My Non-Thoughts on "Combat Wheelchair" Minis

OK, I realize that this is probably more rant territory than anything, but yesterday I came across this article about WotC, well specifically WotC staff, chiming in on the "Combat Wheelchair".

My initial reaction was, "WTF, is this actually a thing?"

No, not the wheelchair mini....I could give a rat's-ass about Tiefling minis in the first place. That's there's one on a wheelchair is even more a non-issue for me.

What fucking blows my mind is that someone, well anyone really, cares enough about a wheelchair mini to bitch and gripe about it to the extent that anyone, much less WotC staff, has to come and make a statement (in defense or otherwise) over the mini.

Seriously guys, and probably not you, but the whiners.....do you not get that it is a game?! You don't want a wheel-chair bound Tiefling...then don't play one! If having one in the group is that big of a deal to you then bring it up in the group and guess what......you might be looking for a new gaming group, but if you're that hung up on the issue that were you really in the right group to begin with?

I take it this is the mini in question:

Please don't read into me on this.....I'm not some Social Justice Warrior championing the cause of diversity and inclusion at the gaming table. I've got my own biases, judgements, and can be just as big of a dick as the next guy.........but at some point you have to be an adult and realize it's your job in life to figure out what's important/not important and make the appropriate call......and that call isn't to go online and piss and moan.

You don't like the mini, great......again, don't buy it. I won't buy it because I have no use for it....even if it wasn't a Tiefling. Would I turn down a player wanting to use it for their PC?.....yes, but again only because it's a Tielfing. If this was a Dwarf, go for it. Like any other aspect of your PC I reserve the right to use the wheelchair against you. Don't expect me to suddenly make dungeons accessible or anything, but you know creatures/humanoids are fricken lazy so aside from stairs between levels a wheelchair would probably be more useful than initially imagined, but good luck escaping those pit traps!

Also, as an aside.....don't give me too much to work with as I'll use anything you give me against you if I can!

You don't have to be inclusive or have a diverse group at your gaming table, but maybe....and I'm going out on a limb here...you don't need to be a dick about it. It is just a game and there's a lot of out-of-game stuff that really matter, until it does. I don't know about disabilities, but I've had players with lifestyles (and religions!) I don't agree with.....that might not be the right way of putting it.....I generally don't care what you do in your off time as long as innocents aren't harmed...except Furries...they just (figuratively) rub me the wrong way, but that's my problem to work on.

I have been in a gaming group where I definitely did not agree with the GM's lifestyle. Again, I generally don't care, but too much "downtime" around the table consisted of discussions I really did NOT want to have to listen to. I wouldn't want to hear about my best-friend's sex life at the gaming table, and I might find that interesting, so someone else's.....no thanks. I stuck with the game for a while......and I would like to say that I mentioned my discomfort to the GM, but it was years ago....doesn't matter now. Clearly this was just "my" issue, so I just stopped playing. It was a good game & GM otherwise, but it was a big enough issue to stop playing. I'm self-aware enough to know that I probably wasn't as mature and adult about the whole situation as I should have been, I am human after all, but I learned from it and I did not go online to piss and moan about the situation that really only affected me. I did not expect the world to change to make me feel more comfortable and I definitely did not act like a big enough douche that KenzerCo (it was a HackMaster game I was playing) felt like they had make some public statement.

Clearly I'm not anyone special here, not claiming to be, but I have a soap-box and really when/if you guys reading this happen upon this level of self-entitled whining trying to force someone else to needlessly play RPGs "their way".....shut that shit down....

.....unless it's about Furries or Tieflings, fuck those guys*.





*Lighten up Francis......I'm kidding, clearly, but there should probably be some very minor variances made for edition-preferences.

What The Tavern Being a Neutral Ground Means

So, there was a bit of a dust up yesterday due to Sunday night's post here at The Tavern. It had nothing to do with the topic - protecting our children - and quickly devolved thanks to a handful of people into "how dare you link to that site!' drama.

The story that was circulating this weekend was from said "offending site."

It was suggested I should have googled for other stories detailing pedophiles preying on children in the gaming hobby instead of sourcing the one that was making its way through social media over the weekend. This story was the current one, and thus the one linked.

