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Transistor

Hollowly Brittle
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
37,164
Washington, D.C.
Official Staff Communication
The fact that so many people are taking issue with a peaceful Hindu symbol that is in the OP's avatar is disappointing. Yes, a perversion of the symbol was used by the Nazis, but to call them the same thing is insulting, to say the least. This user is allowed to have this avatar, and that's all there is to it. Feel free to do some research on the origin of the symbol and its meaning here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika#Hinduism
 
OP
OP
Hey Please

Hey Please

Avenger
Oct 31, 2017
22,824
Not America
Official Staff Communication
The fact that so many people are taking issue with a peaceful Hindu symbol that is in the OP's avatar is disappointing. Yes, a perversion of the symbol was used by the Nazis, but to call them the same thing is insulting, to say the least. This user is allowed to have this avatar, and that's all there is to it. Feel free to do some research on the origin of the symbol and its meaning here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika#Hinduism

Thank you kindly.
 

Turbocharge

Member
Sep 28, 2020
230
I started listening to The Adventure Zone podcast during lockdown. They started off playing the Lost Mine of Phandelver starter set before Griffin starts to spin out a huge sprawling story of his own creation. Considering that I've only ever played the LMOP set myself, it was putting me in the mood to start up another D&D group.

I ended up buying the set on Roll20 last week and I'm trying to salvage a group among people at work. So far I have 5 "maybe"s, which is useless when trying to set up a regular game.
 
OP
OP
Hey Please

Hey Please

Avenger
Oct 31, 2017
22,824
Not America
The chucklefucks i was DMing straight up stole a ship in the harbor of the nice capital city i had spent a ton of time fleshing out and decided to sail to a new (up until then non existent) continent, so i had to improvise like a motherfucker to make any sense of that campaign.

Can a DM generally tell players the type of campaign they will be venturing forth for and where the preferred boundaries are so that things do not completely go off the rails?
 
Nov 8, 2017
6,315
Stockholm, Sweden
Can a DM generally tell players the type of campaign they will be venturing forth for and where the preferred boundaries are so that things do not completely go off the rails?

Yeah, but this time i had been lazy and not provided any kind map so my friends decided to become explorers set out to chart the world, it ended up being a messy but really fun campaign.
 

SunshinePuppies

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 14, 2020
3,351
Official Staff Communication
The fact that so many people are taking issue with a peaceful Hindu symbol that is in the OP's avatar is disappointing. Yes, a perversion of the symbol was used by the Nazis, but to call them the same thing is insulting, to say the least. This user is allowed to have this avatar, and that's all there is to it. Feel free to do some research on the origin of the symbol and its meaning here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika#Hinduism


Take notes. This is how you be a better ally. Ty for not disappointing <3
 

Deleted member 18400

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,585
Can a DM generally tell players the type of campaign they will be venturing forth for and where the preferred boundaries are so that things do not completely go off the rails?

This is exactly what you should be doing. Always have a session 0 before starting where you clearly outline the limits of your campaign. DMs are humans we can't have an entire world worth of content ready for every possible outcome at all times.
 

GearDraxon

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,786
+1 for session 0. Establishing ground rules, boundaries, etc... make it easier to ensure that everyone has a fun time.
 

Dreavus

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Jan 12, 2018
1,729
This is exactly what you should be doing. Always have a session 0 before starting where you clearly outline the limits of your campaign. DMs are humans we can't have an entire world worth of content ready for every possible outcome at all times.

100% agree. I've never had too much of a problem with buy-in or "gonzo" play, but I do this in all my games now even with familiar players. It just communicates what the game is going to be about and prevents misfires from people expecting different things.
 
OP
OP
Hey Please

Hey Please

Avenger
Oct 31, 2017
22,824
Not America
This is exactly what you should be doing. Always have a session 0 before starting where you clearly outline the limits of your campaign. DMs are humans we can't have an entire world worth of content ready for every possible outcome at all times.

+1 for session 0. Establishing ground rules, boundaries, etc... make it easier to ensure that everyone has a fun time.

Thank you both. Given I have only ever been privy to D&D streams that start with players and DM who have had experience with these campaigns, it seems like that these managerial aspects are best learned from experienced heads. I will need to look up more videos and e-books on how to be DM/GM but it feels like I may be SoL for the time being owing reading just how skewed the player to DM ratio generally is.
 

iamsirjoshua

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,026
This thread is an example of outsiders dictating to minorities and POCs what part of their own culture is or is not acceptable. Rather than educating yourselves on the deeper history and meaning of the symbol, and how it was forcefully taken away from these cultures, you say it's uncomfortable, berate the OP for representing (what I'll assume) is their culture, and tell them to shy away a part of culture that they are trying to reclaim.

