TTRPGS, Blockchains, and NFTs

When Kickstarter announced recently that it would be investing in blockchain-based infrastructure, there was widespread backlash. Blockchain technology is environmentally damaging and is of limited use. Creators such as Possum Creek Games (Wanderhome) announced their intentions to move off Kickstarter, while companies such as Chaosium and Wizards of the Coast continue to express interested in non-fungible tokens, digital items which exist on a blockchain.

While I'm writing this article, I do need to point out that I'm not a great person to do so; my understanding of blockchains, NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and related technologies is very, very limited and my attempts to get a handle on the subject have not been entirely successful. I'm sure more informed people will post in the comments.

What the heck is an NFT (& what does it mean for digital artists)

What is a non-fungible token (NFT)? In this graphic designer's guide to NFTs, we explore how Non-Fungible Tokens work in the context of digital art and how you can start turning your digital creations into sought-after NFTs.

dribbble.com

Kickstarter is not the only tabletop roleplaying game adjacent company delving into such technologies. Call of Cthulhu publisher Chaosium announced in July 2021 that it was working with an NFT company to bring their Mythos content to a digitally collectible market, with specific plans to sell two different models -- the Necromonicon and a bust of Cthulhu -- from the Cthulhu Mythos; and while things went quiet for a while, last week the company tweeted that 'We have more - lots more -- to drop... when the Stars are Right." A Facebook statement from Chaosium's CEO appeared on Twitter talking more about the decision.

D&D producer Wizards of the Coast said in April 2021 that it was considering NFTs for Magic: The Gathering. More recently, an email from WotC's legal representatives to a company planning to use NFT technology in conjunction with M:tG cards, alleging unlawful infringement of its IP, indicated that WotC was "currently evaluating its future plans regarding NFTs and the MAGIC: THE GATHERING cards" but that "no decision has been made at this time."

On Twitter, ErikTheBearik compiled Hasbro/WotC's involvement with NFTs so far.

Gripnr is a '5e based TTRPG NFT protocol' with Stephen Radney-MacFarland (D&D, Star Wars Saga Edition, Pathfinder) as its lead game designer. OK, so that's about as much of that as I understand!

Some company in the TTRPG sphere have taken a stand. DriveThruRPG stated that "In regard to NFTs – We see no use for this technology in our business ever." Itch.io was a bit more emphatic:

A few have asked about our stance on NFTs: NFTs are a scam. If you think they are legitimately useful for anything other than the exploitation of creators, financial scams, and the destruction of the planet the [sic] we ask that [you] please reevaluate your life choices. Peace. [an emoji of a hand making the “Peace” symbol]

Also [expletive deleted] any company that says they support creators and also endorses NFTs in any way. They only care about their own profit and the opportunity for wealth above anyone else. Especially given the now easily available discourse concerning the problems of NFTs.

How can you be so dense?

NFTs -- non-fungible tokens -- and blockchains have been dominating the news recently, and with individuals and companies taking strong stances against them, it's fair to ask why. The environmental impact of the technology has been widely documented - it's inefficient, and the need for blockchains -- a sort of decentralized ledger -- to have multiple users validate and record transactions makes it very energy intensive. In an era when climate change is having more and more devastating effects around the world, use of such technologies attracts considerable backlash.

Other ethical concerns regarding NFTs specifically is that the purchaser of an NFT is not actually purchasing anything, and the value for the digital 'token' they've purchased is speculative. When you buy the NFT of a piece of art (for example) you don't own the art itself; you only own a digital token associated with the art. The whole concept is likened to a 'house of cards' or a 'scam' by its critics.

 

[Cadence]

I am neither of the people referenced but my understanding is that bitcoin has a transaction fee.

Yes, it does.

But it looks tiny (average of $1.75 or something?) compared to Etherium. (Or am I reading that wrong Bitcoin Average Transaction Fee )

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Two reasons.

