARP. I want to go on adventure, explore some ruins, fights some monsters, etc. Watching you act through a solo story (about whatever) and me sitting there while you and the DM have a solo internal expedition is my main issue.

Some groups like dealing with an individual's plotlines, especially if they can trust the DM to give everyone equal time.

Some groups have individuals do solo quests for their plotlines, or resolve them via email, discord, or meeting at different times.