Holy hell. The world is acutely fucked up right now. Does this post that I've been saving up for a year seem relevant or topical? Well, if you're still reading this, then it's up to you to figure that out. That's your problem. Good luck. I'm putting the Joesky-nicey-nice up front and the (well-reasoned) rant in the back. Wait, read the back part! Hell....
Symbol of Porn
Level: 7
Duration: Permanent
Range: Line of sight
This terrible spell allows the caster to scribe a potent rune of power upon a surface, in the air, or on the internet. The symbol glows, lasting until dismissed. Unlike other Symbols, a character may not save versus spells to negate the effects of a Symbol of Porn, but is granted a save versus CON with a -5 penalty. WIS modifiers do not apply, no matter how wise the PC may be; such is the nature of the porn.
Symbol of Porn: PCs suffer wracking pains of shame, guilt and/or arousal that impose a –4 penalty on attack rolls, and a –2 penalty to DEX. These effects last for 2d10 turns. Each affected PC must roll 1d6. On a roll of 1-4 the PC suffers irreparable damage to the psyche and will give up adventuring after vacillating about the decision for 1d4 turns, during which they conduct a disconnected incoherent rant, apparently in response to a chorus of unheard recriminations. Unaffected PCs in the area must save vs. spells or be confused or dismayed (DMs choice) for the duration of the rant as for a Symbol of Despair. Confused PCs will vainly appeal to the ranter to explain what they are ranting about, and dismayed PCs will lurk on the sidelines quietly questioning the point of the whole adventure. Neither can take any other actions during the rant. After vacillating, a roll of 1 on 1d4 indicates that the ranting PC not only quits adventuring but destroys all equipment, treasure, magic items, spell books, lore, maps, familiars, retainers, strongholds, livestock, and poultry they have accrued. These items are lost to all other PCs, no matter how useful they may be for those continuing to adventure or how much novice adventurers would have learned from them.
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The Spawn Reconvenes: Just over a year ago, I joined Carter's campaign and I began following the biggest OSR blogs of the day. I was really captivated by the Old School blogs. I didn't really know the difference between a Mali-who-ski and a Chgowiz, who was running Old School Rant or Old School Jump, or what TARGA was supposed to be, or where a certain Gazette might or should be found. On this weekend a year ago, there were a lot of words exchanged, and some folks chose to withdraw from this dreaded blogosphere. Fuck me, I'm no one to judge. But it was a profoundly dismaying few days.
I'm no heavy hitter in the OSR (R being whatever you like), but I've been happy to follow along in the last year and watch what seems to be a real explosion of ideas, voices, and products from the Old School. There was a point last year where some folks were saying "What Dwight Eisenhower* is playing isn't even Old School! It's got 3e elements in it. Tieflings! I'm not against porn, but how can this guy claim to be Old School!" For me that was a nadir. I was so confused coming back to a game that I loved and finding all this weird shit attached to it.
And when James Raggi the Forty-Third sounds like the most sensible person in the room, and starts giving PSAs on blogging etiquette, well folks, you are fucked. I'm sorry, but that's apocalyptic stuff.
I still don't fully understand what happened on this weekend a year ago, but I really don't want to know anymore. I've got the next annual version of the shitty technical report to finish this weekend. But I've also got the bursting-at-the-seams Underdark Gazette to check out. And I've got my game to look forward to on Monday night. And the Vornheim City Kit is coming. And I haven't picked up Realms of Crawling Chaos yet....
I feel that the hobby I re-entered last year just decided (individually, not collectively) to move past all the movement/vision BS last year, and most folks since then have been too busy creating stuff to start bitching about how retrogressive the OSR is. I could be wrong. But to me the Old School community feels stronger than it was a year ago, perhaps because of all the BS last year. At any rate I'm happier to be a part of it now than I was before. And if it all goes to hell, then so it goes.
(*A literary reference. cf. Z.Sabbath)
Hear, hear. I mean seriously, the instant someone opens their mouth to bitch about some drama is the moment I unfollow their blog. Content, not commentary I say!
ReplyDeleteInteresting times. Sometimes its best to sit on that stuff for a while, to let the raw emotion blow past.
ReplyDeleteIt won't be the last time we have drama in the OSR. Most of us are adult enough to (ultimately) blow it off. Those that aren't will withdraw, as is their right.
