Runners haven

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battlecrazed-axe-mage:

It’s time for another giveaway~

I have a LOT of dice hanging around this house doing nothing–doubles of sets I already have, doesn’t fit my aesthetic, whatever the reason, they’re perfectly good but didn’t make the collection cut. So, I want to share them with someone who’ll appreciate them! The winner of this giveaway will receive one full pound of random dice! (I’ll pay shipping.) The actual number will vary depending on the mix, but that’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 dice! 

Rules:

• Must be following me! New followers count too.
• Likes and reblogs both count for an entry! You may reblog as many times as you like.
  
• You can get a THIRD entry by submitting a picture of your own dice to my blog! (One entry per person this way.) Depending on how many submissions I get, not all may be posted, but every single one I receive will count for an entry.
• Do not tag your reblog as “giveaway,” it can lead to the notes getting messed up and no one wants that.
  
• Winner will be chosen by RNG on October 1st, 2017.
  
• You MUST have your askbox open and MUST be comfortable giving me a shipping address.

**This giveaway is not affiliated with tumblr in any way**

(via fathomlessodds)

every-redlight:

breelandwalker:

gayspacehoe:

no-body-ever:

Destroy the idea that tattoos make you trashy

Destroy the idea that white ppl with tattoos are edgy and poc with tattoos are dangerous

Destroy the idea that tattoos have any bearing on a person’s ability to perform their job effectively.

Destroy the idea that all tattoos need some deep meaning behind them.

(Source: craves, via unapologetic-ambitious94)

youre-flirting-with-death:

I once saw @sixpenceee post something about that medieval torture execution method called the raging bull or something…well this was a grill when you lifted the top and this was sold at a family furniture store (this was a steal at only $599)..now thats some @sixpenceee shit

Family furniture store u mean homegoods

(via sixpenceee)

My kink? Knowing all the information

(via sixpenceeeblog)

I’m Standing Up [Update]

snugglybunniesaremetal:

unpossiblelabs:

dyslexicoedr:

catalystgamelabs:

[I’ve updated this post to include several relevant and important links at the bottom.]

I’m a white, male gamer. And I’m standing up.

I try not to take sides on the internet. As much as I love all that it makes possible—including my work—it can be such a terrible platform for discussing important issues. The tonal and facial cues that make real dialogue possible are stripped away, which, more often than not, simply lead to flame wars and intractability. Yet there are times when I simply need to get on my soapbox and take a stand, because it’s that important. All the more as I’ve become the de facto face of Catalyst Game Labs due to my social media work over the last several years.

I’ve been gaming for thirty-four years; attending cons for twenty-eight years; and working in the industry for twenty years. Beyond my family and my faith, this hobby is my life’s passion. A nerd, a geek, a gamer: I fit into it all and embrace it with wild, public abandon. I’ve met almost every last one of my friends through gaming—including my wife—many of whom I still talk with each month. Not to mention the endless, fantastic people of our community I constantly interact with day-to-day through that social media. It’s hard to even articulate the phenomenal joy this hobby has brought Tara and I (and now my kids as well, as they’ve grown up enmeshed in all of it as well).

So it always pains me when I see this community I love hurting anyone. Cuts me to the bone.

I came across an article over the weekend telling the story of numerous horrifying, painful experiences in a hobby that should have brought the writer as much joy as it does me. And yet there is a vile, vicious pollution whose currents churn our hobby’s underbelly.  

(I’m not linking to the article because this isn’t about a single person, but about the numerous posts and articles I’ve read over the years…about the conversations I’ve had…about everyone who gets marginalized.)

I’ll admit that I almost never see such things, so out of sight, out of mind (doesn’t make it right and I’m ashamed of it, but that’s how it’s been in the past). I’ve been exceptionally blessed across those thirty-four years to game with literally hundreds (perhaps even thousands at this point) and it simply doesn’t happen around me. Yet a few times a year I hear or read about it, as is the case of the article I read over the weekend. And of course, in those instance, I’ll re-tweet or post a short comment to spread awareness (did that to some uproar almost a year ago).

Yet this time felt different. It tore at me with a far greater impact than previously. I certainly wish all instances of hearing about these things would pummel at me with such force, but it hasn’t been the case. After a retweet, I usually let it go. So what made this case different? Especially as there’s another, powerfully insidious force at work here. 