People aren't naive, people are painfully aware of how this symbol has been co-opted by filth. They're trying to reclaim it in spite of that. That said, you are not the arbiter of what is and is not acceptable on this board (when it comes to gray areas like this). If you want to bask in your ignorance and lord over minorities like this, rather than showing everyone this performative "wokeness," how about reporting it to the mods and letting them engage in that dialog with OP.

This is not meant to come off as aggressive, I'm just tired of living in a country where allies rarely exist in little more than a performative context.

How about this: MY culture was the one that was killed off in the millions by the people wearing that symbol. The person who put that as their avatar instead of literally any other symbol knows it's connotations. So do not DARE tell me I am here belittling POC or displaying "performative wokeness." Don't you dare assume who I am or tell me how I should react to seeing a symbol that in nearly all contexts represents a call for MY death. Understand?

Swastikas are UNACCEPTABLE. Period.

OP knows exactly the reaction people have to it and have decided to hide behind a veneer of "I'm taking it back" instead of just changing their avatar to anything that's not a symbol of the Nazi party.
 

Deleted member 56266

Account closed at user request
Banned
Apr 25, 2019
7,291
How about this: MY culture was the one that was killed off in the millions by the people wearing that symbol. The person who put that as their avatar instead of literally any other symbol knows it's connotations. So do not DARE tell me I am here belittling POC or displaying "performative wokeness." Don't you dare assume who I am or tell me how I should react to seeing a symbol that in nearly all contexts represents a call for MY death. Understand?

Swastikas are UNACCEPTABLE. Period.

OP knows exactly the reaction people have to it and have decided to hide behind a veneer of "I'm taking it back" instead of just changing their avatar to anything that's not a symbol of the Nazi party.

wow this is a super ignorant comment. Like, I have several family members who do not share the same feeling with the symbol you do, and it was theirs originally, just like it was OPs in their beliefs. Step outside the country and the symbol is widely used religiously. Then to go as far as to assume the OP has nefarious intentions by putting it as their avatar is certainly a take.
 
Oct 26, 2017
12,548
UK
How about this: MY culture was the one that was killed off in the millions by the people wearing that symbol. The person who put that as their avatar instead of literally any other symbol knows it's connotations. So do not DARE tell me I am here belittling POC or displaying "performative wokeness." Don't you dare assume who I am or tell me how I should react to seeing a symbol that in nearly all contexts represents a call for MY death. Understand?

Swastikas are UNACCEPTABLE. Period.

OP knows exactly the reaction people have to it and have decided to hide behind a veneer of "I'm taking it back" instead of just changing their avatar to anything that's not a symbol of the Nazi party.

I mean there is a mod post at the top of this page saying otherwise.

As others have suggested, if you can't get past it, put the user on ignore.
 

TheMadTitan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
27,240
Because I don't head a headset and don't plan on getting one. I'd rather play by post RP if I'm going to be doing anything similar without video game graphics and not in person.
 

Baron Bliss

Member
Oct 31, 2017
233
"Oh just get past it."

The amount of anti-Semitic garbage on this forum is sickening. OP needs to change their avatar to literally anything else.

As someone who had a large portion of their family wiped out in the Holocaust I can tell you that you are being ridiculous, the OP's avatar is totally fine, and you should probably go for a walk or something.
 
OP
OP
Hey Please

Hey Please

Avenger
Oct 31, 2017
22,824
Not America
Because I don't head a headset and don't plan on getting one. I'd rather play by post RP if I'm going to be doing anything similar without video game graphics and not in person.

Ah, crap. I just suddenly realized that I do not have a headset aside from PS Gold and Platinum HS. Now I am going to look up whether they are compatible with PC.

How about this: MY culture was the one that was killed off in the millions by the people wearing that symbol. The person who put that as their avatar instead of literally any other symbol knows it's connotations. So do not DARE tell me I am here belittling POC or displaying "performative wokeness." Don't you dare assume who I am or tell me how I should react to seeing a symbol that in nearly all contexts represents a call for MY death. Understand?

Swastikas are UNACCEPTABLE. Period.

OP knows exactly the reaction people have to it and have decided to hide behind a veneer of "I'm taking it back" instead of just changing their avatar to anything that's not a symbol of the Nazi party.

Again, I have addressed my point pertaining to Nazism and Swastika, made very clearly my intention over multiple posts as well as even informed you politely that I would understand if you exercised your prerogative to put me on Ignore List.

I will change my avatar in due time and on my own terms. Kindly refer to a moderator should you still have issue with this for I will not be engaging with this any further. Thank you.
 

