D&D Jihad: People Who Are Unwell

[Jahydin]

There are some deeply unwell people on X. I mean that seriously: there are men--all men--who are nutzo about BROSR. I mean...it's hard to describe the vitriol these dudes spew about anyone who doesn't agree with them. We are talking Christian, far right-wing looney tunes in the game space. There is an entire ecosystem of deeply malignant actors who have an interconnected web of X accounts, podcasts, and Youtube channels seemily all dedicated to spreading hatred about role playing games. Role playing games! All of the horrors of the world going on, and these dude are spreading pools clotted midnight about people pretending they are elves.

Brethren, I am astonished. What a toxic hellscape.

Just to be clear, you're not referring to the account that's listed as a "parody account" are you? If so, that would go a long way in explaining all the craziness, haha.

I have an X account, but no idea how to navigate around it. I just use it to read the posts and messages from direct links of others.

Edit: I've spent about 30 minutes attempting to find value in X using tags and checking out specific profiles and I can't make heads or tales out of who's a bot, what's parody, what's ironic, what's sincere, what's posted in bad faith to muddy a tag, and what is actually a sincere thought or feeling. What a mess!

 

[Bae'zel]

...all dedicated to spreading hatred about role playing games. Role playing games! All of the horrors of the world going on, and these dude are spreading pools clotted midnight about people pretending they are elves.

The problem is that... Hmm trying not to get political here... is that they tend to AGREE with these horrible events. War, corruption, hatred... they cheer that on.

At least, a certain forum that shall remain unnamed does. Shudder.

 

[aramis erak]

The problem is that... Hmm trying not to get political here... is that they tend to AGREE with these horrible events. War, corruption, hatred... they cheer that on.

At least, a certain forum that shall remain unnamed does. Shudder.

The problem is compounded when gaming. I've had players whose political views colored their play severely, and at times, my views color my play. But I've had a few encounters with folk who used their gaming to preach those hostile points of view... And I've had to, occasionally, ask players to keep their far right opinions or antifa opinions away from the table.

The question becomes, tho', how much pushback is effective? At what point does it cease to be effective at behavior modification, and at what point is it mere self-protection to walk away.

I can't engage on X anymore, simply because I realize that anything I say won't do any good, and being exposed to them does me direct harm (BP and heart rate to dangerous levels).

 

[Edgar Ironpelt]

I'm not seeing those leftovers from the Satanic D&D Panic of my youth. What I mostly encounter on X concerning RPGs are people insisting that their Old School Way is the One True and Right Way to run and play RPGs.

 

[Belen]

The problem is compounded when gaming. I've had players whose political views colored their play severely, and at times, my views color my play. But I've had a few encounters with folk who used their gaming to preach those hostile points of view... And I've had to, occasionally, ask players to keep their far right opinions or antifa opinions away from the table.

The question becomes, tho', how much pushback is effective? At what point does it cease to be effective at behavior modification, and at what point is it mere self-protection to walk away.

I can't engage on X anymore, simply because I realize that anything I say won't do any good, and being exposed to them does me direct harm (BP and heart rate to dangerous levels).

I have a no politics rule for my gaming groups. I did not need it 20 years ago but it is required now. People used to be able to have constructive conversations and the shared geek culture was a solid binder.

Now, if folks cannot be civil and tolerate to one another, then they can find another group.

I also not not allow evil characters.

 

[wicked cool]

I have a no politics rule for my gaming groups. I did not need it 20 years ago but it is required now. People used to be able to have constructive conversations and the shared geek culture was a solid binder.

Now, if folks cannot be civil and tolerate to one another, then they can find another group.

I also not not allow evil characters.

Society has devolved probably everywhere but especially in the us where nobody can tolerate thoughts outside their own. If one sides say senator crosses over it leads immediately to primary talk. Count myself lucky as in other countries it’s the probably jail or worse
I’m calling bs on the bible d&d groups etc. they exist in hidden basement rooms deep in red states etc and then go on x and rave about it. Some undercover reporter should go to these hobby shops and show us or let’s get some real accounts from people here
I grew up in the satan panic and remember tsr removing the demons etc and tom hanks certainly didn’t help back then . I live in a blue state and my friend had a mother who was a practicing Druid of some sort that let him
Play d&d but was controlling in other ways

 

[Belen]

Society has devolved probably everywhere but especially in the us where nobody can tolerate thoughts outside their own. If one sides say senator crosses over it leads immediately to primary talk. Count myself lucky as in other countries it’s the probably jail or worse
I’m calling bs on the bible d&d groups etc. they exist in hidden basement rooms deep in red states etc and then go on x and rave about it. Some undercover reporter should go to these hobby shops and show us or let’s get some real accounts from people here
I grew up in the satan panic and remember tsr removing the demons etc and tom hanks certainly didn’t help back then . I live in a blue state and my friend had a mother who was a practicing Druid of some sort that let him
Play d&d but was controlling in other ways

I will wager 99% of the trolling accounts twitter are bots or bad actors working to further divide people. The other 1% are just trolls or ‘beards.

I tend to game with a diverse group of people and that includes neuro-divergent and differing opinions.

The only people I have real issues with these days are the folks who treat politics as religion.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I can't engage on X anymore,

I refuse to engage with X for a similar reason to why others won't use AI, even when it would be useful.

It's too bad so many journalists/writers/thinkers...many of whom rail against Elon Musk...think they have no choice, professionally, but to use it.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I have a no politics rule for my gaming groups. I did not need it 20 years ago but it is required now. People used to be able to have constructive conversations and the shared geek culture was a solid binder.

Now, if folks cannot be civil and tolerate to one another, then they can find another group.

I also not not allow evil characters.

One anecdotal point for me:

In the 1990s, I was a member of a gaming group for about 4 years, and didn’t figure out one guy was a militia member (IOW, probably into white Christian Nationalism) until right before I moved out of town.

He was never rude to me, but he was also never friendly. I didn’t have a problem with him, so I didn’t force anything. We had an unspoken truce for reasons I didn’t fully comprehend until we’d never meet again.

 

[Belen]

I refuse to engage with X for a similar reason to why others won't use AI, even when it would be useful.

It's too bad so many journalists/writers/thinkers...many of whom rail against Elon Musk...think they have no choice, professionally, but to use it.

It is much easier for them than actual research and reporting. Social media is the original AI slop.