Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Concerning the Wilderlands

I've been thinking about making this post for a while. Some of you may be aware of the extremely vile statements made by Bob Bledsaw's son. As Rob Conley noted his attempts to clarify or apologize have not been any better. For this reason Conley has decided to terminate his business connections to the Judges Guild. Last I heard Goodman Games was still working them to publish works by Jennell Jaquays in order to do right by her even if the Judges Guild is run by a shit, and I respect that decision.

I have no financial ties to the company and merely have talked about how I like the setting (in both it's original and d20 forms) on this blog numerous times. I also often run it. For a while I thought I'd never run it again but as summer approaches I find myself again in the mood for Sword & Sorcery adventure in lieu of or in addition to my normal spooky affairs. I have, in fact, restarted a Wilderlands game (with at least two of the characters from the old Cutthroat Inn campaign returning). I've decided my connection to the setting outweighs my feelings on Bledsaw II's racism. I would likely feel different if I had been involved with the business as the aforementioned people had been.

Anyway, I wanted to start posting about the campaign here but I thought I should clarify that my still using the setting is in no way an endorsement of anything Robert Bledsaw II has said or done.

Oh, and if you want to read a post about how to handle social justice issues in your tabletop rpgs I highly recommend this post by Humza.

7 comments:

  1. You have to recognize the genius of the product. Doing so in no way implies you support anything else.

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    1. Especially if the person who is responsible for it is the father of the person who I disagree with rather than the person himself.

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  2. Enjoying a piece of art does not mean you have to endorse or support the artist (or in this case the son of the artist). Denying yourself something you enjoy or that is useful because someone connected with it is a dick is hurting you more than them.

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  3. I wrote about this same thing back when all this blew up.

    My conclusion also was to separate the genius of Bob Bledsaw I from the politics of his son and heir, Bob Bledsaw II.

    I wrote more on my blog here: https://adventuresingaming2.blogspot.com/2020/02/regarding-robert-bledsaw-i-and-bobs.html

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    1. Ha, James I was just going to post this for Evan. Although I had first read it when you posted here on The Piazza Thanks! (Now when can you sneak us a full-size copy of the Western Karak map ???)

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    2. I had suspected that he wouldn't have approved because I thought his obit mentioned his political opinions and they were... not similarly aligned. I'm glad my suspicion is confirmed.

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    3. I concur with James Mishler, the Wilderlands is the work of Bob Bledsaw Senior and his team, not his son. Even now I am running a Majestic Wilderlands using the 5e rules for some friends and having a good time. The difference is that anything I will publish will be for Blackmarsh and the Majestic Fantasy Realms rather than for the Majestic Wilderlands or Wilderlands of High Fantasy.

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