TSR TSR3.5 Launches IndieGogo Campaign to "Stop" WotC

The latest in the TSR3 saga, which has gone quiet for a while, is a new IndieGoGo campaign launched to "stop Wizards of the Coast". They cite wrongful bullying of TSR, and refusal to answer requests that WotC show TSR "proof of their claims" (although the campaign page doesn't mention what those claims are).

The IndieGoGo campaign was launched yesterday and has so far raised $675 (at the time of writing).

The action TSR seeks is a "Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership" which is a court declaration about the status of something in dispute.

TSR has launched a campaign to stop Wizards of the Coast

Become a Champion of TSR and Support TSR’s campaign against Wizards of the Coast!

TSR is taking a stand against Wizards of the Coast (“WOTC”) and its wrongful bullying of TSR, our trademarks, and its public libeling and slander of all those who helped create TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and products.

Wizards of the Coast has continually bullied TSR regarding TSR’s legally owned Trademarks. Wizards of the Coast has refused to answer all of TSR's repeated requests that they show any proof of their claims. Wizards of the Coast has the vast resources behind them and is implying to bring them to bear down on TSR.

The new TSR suffered widespread pushback when it launched, which they blamed on WotC, claiming that they were under a "coordinated assault across various channels being mounted.... by [WotC]" The company announced itself earlier this year, having acquired the TSR trademark after the previous holder accidentally let it lapse. It was run by Ernie Gygax, Justin LaNasa, and Stephen Dinehart. After several weeks of controversy, the company split into two -- Wonderfilled (Stephen Dinehart), and TSR (Ernie Gygax and Justin LaNasa).

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...

www.enworld.org

The page also indicates an intention to "fight to have WotC's legacy product disclaimer removed" from older products (that's the disclaimer on the older books available on DMs Guild which indicates that those books are products of their time) by claiming that the disclaimer portrays the creators of those older products as "as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products".

TSR will also Fight to Have the WOTC Legacy Disclaimer Removed

TSR is suing WOTC for Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership . TSR will also pursue in the near future having WOTC remove the legacy content disclaimer placed on TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and other products, and retractions of any other libel and slander which alleges that racism and other heinous beliefs are incorporated into those products.

This disclaimer attempts to make a statement of fact argument, and therefore paints all of the writers, editors, artists and consumers of those products as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products. This statement by Wizards of the Coast opens the possibility for the producers and players of these "Legacy Products" to face ridicule, and face the labeling as "bigots", "racists", "misogynists", and worse Cyber & Physical Attacks!

Wizards of the Coast legacy content disclaimer.

"We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial, and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end".

TSR3's Justin LaNasa spoke about the campaign in a YouTube video.

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

 

[ShadowofNarcissus]

Uh huh... and? We're not talking about parallel universes. That has literally nothing to do with the success of 5e, here and now.

Also I'll be blunt:
Are you a sock puppet? You sound very familiar.

Without original D&D, 5E wouldn't even exist.

 

[Mezuka]

I don't think grognards are the ones that made them rich. I might be misremembering, but WotC didn't become dominant at Hasbro until the last few years-- because of 5e and the younger/newer markets that came with it. That money came mostly from new, diverse blood entering the hobby, not by catering to old schoolers.

Correct, hard core old schoolers are proud to say they haven't bought anything D&D since Gygax was pushed out, or worst since OD&D came out.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Also, I'll add. If WotC never cared about any of that, then Peter Atkinson wouldn't have saved D&D. Which he did. He didn't wait for TSR to file bankruptcy, sending the IP to all the four winds as different buyers bought it up. He paid more for the company because he wanted to save the game as it was, with all of the IP in one place so the game could continue to be produced. He made it right with Arneson.

You say without grognards there wouldn't be D&D today. No. Without WotC, there wouldn't be D&D today. That's the fact. Not an opinion.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Gygax and Lorraine were both definitely trying to make money, but Gygax loved D&D, while Lorraine hated it and actively banned playtesting. She was just a spoiled little princess.

The more you post, the more you show you have no idea what actually happened.

I'll do you a favor.

Read the books by Jon Peterson and Ben Riggs. Watch the documentaries by Paul Stormberg and Pat Kilbane. They literally have the receipts.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Correct, hard core old schoolers are proud to say they haven't bought anything D&D since Gygax was pushed out, or worst since OD&D came out.

I'm so old school I refuse to use anything except Chainmail.

Bunch of young whippersnappers, with your Little Brown Books!

 

[ShadowofNarcissus]

Correct, hard core old schoolers are proud to say they haven't bought anything D&D since Gygax was pushed out, or worst since OD&D came out.

I still buy 3.5/Pathfinder 1E and earlier editions. Some 5E stuff looks interesting, but it has too much 4E taint for my tastes. I keep hoping WOTC will pick up their old product lines again. It won't happen, but that doesn't stop wishful thinking.

 

[ShadowofNarcissus]

I'm so old school I refuse to use anything except Chainmail.

Bunch of young whippersnappers, with your Little Brown Books!

That is oldschool. lol

 

[Sacrosanct]

I still buy 3.5/Pathfinder 1E and earlier editions. Some 5E stuff looks interesting, but it has too much 4E taint for my tastes. I keep hoping WOTC will pick up their old product lines again. It won't happen, but that doesn't stop wishful thinking.

With the OGL, why would WotC ever start putting out new product for AD&D? It's not worth their time. The vast majority of D&D players would never buy it. And the OGL gives all of us the tools to create it ourselves.

 

[ShadowofNarcissus]

Also, I'll add. If WotC never cared about any of that, then Peter Atkinson wouldn't have saved D&D. Which he did. He didn't wait for TSR to file bankruptcy, sending the IP to all the four winds as different buyers bought it up. He paid more for the company because he wanted to save the game as it was, with all of the IP in one place so the game could continue to be produced. He made it right with Arneson.

You say without grognards there wouldn't be D&D today. No. Without WotC, there wouldn't be D&D today. That's the fact. Not an opinion.

A different company probably would have eventually "saved the day". ...but we'll never know.

 

[ShadowofNarcissus]

With the OGL, why would WotC ever start putting out new product for AD&D? It's not worth their time. The vast majority of D&D players would never buy it. And the OGL gives all of us the tools to create it ourselves.

Homebrew existed long before OGL.