RPG Writer Zak S Accused Of Abusive Behaviour

RPG writer Zak S (aka Zak Smith, Zak Sabbath) has been accused by multiple women of abusive behaviour in a public Facebook post by his ex-partner, and two other women.

Photo from Wikipedia​

Zak Smith appeared in the video series I Hit It With My Axe, and is known for the Playing D&D With Porn Stars blog. He has also written several RPG books, most recently for Lamentations of the Flame Princess, consulted on the D&D 5th Edition Player's Handbook, has won multiple ENnies, and recently worked for White Wolf. As yet, he hasn't made any public response to the accusations.

Since then, another ex-partner of Zak Smith, Vivka Grey, has publicly come forward with a further account of his conduct.

This isn't the first time that Zak Smith has been accused of inappropriate behaviour (language warning in that link). The Facebook post, which was posted overnight, has been shared widely on social media, and takes the form of an open letter (linked above; it makes for unpleasant reading, so please be aware of that if you choose to read it).

The industry has been reacting to the news. Amongst many others:

• DriveThruRPG has stated that it will sell no future works by Zak Smith.
• Veteran author Ken Hite has announced that he will not work with or share credits with Zak Smith again.
• The Gauntlet blog and podcast will no longer cover Zak S or his publications, or attend conventions that he is permitted at.
• WotC's Mike Mearls has noted that they have not engaged with Zak S since he worked for them as a consultant on 5E, although a previous statement from him in 2014 takes a different stance. However, D&D Beyond has now removed all the consultant credits (not just Zak S) from its online version of the book.
• UPDATE - WotC has now made a longer statement and will be removing Zak S from the credits of future printings of the Player's Handbook.
• Gen Con has tweeted a brief statement which says it has investigated, but the results are confidential. It has bene stated by various industry insiders that Zak S has, in fact, been banned from Gen Con, but the convention isn't saying so publicly.

I believe Mandy, Jennifer, Hannah, and Vivka. It must be terrifying to come forward like this. They have been put through horrible ordeals. I will not cover Zak’s work on this site, in my podcast, or elsewhere, and will not provide him with any kind of platform.

 

[GMless]

There's a line I saw in Reddit that struck me: "downplaying crummy things that our favorite creators have done is how Zak has survived in the industry so long."

I'm still considering what to do with the Zak S stuff I've got on my shelves. I don't know that I can use it anymore, without feeling like whatever I create using it is tainted.

As for his Ennies, he wouldn’t be the first person to have been stripped of an award for stuff he’s done. Far larger awards have been taken away from people for their words and actions.

Thanks for your detailed answer. I understand how you feel; it’s hard for me to get enjoyment out of a creators work if they have done something very evil, especially if they are unrepentant. I don’t think it’s easy to separate it.

 

[billd91]

Its political because you are trying to turn the award into a popularity contest. Maybe we could name it the Jester David party for appropriate Ennie award presentation. The award is not given to the product that wins the most votes, it is given to the best product as decided by the Judges.

And it is in my opinion harrassment speech for which you should be kicked from this thread. You and your supporters should be ashamed of yourselves.

Considering it was a fan vote, it already was a popularity contest. The panel of judges only gets it to the nomination stage our of all submitted work. And nobody believes your gaslighting.

 

[Shasarak]

Considering it was a fan vote, it already was a popularity contest. The panel of judges only gets it to the nomination stage our of all submitted work. And nobody believes your gaslighting.

So it is not harrassment when you like what they are saying?

 

[Gradine]

Its political because you are trying to turn the award into a popularity contest. Maybe we could name it the Jester David party for appropriate Ennie award presentation. The award is not given to the product that wins the most votes, it is given to the best product as decided by the Judges.

And it is in my opinion harrassment speech for which you should be kicked from this thread. You and your supporters should be ashamed of yourselves.

I don't think any of this is even remotely true. Not even a little bit.

1) The ENnies are, in a way, a popularity contest. Sure the nominees are ultimately chosen by the Judges, but the winners are voted in by fans. If the winners were picked by the Judges, I think it would be much easier to rescind the awards, because the Judges can decide the past winner's actions and behaviors no longer (or in this case, never did) represent the ideals that this organization and these awards stand for. I think, anyway, that overriding a fan vote is a considerably trickier process (though not altogether unwarranted).
2) There is no way any of this consists of harassment. Sure he @'ed Morrus but that's a far leap from harassment. Everything else has been comments about somebody's behavior within the public record (behavior reported by and within a thread created by Morrus, for what it's worth, which I think in this case is a lot) and not really directed at anyone specifically. You kind of need a target for something to qualify as harassment.

