Ethics

I like The Warhammer Fantasy RPG...

But Games Workshop suing all these content creators for their miniatures feels like a step too far. How can I support a company like that? They must protect their IP, but gaming communities and creators must come first. Sure, the game looks nice and is playable, but is it an ethical choice? I support One Page Rules for wargaming, why can't I support other alternatives?

I don't feel good about supporting that sort of corporate behavior. I love the game and the world, but, nah, I'm out. Little choices by each of us add up. If we want a better world and a better hobby, we must learn to sacrifice and walk a more challenging path to achieve it.

Convenience is the enemy of the good. Just because something is popular does not make it the right choice. Don't let nostalgia fool you into going against your values.

I have Zweihänder, and this game supports a community of creators. The books are in print, and a new edition is coming. I am not tied to the Warhammer world (despite how great it is) or looking for players. This is an easy choice. If I want something that looks and feels like true grimdark fantasy, here it is.

The definition of progress is like a gear that should never go backward; we crank the wheel, the gear moves from a bad place to a slightly better one, and we ratchet our successes and victories at making this hobby better and more positive one step at a time. We can't throw out people who have made an effort to crank that wheel forward, since if people aren't able to improve, you might as well give up the cause, since you are setting an impossibly high bar where no one can work to get better.

D&D and Hasbro are not easy to support, and I have a list of reasons that is longer than my arm. What they tried to do to the community is still fresh in my mind, and not something I want to support.

I have Tales of the Valiant, which can be my 5E. Yes, it is 95% similar to the 2014 D&D, but I'm not complaining. The game is good enough, and the company is ethical and solid. I want to play games from companies with whom I agree ethically, and I don't wish to have negativity associated with my choices. ToV has the better monster and spell choices, plus the game world is superior to anything else out there, even from Wizards.

The game isn't as well-designed as A5E, but it is far better supported and compatible with my other books. EN World is a small company that struggles to support the game in comparison to Kobold Press. If you want a viable, sold-everywhere, well-supported, massive storefront, many adventures, a beginner-friendly, and highest-quality tabletop game, go for ToV. I can be a nerd and go on and on about how A5E this and that are better, but A5E is a niche game compared to the momentum ToV has, especially on VTTs like Shard.

ToV is designed for beginners and has mass-market appeal. A5E is designed for 5E system veterans and is a niche version of 5E.

Tales of the Valiant is Pepsi to D&D's Coke.

I also have Shadowdark if I want rules-light, classic-gaming 5E. This is a fantastic game, incredibly supported, and it has the design ethos and old-school sensibilities that I love. This supports small creators, and the game is a joy to play. The creator is ethically sound and fosters a positive gaming environment. This is what "Basic D&D" should look like these days. A simple game, back to basics, small book, incredible art, and an immersive and tense experience is the holy grail of gaming.

Free League and Dragonbane are awesome. This is already too many games to play in the fantasy genre. The Kickstarter is expanding the game, and this looks exciting. Dragonbane is one of Free League's absolute best games, and a clear D&D competitor without question.

I have a fantastic expansion of the first edition with Adventures Dark and Deep. This is another great game, everything first-edition is, plus more. This game is pure first-edition goodness, written by a Greyhawk historian, and it just keeps getting better and better.

Dungeon Crawl Classics is a classic. Despite this year's noise, pointless drama, and clickbaiting, this is still a fantastic game with so much fun packed into the books; it will remain on my shelves. And you can tell the entire industry is in a downturn because companies are starting to attack each other and trying to eliminate their competitors to capture players. It is sickening behavior, and I don't support it, but I will still support the games I love.

But they clicked that gear forward a notch in fixing this.

They made the best ethical decision in this case, supporting gaming history and resolving a long-standing failed Kickstarter without rewarding nefariousness. They initially blew the messaging, but they ultimately made it right in the end. We should support people who come to their senses and make the right choices. Otherwise, no progress can be made in making our hobby a better place. Lessons learned, time to move on.

I also have Castles & Crusades, a company printed in print shops that support jobs in the USA. I don't care if it costs a little more. I will keep it for life. I would rather pay people in this country and help put food on the table, help get this country's kids through school, and put a roof over the heads of families here than send the money overseas. They are building a factory for more print books and are likely to take on print jobs from other publishers, so that work does not need to go overseas.

C&C is the 5E replacement I always wanted, and the missing version of 2.5E that Gygax supported in his final years. The company is supporting good-paying jobs here. I am not interested in a Wall Street company issuing pages of optimistic proclamations about progress, yet still shipping jobs overseas to make their books. You don't get cover for one by doing the other. We demand better from you.

Ethics matters when you look in the mirror.

Ethics also means moving from bad places to good ones.

And you should easily roll a 20 on every ethics skill check you make, if you make the right choices.