MrHedin

Member
Dec 7, 2018
6,817
100% agree. I've never had too much of a problem with buy-in or "gonzo" play, but I do this in all my games now even with familiar players. It just communicates what the game is going to be about and prevents misfires from people expecting different things.

Yep, Session 0s should be mandatory. It's always fun to mess up a GM's best laid plans but it usually doesn't end well if you just go totally against what was being setup.
 

SunshinePuppies

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 14, 2020
3,351
How about this: MY culture was the one that was killed off in the millions by the people wearing that symbol. The person who put that as their avatar instead of literally any other symbol knows it's connotations. So do not DARE tell me I am here belittling POC or displaying "performative wokeness." Don't you dare assume who I am or tell me how I should react to seeing a symbol that in nearly all contexts represents a call for MY death. Understand?

Swastikas are UNACCEPTABLE. Period.

OP knows exactly the reaction people have to it and have decided to hide behind a veneer of "I'm taking it back" instead of just changing their avatar to anything that's not a symbol of the Nazi party.


Wow, I don't even know how to engage with the ignorance on display here. To call this context of the symbol anti-semitic, rather than lay the blame on those who coopted it, is just...I'll just refer you to the official staff communication up top and wish you a good day.
 
Feb 19, 2018
1,650
Someone asks an innocent question about Dungeons & Dragons and it turns into a discussion about nazism with a serious dose of cultural apathy. If the colors and site layout weren't different I'd expect this to be on 4chan's /tg board after some posters clearly from /pol derailed the thread (which sadly happens way too often <.<). At this rate the mods will have to sticky their post on the matter.

@OP If you want to start DMing, I can from my own experience wholeheartely recommend the Dragon of Ice Spire Peak Essential's Kit . It has a HUUUUUUGE amount of goodies if you ever want to try D&D in real life (an abridged but still quite bigtotally sufficent version of the Player's Handbook, enough dice for the DM AND a player (or more if they share)), lots of useful cards and tokens with e.g. all the status conditions, cards for initiative and premade NPC companions to beef up a party if you only have 1-2 players), as well as quite a detailed campaign in a seperate book for levels 1-5 (or 6) with helpful advice for new DMs. And a big map. AND AN ABSOLUTELY AWESOME, COMPLETE, ACTUAL DM SCREEN (slightly smaller than those that cost 10-25 bucks, but with all the same information on the inside). And you can easily get it for ~ 25 $ or € or less.

Even if you never end up playing in real life, there's also a code to get the digital version of the campaign and stuff for it (so you can play it online with others), and the DM screen,tokens, premade companion characters and simple but highly effective sidekick companion rules make it a great buy still.
(And if you don't have that much cash available and want to get started, getting all the books you need as "digital copies" is very easy too, (often you just need to type the name of the book into Google with PDF added to it, not joking) with almost all other rule content being available through a quick googling through e.g. Wikis, though the Player's Handbook and DM Guide are definitely great buys and quite big high quality books (not to mention often being available for ~$25)
 

fick

Alt-Account
Banned
Nov 24, 2018
2,261
I've always been curious, but I am too scared to make the long term commitment. And social anxiety. And a new baby.
 

GearDraxon

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,786

Ladomania

Banned
Nov 8, 2020
246
How about this: MY culture was the one that was killed off in the millions by the people wearing that symbol. The person who put that as their avatar instead of literally any other symbol knows it's connotations. So do not DARE tell me I am here belittling POC or displaying "performative wokeness." Don't you dare assume who I am or tell me how I should react to seeing a symbol that in nearly all contexts represents a call for MY death. Understand?

Swastikas are UNACCEPTABLE. Period.

OP knows exactly the reaction people have to it and have decided to hide behind a veneer of "I'm taking it back" instead of just changing their avatar to anything that's not a symbol of the Nazi party.
They're different symbols. The nazi swastika is flipped and inverted. Also there isn't anythinh take back. Hindu people still use it. I've seen it at a friend's house before. Japan also has a similar symbol called the manji that shows up all the time on buildings and in media. Don't be ignorant of other people's culture.
 

iamsirjoshua

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,026
They're different symbols. The nazi swastika is flipped and inverted. Also there isn't anythinh take back. Hindu people still use it. I've seen it at a friend's house before. Japan also has a similar symbol called the manji that shows up all the time on buildings and in media. Don't be ignorant of other people's culture.

You're all correct. My response was hasty, emotional, inappropriate, and reflected a high level of ignorance. My apologies to OP and everyone else who was impacted by my words. Credit to them for replying with a level head, grace, and respect. Very much the better person.

I hope everyone is able to enjoy some virtual D&D without being too bothered by my ignorance. I will do better.