#‘who is morally responsible for [bad thing]?

[transgender-mothman]

If you read my response, you’ll see I have played and run other systems. I have a large collection of ttrpgs, and have played quite a few. Many of them are small or indie, and I also have friends who are indie game designers (shout out to @strangeharpy !). I think my actual second longest campaign was a powered by the apocalypse one, and I have designed a d6 magical girl game system from scratch because I couldn’t find what I wanted in a pre-existing system. And it worked great and was very fun, if difficult, to do! I am a staunch supporter of indie games.

Now. That said. My current group does double back to 5e. That is very true. I’ve been playing 5e off and on for a long time, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say we are necessarily constantly “supporting a monopoly” in that … we already own the books, either physically or digital copies, and there’s no buying of every single thing wotc releases. We don’t use d&d beyond. We don’t run modules or whatever it is that wotc calls the prefab campaigns these days. I haven’t bought a new 5e book in YEARS, because there’s no need to and tbh I don’t care to give WotC more money particularly with the direction they’ve been going. My group play very home brew, very tweaked, very RP heavy games using the 5e system as a base, and it works for us. And that’s our prerogative and that’s totally fine to do! My initial statement stands—- play whatever, however, and with whoever is best for the experience YOU want to have.

As for why we go back to 5e, just because there are things we drop or leave out, doesn’t mean there aren’t aspects of it we love. The races, classes, feats, spells, and combat system work for us and you can really have such a different experience from campaign to campaign by mixing up what you play and how, and there are tons of (free) resources by players for players online to assist or add to your game. There’s a ton of actual play content, which is accessible and fun to engage with, that gets newbies a solid idea on how a ttrpg flows or works, and this is such a help for people who are apprehensive about starting. And for older players who have started with previous editions, there’s at least some commonality between versions (I started playing 3.5 myself). Not everyone who plays or continues to play 5e is actively harming the indie community by using resources they already have or games they are comfortable/familiar with.

I very much believe everyone should try other games if they’re able. There’s such a wealth of cool, unique games out by smaller companies and indie developers. But I do understand why 5e has a lot of pull to it— yes, it’s THE mainstream system, which unfortunately comes with all the other trappings of capitalism. But the game isn’t bad in and of itself and I don’t believe playing it, any way you want to, is a moral or ethical failing.

5e is a gateway game now more than ever. I am a very nerdy horror film guy, but I didn’t start with indie arthouse movies… like most people, I started with major Hollywood franchises, because of mass accessibility. Everyone starts somewhere! And not everyone will branch out from mainstream d&d to games that are more off the beaten track, same as not all horror fans will go from the Saw franchise to weird experimental horror that no one outside of Letterboxd has ever heard of. But you know what? Some will. And that’s great.

I think an important part of the "D&D is easy to learn" argument is that a lot of those people don't actually know how to play D&D. They know they need to roll a d20 and add some numbers and sometimes they need to roll another type of die for damage. A part of it is the culture of basically fucking around and letting the GM sort it out. Players don't actually feel the need to learn the rules.

Now I don't think the above actually counts as knowing the rules. D&D is a relatively crunchy game that actually rewards system mastery and actually learning how to play D&D well, as in to make mechanically informed tactical decisions and utilizing the mechanics to your advantage, is actually a skill that needs to be learned and cultivated. None of that is to say that you need to be a perfectly tuned CharOp machine to know how to play D&D. But to actually start to make the sorts of decisions D&D as a game rewards you kind of need to know the rules.

And like, a lot of people don't seem to know the rules. They know how to play D&D in the most abstract sense of knowing that they need to say things and sometimes the person scowling at them from behind the screen will ask them to roll a die. But that's hardly engaging with the mechanics of the game, like the actual game part.

And to paraphrase @prokopetz this also contributes to the impression that other games are hard to learn: because a lot of other games don't have the same culture of play of D&D so like instead of letting new players coast by with a shallow understanding of the rules and letting the GM do all the work, they ask players to start making mechanically informed decisions right away. Sure, it can suck for onboarding, but learning from your mistakes can often be a great way to learn.

[urfavisananimegirl]

walter white from breaking bad

Walter Hartwell White (Breaking Bad) is an Anime Girl!

[wastemee]

i think that i would die

jimmy grant (?) + fem reader

content warning . noncon/dubcon , toxic relationship , painal , barely legal reader

note: very unedited!!!! I’m lazy this is bad

When your eighteenth birthday has finally come , you had never been happier. You’re an adult (in the eyes of the law , at least)! Late night clubbing and cigarettes , here you come. Although you don’t have much friends , at least you have your trusty ID on you and your car (which is really your parents). College is definitely an option , your parents would provide you the money if you asked. But for now , you’re just working at some job that’s mundane and boring. The only reason you go is because your parents have connections , got you a job so you can buy all the stuff you could ever want. Given it’s in your paycheck budget.

Nothing or anybody interesting happened to catch your eye during your shift , until a few months ago. Your now boyfriend , Jimmy. He’s tall , handsome , and although he’s a bit dark , he’s yours. If your wish was to get an extremely morally gray boyfriend who definitely has personal issues , you won the lottery.

