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

 

[Thaumaturge]

Upon reading this my primary question is (and also being serious though smiling); exactly how long in real game time?

Oh, we’re mostly, like, killing animated brooms and stuff. IDK. It’s early in Candlekeep Mysteries, and I am not sure what happening. I’ll take what seems appropriate for my amount of time. (I’m the forever DM, so I acknowledge my senses are likely off.) My character will have this experience, in relationship with other characters, whilst they explore their stuff.

I have an ace/aro friend who is playing a succubus, and she has to get her story in, too.

We can be pretty heavy role play, but we’re also killing quasits and stuff. That’s my table.

Thaumaturge.
Edit: proofreading.

 

[Charlaquin]

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.

None if these things are “making the game/pc be about a particular real world issue” any more than a character who’s an orphan, or a character who ran away from an arranged marriage, or a character who was the youngest of 12 and was always in their older siblings’ shadows, or whatever other background detail you can think of. They aren’t issues, they’re human experiences, which inform well-realized characters’ characterization.

 

[Essafah]

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.

Actually I was referring to some of the very specific examples you gave such as and I quote, "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." (Faolyn). So this is a prime example of the kind of knee jerk insincere questioning I am talking about. You ask the question and responded not out of a desire to dialogue but rather for confrontation. You say a thing (like the example given above that YOU gave). Then when someone responds you act like they are coming from left field. That particular example is a real world issue.

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.

Actually no it is not because just playing a gender in and of itself is not saying they left home because of cruel taunts and so forth like the aforementioned example.

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 eve

Well, first your statement is again a strawman with confrontational intent. I never said there was no reason to bring trans gender people into the game. In fact, again I have said the opposite. What I have said is the fact that they are trans would rarely come up as being trans is not readily apparent per se (as you acknowledged). And, yes many of the very specific examples you gave above (a prophecy that only a transgender person can fulfill...again your example) definitely makes it a campaign focus. I did not say that was good or bad per se but it is a focus yes.

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.

I was almost tempted not to reply to this little snarky point. Then I started typing a reply and had to edit it because it had so many MFs in it I didn't want to conform to stereotypes. Needless, to say the statement is dumb and confrontational. I am using your own examples that you gave. I have mentioned several times my gaming experience with different people. You and I need not discuss this further. To be clear, you can respond and expand with more pedantry but I will not respond.

 

[Essafah]

None if these things are “making the game/pc be about a particular real world issue” any more than a character who’s an orphan, or a character who ran away from an arranged marriage, or a character who was the youngest of 12 and was always in their older siblings’ shadows, or whatever other background detail you can think of. They aren’t issues, they’re human experiences, which inform well-realized characters’ characterization.

I hear you. I just don't see any race doing this though. I guess, for many people their activisms or whatever in real life makes them not want to go play George Floyd and relive the experience in an RPG but as I said before and I will repeat again...ad nauseum none of it should be disallowed and it is whatever peanut butters your jelly.

 

[Zardnaar]

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.

It can come over as creepy though is main reason I don't do it to much.

Generally those who make an effort to go looking for love can find it but I keep my games around PG-13.

 

[Charlaquin]

I hear you. I just don't see any race doing this though. I guess, for many people their activisms or whatever in real life makes them not want to go play George Floyd and relive the experience in an RPG but as I said before and I will repeat again...ad nauseum none of it should be disallowed and it is whatever peanut butters your jelly.

Woah, who said anything remotely comparable to reliving the experience of George Floyd in an RPG?! No, nobody (that I know of) wants to play a character who gets murdered over their identity. There’s a world of difference between a character who experienced teasing for their gender expression growing up (a formative experience for a huge number of trans people) and a character who gets killed in a so-called “trans panic” situation.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

It can come over as creepy though is main reason I don't do it to much.

Generally those who make an effort to go looking for love can find it but I keep my games around PG-13.

I don't play it up as creepy. Just a wink and a "give me a shout if there's anything else I can do for you."

Our games are also PG-13. Flirting is G or PG. Anything else is fade to black, relight the scene when it's no longer R or X.

 

[Zardnaar]

I don't play it up as creepy. Just a wink and a "give me a shout if there's anything else I can do for you."

Our games are also PG-13. Flirting is G or PG. Anything else is fade to black, relight the scene when it's no longer R or X.

Yeah pretty much.

 

[Zardnaar]

Woah, who said anything remotely comparable to reliving the experience of George Floyd in an RPG?! No, nobody (that I know of) wants to play a character who gets murdered over their identity. There’s a world of difference between a character who experienced teasing for their gender expression growing up (a formative experience for a huge number of trans people) and a character who gets killed in a so-called “trans panic” situation.

I have areas where bad things can happen. Normally a slave state or religion with human sacrifices. I don't generally have racism in game beyond stereotypical Elf/Dwarf type thing.

Those bad areas are also where the villains tend to be. Normally I start the PCs in a stereotypical village or some CN anything goes port city.

Even then it's still PG-13 or so. A civilization might have Aztec style pyramid but not gonna go into the gory details.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

Sexuality, but not sex itself, is played out all the time in games I run.

My favorite game system is HERO 6e (sorry WOTC) and the characters have dependent NPCs and other character hooks that come into play all the time. My daughter is gay and she often has a girlfriend who gets in trouble, for example. No sex, just the normal human experience that INCLUDES the sexuality of the character.