I agree with -C. We should say our piece, then get back to more content.
Up with the OSR!
...the instant someone opens their mouth to bitch about some drama is the moment I unfollow their blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure exactly what your p.o.v. here is, but...
Since some people were hurt and others unfairly maligned during that particular drama, posting about it is just not always about being a "drama queen" or even an asshole. As I was in the unenviable position of having innocently lit the match on that particular powder keg, then having my intentions mis-represented, I had quite a bit to say about it at the time. This lead to my no longer posting on the TARGA blog and moving the OSR News back to my own.
For me, it was an uncomfortable experience. Others had a much, much more difficult situation to cope with and since this was playing out in the blogosphere, where else where they to air any legitimate grievances, or even blow off some steam?
Obviously, there were a ton of people popping in just to cause trouble. But with this many people interacting, there's bound to be a few dust-ups. Such things have to be aired in the forum where they were created, what with concerns about reputation and so forth. Usually, the community is better for it, afterwards.
James, to be honest; I really didn't know many of the bloggers then, and had no idea what happened. (In fact, I've heard various people tell stories where they *all* feel personally responsible for whatever hub-bub happened)
ReplyDeleteI guess my point of view is I have trouble understanding how someone is hurt (barring things such as theft, slander, etc.) I'm also a bit unclear on the unfairly maligned bit.
It's, uh, a blog - the ultimate in representative democratic freedom. I am literally standing on a pulpit and can say whatever I want, without recourse from anyone else. This means everyone else can also. It also means the proof is in the pudding - people will only listen if I'm good. My reputation stands on my writing, either in the public record of my own blog, or hidden within the text of someone elses.
The thing is, we can't do *anything* about what other people choose to say, and we have the freedom to write whatever we want about it on our own blog. Excepting clear cut legal challenges, I guess I'm just confused how *you're* responsible for 'lighting a match' when you don't really have any control over other people's behavior.
It seems moving the news back to your own blog was a good idea! It's brilliant.
Is it mere coincidence that, on this anniversary, my blog has reached 666 blogspot followers?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they were right after all...
I didn't say I was responsible for what went down. Just that I lit the match that set off that particular powder keg. By doing what I do every week, posting a news item.
ReplyDeleteSome people hit the roof over my posting that particular news item on Targa's blog, setting off a you-know-what storm.Why they hit the roof and why things went down the way they did, I'm sure involved a lot more than the superficial reasons, that met the eye.
As for hurt, this wasn't just people blogging. It involved an organization, various creative endeavors and personal relationships between some of the people involved.
As for unfairly maligned: Let's go back to what I mentioned in the paragraph above, that my intentions were mis-represented. That happened in a public forum. While I have no delusions of "journalistic grandeur," integrity in regards to my News posts is important to me. My doings were mis-represented in a way I felt was injurious and insulting to my reputation. (The individual doing so, misunderstood certain facts regarding my position with Targa and didn't mean anything malicious towards myself.) Can you see why I might feel it necessary to say something?
@Zak - I never trust a damn thing they say. And for the record, I wouldn't have jumped into this conversation for the hell of it.
ReplyDeleteFor a change I think I've said most of what I wanted to say in the post itself. I'm truly grateful that James has kept on with the Underdark Gazette, because it exemplifies what D&D can be at it's best: open, multifarious, DIY, weird, fun, interesting. I get the ideal of content not commentary, but the game and the blogs and the business and the organizations are all human institutions, so there will always be some kind of politics. What last year's ordealio showed me was how much folks had invested in the resurgence of the hobby, and how much fear there was about losing it (again). Fear in general that was then specifically linked to the prospect of the game being hijacked by porn or strippers or some guy with a "'tude". As if it could be ... or that it would be a bad thing if it was. Please porn and strippers, come to Oregon and hijack me.
ReplyDeleteSo there's a lot at stake for folks. I'm happy that a year later the good stuff is getting a bigger share of the spotlight, and the rest is mostly being left behind. (But I do miss IHIWMA.)
Thanks for the comments from some really righteous dudes.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for all the wonderful comments! I really appreciate all the information.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a wonderful spell. Quite funny.
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected. The OSR blogosphere has unlimited potential to tear itself apart over nothing over and over again. Such is the nature of the beast.
ReplyDelete