It was also suggested I could have simply screenshot the story and have posted it without link or attribution because "they didn't want to make the site money by visiting it". Not only is that unethical, but if I were to do so for a site like, oh, i dunno - ENWorld - screenshot stories instead of linking when referring to something they've shared, there would be an uproar and rightfully so.

The Tavern is a Neutral Ground. I don't take a political stand. I am about a apolitical a gaming blogger as you will find (it might sneak in on police related topics and for that I apologize. I do acknowledge my own biases.) It is not, however, a safe space. I can not guarentee someone's sensibilities will not be offended. I can not foresee reactions.

We all live our lives with our own biases. Being a Neutral Ground, The Tavern asks that you leave your biases at the door if at all possible. If you can't, at least acknowledge to yourself that you have them. Gaming is our bond and our strength.

No one at The Tavern, especially me, has the intention of offending any of our fellow gamers. I ask that you not read intent where there was none.

Wherein I Receive a Surprisingly Honest Answer From Anuj (re: Top 100 RPG Blog List)

"Not everyone is paid. We compiled the list organically."

Which means, the top of the list is just that - and the rest of the list is paid for.

So, yes - ENWorld, The Pundit, Dieheart and others made the list legitimately - but sadly, the list itself is illegitimate.

You can't have a legit Top 100 of Anything list when part of the list is paid for. It should have stopped at top 20 or top 25.

What surprises me the most is that a site would give itself props for making a list without actually looking at the list. When a Top 100 List for RPG Blogs tops out at 75, when the bottom of the list has little if any actual web traffic, you think you might ask questions before patting yourself on the back.

The sad thing is, the top sites don't need the extra traffic, the bottom sites don't deserve it and the middle sites SHOULD be highlighted - but not this way.

Props to Anuj for being honest when asked. Shame he isn't as honest with the list itself.

Prior posts here and here.

Does ENWorld Publish ANY Sean Fannon "News Articles" That AREN'T Stroke Jobs? (Follow Up Post - Rant)

This article is published under the ENWorld Network News section

(This post is a follow up post to this post)

Really, its a valid question. Does ENWorld publish "News Articles" by Sean Fannon that AREN'T Stroke Jobs? Because when it comes to Sean Fannon, every thing is awesome!

I had hoped to find some critical thinking at the RPG New & Reviews website, but no. Instead, we get Sean telling us how "Gareth Michael Skarka is an icon in the game hobby and industry that is hard to ignore."

Sure he's Iconic in the game hobby and industry - as someone who, 5 years later, still hasn't released his promised work - Far West. Someone who has outright lied about dozens of completion dates. Someone who managed to screw up a deal to save his ass with Cubicle 7. Who finds time to tweet throughout the day but goes silent on his Kickstarter page for days or weeks at a time.

Yeah, he's an icon alright. He sits right up there with serial Kickstarter abuser Ken Whitman. Sean, when can we expect Kenny's stroke job?

Even with this warning, the comments call Gareth on his shit, which Sean is not willing to do 

Even Sean's Picks aren't based upon perceived quality - it's Sean's work, his friends' work, nepotism through and through. Sean does it for the affiliate sales, but why does ENWorld tolerate it?

I'm guessing it's for the advertising. When folks put up ads and pay you money, they don't want critical thinking. They don't want negativity about anyone's products. They want a Happy Happy Joy Joy website, where everyone strokes each other's ego and few, if any, bother to think.

Whenever I think of opening The Tavern's doors to sponsorship, I look at ENWorld and realize it would never work. The Tavern would be neutered and soulless.

Everything is Awesome!

Can You Impartially Pick Your Own Products as a "Pick of the Week"?

So, earlier this afternoon I was doing some catch up reading on the internet and headed over to ENWorld. Say what you want about ENWorld (and I'm sure some will) but it does occasionally have stuff that relates to Old School Gaming. Sean Fannon has a weekly article of RPG related picks titled, accurately enough, Sean's Picks of the Week and as it was one of the articles that was prominent on the ENWorld home page, I figured I'd give it a look. I always expect it to be Savage Worlds heavy, but then I noticed something else.

4/11 Pick - Evil Beagle

One of his picks, A Random Magical Item Generator for Savage Worlds, was published by Evil Beagle Games. That's Sean's company.