It doesn’t take nearly as much to cause the Texas power grid enough issues to kill people, seeing that it’s happened before. What at least twice now?

And wasn’t there a story about the krypto industry in Texas already causing issues straining the grid to the point they had to shut stuff down?

But yea, krypto use on the Texas grid would probably kill people and may very well do so soon. Wait till summer.

No shutdowns that I know of, but residents of the suburbs of our bigger cities are raising a fuss about new crypto mining operations popping up like dandelions. Part of this explosion is due to mining organizations looking for cheap power after getting booted from China.

There’s also a common (but not ubiquitous) mentality among Texas politicians that if you build it (cryptocurrency infrastructure), they (power supply investors) will come. (While arguably true, it ignores what happens in the lag between the two…and that the second step isn’t guaranteed.)

 

[Umbran]

But it looks tiny (average of $1.75 or something?) compared to Etherium. (Or am I reading that wrong Bitcoin Average Transaction Fee )

So, if you look at the data below the chart, you'll see it is highly variable. Yesterday, it was $1.75. A few days ago, it was $3.30. Back in April 2021, it was over $60. They vary depending on the data volume in the transaction, and congestion on the network at the time.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

But it looks tiny (average of $1.75 or something?) compared to Etherium. (Or am I reading that wrong Bitcoin Average Transaction Fee )

It looks tiny at the moment but about a year ago it has a peak value of about 63. Since it is paid in fractions of the underlying crypto currency and the value of that can fluctuate wildly, the value of the transaction can also value wildly. Depend on the current hotness.

 

[gamerprinter]

Block-chain is certainly more secure than the current internet. The current internet was designed for communication with security as an after market thing, whereas block-chain is a security system with a means of communication. That is the real difference between the two, and why block-chain is far, more secure.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

The current internet was designed for communication with security as an after market thing, whereas block-chain is a security system with a means of communication.

I've been using secure communication means over the net for more than thirty years, and it's never required burning an old growth tree per message sent.

 

[gamerprinter]

Neither have I, I have no horse in this race, though. I don't do crypto, and I do not control the companies or governments that do. I don't like it, but I have no say. I was just pointing the difference between the two systems, nothing else.

 

[Abstruse]

Correct, and I explained why. I am not trying to persuade anyone to like cryto or blockchains or NFTs (and I didn't even comment about NFTs - I only mentioned Crypto).

Yet Mistwell has only replied refuting people with criticism about NFTs, cryptocurrency, or the blockchain. And Mistwell also made a point of implied that I was talking about NFTs when they were talking about cryptocurrency despite the fact I have been very clear which I am referring to at any one time.

Anyway, here's the post I made about 15 hours prior to Mistwell's reply where I talked about the typical pattern of talking with supporters of cryptocurrency and NFTs.

 

[gamerprinter]

Truthfully, I've been using computers almost daily since the late 1970's, so while I've been an active computer user, I had zero need for the internet, and never even looked at it, until 2007, which was when I started my Gamer Printshop business, which was originally a map printing service for gamers, which evolved into a freelance cartography and small TTRPG publishing company - when I suddenly needed to promote, I went online for the first time. So I only have 14 years using it.

 

[doctorhook]

Block-chain is certainly more secure than the current internet. The current internet was designed for communication with security as an after market thing, whereas block-chain is a security system with a means of communication. That is the real difference between the two, and why block-chain is far, more secure.

Tbh I think block-chain’s security is overhyped. All it really has going is that every user bears a copy of the entire ledger, meaning it has a pretty reliable decentralized method of preserving records. That’s fine, but it’s not the entirety of security. It doesn’t inherently protect transactions from parties misrepresenting themselves, nor does it offer any means of correcting erroneous transactions. The ledger preserves everything forever, so blockchain is a privacy nightmare too (the users aren’t anonymous, just pseudonymous). Finally, the lack of central oversight means there’s no authority to secure users against fraudulent use of the network.

Overall, blockchain really doesn’t seem like an ideal security method at all.