 

[Gradine]

So it is not harrassment when you like what they are saying?

It's not harassment because literally nobody is being harassed.

 

[Shasarak]

I don't think any of this is even remotely true. Not even a little bit.

1) The ENnies are, in a way, a popularity contest. Sure the nominees are ultimately chosen by the Judges, but the winners are voted in by fans. If the winners were picked by the Judges, I think it would be much easier to rescind the awards, because the Judges can decide the past winner's actions and behaviors no longer (or in this case, never did) represent the ideals that this organization and these awards stand for. I think, anyway, that overriding a fan vote is a considerably trickier process (though not altogether unwarranted).
2) There is no way any of this consists of harassment. Sure he @'ed Morrus but that's a far leap from harassment. Everything else has been comments about somebody's behavior within the public record (behavior reported by and within a thread created by Morrus, for what it's worth, which I think in this case is a lot) and not really directed at anyone specifically. You kind of need a target for something to qualify as harassment.

How is calling for someones award to be retroactively stripped from them not harrassment?

 

[dwayne]

I choose not to judge ether way, if it goes to court and a then the judge will decide that's what they are for. As with all things the issues are colored by the glasses that are worn by all looking at the issue. We each bring our own bias to everything and that is why I do not take a side in this, let a more qualified person like a judge do it.

 

[Shasarak]

It's not harassment because literally nobody is being harassed.

Is your frame so tight that you think "literally" nobody is being targeted.

 

[Jester David]

Its political because you are trying to turn the award into a popularity contest.

You mean the award handed out based on who receives the most public votes?

The award is not given to the product that wins the most votes, it is given to the best product as decided by the Judges.

Ummm… no. That's not how the ENnies work.
Have you never voted on them??

Judges choose which product make the short list for the public vote, pulled from the list of submitted products. The public then votes, ranking their choices, which determine who recieves the gold and who recieves the silver.

And something like knowing one of the writers of a product might easily have swayed them not to include a product for the list for the public vote.

And it is in my opinion harrassment speech for which you should be kicked from this thread. You and your supporters should be ashamed of yourselves.

Then you should stop engaging, report my post, and let the moderators decide.

But let me take another crack at explaining this:
Okay, the #MeToo movement is very topical and is a hot button issue. Which makes something like this needlessly controversial. So let's try separating that issue from Zak and looking at it again.

Imagine if Zak S had instead caused regular fights at a convention and beaten the tar out of multiple convention goers?
Would that be someone who should be lauded with an industry award?
Should he keep the award and continue to be able to use it as a reference to get future work?

What if instead he was seen at several white power rallies wearing a white hood and proudly showing off Klu Klux Klan tattoos?
Should he retain an award given to him?
Should he be allowed to continue advertising his products as "ENnie award winning" and potentially making money off their sale?

Because you're not just giving an award to the product, to the art, but to the artist. You're recognising them over other artists. He received Gold and Silver ENnies over other highly popular products that weren't created by a wife beater and online troll. You're costing those products sales and those artists work.

So the award should be rescinded. Ideally, it should retroactively be awarded to the next runner up.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Because it seems like it is a farcical statement to make.

It was a perfectly reasonable suggestion to make.

I know that this is a individual matter, but what do the majority of people consider to be the most reasonable and responsible action to take? Thanks.

Even the fact that he consulted on the PHB has bothered me for a while. Luckily I've never purchased anything he's made himself, but if I had, I daresay I'd throw it in the trash and move on. I also don't use any of the Frog God Games products I acquired in the course of getting my hands on a ton of Kobold Press products via humble bundle, knowing their reluctance to properly address a harasser in their company.

Its political because you are trying to turn the award into a popularity contest. Maybe we could name it the Jester David party for appropriate Ennie award presentation. The award is not given to the product that wins the most votes, it is given to the best product as decided by the Judges.

And it is in my opinion harrassment speech for which you should be kicked from this thread. You and your supporters should be ashamed of yourselves.

Suggestion that an accolade be revoked from a rapist isn't harassment. What you're doing here is manipulative behavior, and you need to stop.