So I followed the OBS link. Sean wrote it. Now, it no way does Sean claim his picks are reviews, but he pretty much does come off as endorsing the picks he posts. Endorsing yourself seems kinda greasy I guess. But it's just the one time, right?

Er, no.

4/1 Pick written by Fannon

It's not just the one time.

I went and looked at the other three Sean's Picks of the Week for the month of April and two of those weeks had products highlighted that Sean either wrote, his company published or his business partner at his company published (The post on 4/1 had two titles in question. The post on 4/15 has one by Evil Beagle.) The Shaintar release jumped right out at me, as I remember Sean being involved with the setting since the beginning.

I find those numbers to be distressing.

This comment by Sean, in jest (I assume) on April 1st was in reference to Accursed, written in part by his business partner at Evil Beagle Games:

Written by Ross Watson
Partner at Evil Beagle Games

"No, not doing any April Fool’s mess today, all the Picks are legitimate, friends. This is the latest for Accursed fans, featuring new information and game material for the world of Morden."

Are they legitimate? Two out of five picks that week were written by Sean or Ross Wilson, his business partner.

With the Evil Beagle releases Sean does mention his or Ross' involvement. The Shaintar release Sean doesn't mention mention his current involvement, but does acknowledge previous involvement ("Another in the cavalcade of Shaintar Guidebooks is out today, friends, and this one covers the kingdom I first created for this world I still love dearly.") and there is no mention of Ross' involvement in The Accursed.

Now, I didn't go back to March to see if the pattern was there too, but the idea that 20% of April's Picks are not just boosting the signal of friends in the industry but your own work and that of your business partner seems less impartial they I would like to see.

As an aside, I have absolutely no problem with the use of OBS affiliate links in the articles in question (it was brought up by an ENWorld reader as a comment to one of Sean's weekly posts.) I use them here at The Tavern. They are an unobtrusive manner it which to make a few coppers, which in my case get reinvested right back here for the most part.

An Open Letter to the Various Online PDF & Print RPG Stores

The other day on social media I mentioned that retailer XXX doesn't give a shit about blogs in the RPG hobby. I stand by those words but they need some further explanation.

Back in the "way back", when a Mr. Fannon was Community Director (or whatever title) at a certain online RPG store, he had a program in place for bloggers and their blogs (possibly podcasters too, but I can't say for sure) Those blogs that applied and got approved were given "featured reviewer" status so that they would get access to review copies of gaming products (reviews were then posted on said blogs), which was (and still is) cool. More importantly, they were given products and store credit to give away on their blogs to their readers.

Holy shit. Giving away free stuff on blogs would be beneficial to online stores and the publishers that sell through them? Say it isn't so!

Publishers see the benefit of giving away free stuff via blogs. Hell, I organize an OSR Christmas every year were publishers (and gamers), not retailers, donate gifts to the gaming community. Their generosity is humbling. I make an announcement and those that want to give, give.

What about the online stores? Nope. Why? Probably because even the biggest blogs aren't seen to drive enough traffic to justify the effort (the expense is minimal)

The thing is, the copies or credit given out to the community benefits both the blog and the retailer. The blog gets traffic and the retailer gets folks following links to products that they have for sale. Oh, and some lucky reader gets free shit.

Strangely enough, I'm not frustrated for The Tavern, as we do enough traffic and affiliate sales to give away store credit on our own. Giving back to the community we're all a part of is fun. Really.

I'm frustrated for the smaller blogs and the newer blogs that have great content and ideas and just need a little push to get more eyes on them. The Tavern was small and new itself at one time and it's success was certainly due in part to Mr. Fannon's program. Of that, I have no doubt.

To the new kid on the block, Table Top Library, I suggest you reach out to the blogs in the OSR and beyond and put together a program that will benefit them, you, their readers and your potential customers.

For the old kid on the block, I suggest you look to the past for ways to expand your reach and goodwill within the gaming community.

We are in a new era of online sales to our hobby. Competition may soon have an effect on the current monopoly, and blogs and even podcasts may be the means to reach out to new customers and maintain old customers, all while strengthening the online community that makes those purchases in the first place.

Stepping off my soapbox.

Tenkar