I’ve seen it happen before and I watched it unfold regarding this article now. “That seems exaggerated.” Such an innocent remark. Especially taken against the context that you do need to be very careful about what you read on the internet. (When I’m checking news sites, even on some of the most trusted sites on the planet I’ll often go to multiple sites to verify events). The problem, as I see it, is that “that seems exaggerated” can lead to “I think the author lied about some of that” to “how can I believe any of it if some of it is a lie?” And taken in the context of “I never see that,” the slippery slope of dismissal has reached the bottom of the hill and the author is either viciously attacked for “compromising her situation,” if not outright lying or perhaps even worse, simply ignored.

Even I’ve felt those tendrils burrowing through my empathy, hollowing out my capacity to believe.

So then I’ve wound back to the question bugging me, especially given the possibilities that its all exaggerated: why have I felt compelled to draft up a giant post and make a public stand? Because of another experience a few months ago.

A woman in the industry that I’ve gotten to know and respect over the last year had just returned from a convention; a con I’ve attended and immensely enjoyed several times. And during a conversation discussing that con, she matter-of-factly tossed out numerous instances of sexual harassment across just the few days of attendance: ugly and incredibly brazen, right out in front of people. Now in each case, she backed the guy off with strength and some choice words; she certainly wasn’t looking to anyone for help, as she can take care of herself. But it was—for me—the stunning juxtaposition of how much she enjoyed the con (and will keep attending)…and oh, yeah, the usual sexual harassment.

Think about that for a moment. “The…usual…sexual…harassment.” I’ve attended well over a hundred conventions all over the world. And I can recall maybe one or two instances of being uncomfortable in all those years. And yet she keeps going to cons year after year with  “the…usual…sexual…harassment.” Just like the woman in that article…just like so many women….

Cut…to…the…bone.

All of that made it personal. Exceptionally personal. After all, this wasn’t an anonymous person on the “oh be careful what you read” internet. This was a co-worker. This is someone who in a very short period of time I knew that if she said this happened, then that’s it. No discussion. It happened.

So when I read this latest painful treatise, it wasn’t some abstract: it was this woman I’ve grown to respect; it was all the amazing women who bring so much to our hobby and have to swim through cesspools to do so—Jill Lucas, president of FASA when I started and the best boss I’ve ever known; Sharon Turner-Mulvihill, whom I’ve worked with across numerous companies and who edited all my novels; our amazing demo agents, such as Tina Vo and Amanda Mitro who make attending Gen Con so enjoyable; other industry professionals whose work I respect and enjoy, such as Lisa Stevens, the CEO of Paizo, or the award-winning author Jennifer Brozek, or the award-winning game designer Monica Valentinelli…the list goes on and on.

It was the thought that my daughter is just about at the age where we let my son start to roam the large conventions by himself…and if I let her off the leash, is someone going to grope her; going to snidely joke “old enough to bleed, old enough to breed”; or corner her in an elevator for something even worse…. I have to make the choice of treating her differently than I did my son versus opening her to those deep currents, to be slopped by filth?

In the end, even if the article is exaggerated—even if numerous articles and situations are exaggerated—that is irrelevant to me. Even one instance is unacceptable.

This. Must. Stop.

Do I think my words will make it so? No, unfortunately I don’t. Nor am I some white knight come to provide protection. After all, there’s strength there that dwarfs my own; not sure I’d be willing to keep attending cons if I had to deal with the cesspools at every step.

Instead, by standing up perhaps a few men who uncomfortably looked the other way or stayed quiet when the vile jokes fly might find the courage to stand up as well. And perhaps just an ounce of support might be found when a woman reads this and knows there are men who’ve long worked in this industry that will stand up and publicly shout down such crap from the rooftops. And even if none of that happens, it’s still the right thing to do.

I’ve certainly not been perfect. I can look back across a lifetime of con attendance and gaming and cringe now and then at stupid comments I’ve made. And for that, I publicly apologize to any woman who ever felt as though I didn’t respected her, or made her feel as though she is less valuable as she is to our hobby, community, and industry.

And perhaps for that very same sense, there are men who feel ashamed to stand up. Well shake it off. Do the right thing. Stand up. This will only change if we shine a bright enough light down into those repugnant currents. If we get enough people saying this is not okay we just might push those currents down where they’re too afraid to come out any more.

Now let me be absolutely clear, here: Harassment or bullying of any sort against anyone for any reason—be it gender, race, religion, you name it—is not okay. And if I hear anyone around me gatekeeping with that tired old mantra “you’re not a real gamer,” I’m gonna slap that down. Catalyst employees know this and swiftly take care of any such situations. (If anyone has ever had any issues that were not treated appropriately by one of our employees or Catalyst agents, feel free to email me randall@catalystgamelabs.com and I’ll immediately follow up). So this filth laps onto far too many. But it seems pretty clear to me over the research I’ve done that women, by a large margin, take the brunt of this hurt.

For anyone that feels even a moment’s regret over any of this, or experiences they’ve had, please spread this post. Plenty of others are doing the same and doing it well. But we need to do it more. I’m adding my voice to theirs to swell the chorus and shine a light on those currents.

And for all those amazing gamers that make the hobby brilliant for millions of people all over the world, thank you!

I’m a white, male gamer. And I’m standing up.

Randall

[Posted with permission of Heather Coleman, Catalyst Game Labs Owner]

UPDATED: 4-13-16

The following are a few important links to articles that have appeared since this first posted, supporting and expanding my points, and I felt it exceedingly appropriate to include them in an update here. Once again, thanks to everyone standing up!

• Christopher Helton (author at EnWorld and Dorkland) wrote an excellent article for one of our hobbies most popular website; the 1,034 comments on the post show how important this topic is: We’re All Gamers Together: Why Harassment Has To Stop
  
• Ken Burnside (award-winning science writer and game designer) posted an brilliant article, not only expanding Christopher and I’s thoughts, but also included a great list of preventative actions: For Good Men To See Nothing
  
• While it may seem slightly tangential, this is utterly relevant. The Guardian just published an article about online harassment (mining its 70 million comments over many years); while most of the focus of our articles above are on face-to-face gaming, online harassment is a despicable current not just in the world, but encircling our hobby as well…everyone should be discussing this article: The dark side of Guardian comments
  

Reblogging for the edits.

There is no neutral ground on this one.

Abuse against anyone for any reason is a terrible thing and the fact that it runs so rampant in gamer culture especially towards women trying to get in to the hobby sickens me. I have always had my arms wide open for anyone to game with me as long as they were interested.

Why is it that a marginalized culture like gaming hobbyists further ostracizes itself from the world by discriminating against anyone that doesn’t fit the mould. Gamers have to bear the brunt of criticism from the rest of the world so we should shelter those who come to us, not just the white men but people of all kinds. For we all have been tormented at some point for our devotion to a hobby not everyone understands. So we should be the most understanding people.

However even I notice these instances of abuse at my local game shop and it makes me sick to be in there sometimes. because even I am seen as strange though I am white and I am male. I have no competitive drive so most games being played at tables look at me strangely and don’t understand my way of doing things. Which leads me to believe if we can’t understand each other’s point of view on these things we will never band together as a culture and be strong and made of all people from all walks of life. I believe anyone who enjoys games… No matter what game, is a gamer and we should treat them with respect that we expect for ourselves.

(via snugglybunniesaremetal)

panicforme:

i dont understand how my decisions to get piercings and tattoos affect my parents lives

this sooo much thisss

(via glitched-frogger)

you guys should check out my channel its awesome gaming stuffs

Numenera funtimes

Gm as an npc con artist surgeon: im quite the con artist no?

Player as glaive: not really you ran out of chickens

The muffin man

What would the orxrock equivalent of mayhem fest be? Would it be a Horizon corp funded festival called Orkapalooza? Can you picture any orks actually going to a festival that sounds that obnoxious?

One of the characters in my campaign named Zephyr who is an elven magic user following his own homebrewed tradition called Ayafari

-i apologize for the rapidfire posts just comming out of a backlog of work- The technomancer

how i picture myself as a Shadowrun GM all art credit to my good friend at Good-Vibe illustrations https://www.facebook.com/GoodVibeIllustrations?fref=ts

Guard barracks and Jail for an Arcology I’m designing in my campaign..tis a work in progress though im sure my runners will hate me for installing so many guards 

stupifly:

Tonight’s Shadowrun game: I got run over by a van full of dudes. I opted to stay under the van and repeatedly stab upwards blindly with my chainsaw arm. I ended up cutting a cock diesel badass orcish bounty hunter in half.