Your family doesn’t approve , but who would? He has very.. “controversial” opinions and strange comments on modern things that he claimed , “I didn’t have in my day”. His thoughts on feminism are bleh. Whenever you ask for him to elaborate , his response is always something like , “This word has gone to shit” or “Women think they have so much power”. He has very traditional beliefs about women , he still thinks that the only place women are needed is the kitchen and on their male partners dick. And honestly thinks you’re an idiot for still dating him.

Dating is a funny word to him. He wouldn’t consider your relationship ‘dating’ , he just likes you because you’re young , conventionally attractive , and a little bit naive. If he told you the roof said gullible on it , you’d look up because you trust him that much. Fresh meat. That’s what you are. You’re barely legal , what more is there to like?

He has you tag along with him to get togethers with his former coworkers , people he was working with in space! Amazing. He went from working in space to fucking and dumping girls from eighteen to twenty. When he first told you about his former job , you couldn’t believe him. He’s a sleaze , a sleazy astronaut.

Curly , his best friend , is chatting it up with him in his dirty apartment. Stubble frames his nice skin , lips curled up into a grin. He’s cute. But in a dog kind of way , not like a grown man. He has nice , blonde hair and his eyes are full of promise and kindness , unlike his best friend. Anya’s a young lady with sad looking eyes and a shaggy haircut , who for some reason , seems a bit uncomfortable with Jimmy. She doesn’t say much , Jimmy told you that. He also said she was extremely incompetent and utterly incapable of doing anything on the ship , but he says that about a lot of people. Then there’s Daisuke , who is just a ball of joy. Jimmy seems irritated by his painfully optimistic behavior whenever he interjects in conversation or talks.

Any idiot knows that if someone talks to you about another , then obviously they’ll talk about you as well. Unfortunately , you don’t. Nothing could’ve prepared you for all the things you found out Jimmy says about you when snooping through his phone , and his little friend doesn’t even say anything. Usually if someone were to call their girlfriend an idiot , or ‘meat’ , the average person would feel disturbed. But Curly shrugs it off with no reprimands for your boyfriend’s icky comments.

And of course , when Jimmy found out about your sneaky little habit , he was pissed for sure. A quick slap to your face , or shoving his dick down your throat when you definitely don’t want it , obviously does nothing for your behavior. Instead of forcing your head down on him , maybe fucking you so hard you feel like your guts will fall out could fix your behavioral issues.

He’s really pushing the limits of his flimsy bed frame with the way he thrusts into your ass , one hand on the headboard and the other gripping your already bruised hips. Pained moans slip out of your throat and into his hot room’s space , stubby nails scratching against the cheap wood. “Jim— Jimmy—“ you barely manage to gasp , tears pricking at your eyes and your stomach churning from both the pain and the unfamiliar feeling of him tearing into your body. He ignores your pleas , only pressing your face into the headboard harshly.

He groans under his breath , gritting his teeth and burying himself into you , chest pressed against your back like he’s trying to merge your sweaty bodies together. All he can think about is the way you clench around him and squirm like a wounded animal , and it’s the only thing keeping him going. The thought of molding you into what he wants and dumping you on the side of the street back at your house after he loses all interest in you makes his head spin and his dick hard.

“Please,” you whimper , pained tears rolling down your face and soaking into his dirty sheets. Your teary eyes squeeze shut , because if you look at him , you might just hurl all over yourself *and* the pillows. His hand moves from your hip and to your warm face , nails digging into your puffy cheeks and forcing your face to his. He doesn’t even need you to open your eyes and see his face when he’s fucking you like an animal , rough and hard.

“It’ll be over,” Jimmy mutters , hot breath making contact with your face and making your nose scrunch up instinctively. Cigarettes and booze , it sickens you. “ ‘cause you’ll shut up and take it , right? Let me cum in you without a word?” His words are harsh and teasing in a way. Teasing you because he knows you’ll never say no , teasing you because no matter what your friends and family say , you’ll let him do whatever he wishes.

Callously hands drift down to your tight throat , squeezing lightly. Not enough to kill you , but enough to make you feel light headed and sick to your stomach. Your hand overlaps his , urging him to take his rough hand from your windpipe. Listening to you is the last thing he’ll ever do.

All of this banging you against was practically foreplay , and his orgasm is the main event of his rape-y affection. He moans through his gritted teeth , hips meeting yours and spewing his seed into you , not bothering to pull out or check up on you with a simple , “You okay?”.

Just because you’re used to it , doesn’t mean you like. It definitely doesn’t mean that.

Jimmy’s hands slowly fall from your neck , lips pressed against your temple and his lips curled up into a cruel smirk. “Shit,” he murmurs into your ear , knocking against your head with his fist. “Think I’ve emptied you all of you’ve got. Don’t think there’s anything in here”. He chuckles , voice just as condescending as ever. You’re starting to think he’s right. Maybe there isn’t anything in your head , not anymore , you wouldn’t doubt it. From hopeful and optimistic , to drained all in the span of a few weeks.

You’ve made your bed , and now you must lie in it. For however long Jimmy deems fit.

[samytheshoulderdemon]

IM VERBALLY POSTING MY OPINION ABOUT A CONTROVERSIAL CHARACTER AND IM SORRY IF YOU DONT AGREE BUT ALSO IF YOU DONT PLEASE TELL ME WHY ID LOVE TO HEAR OPINIONS ABOUT HIM EVEN IF THEY DIFFER FROM MINE CAUSE MOUTHWASHING IS MY SPECIAL INTEREST AND IDC IF PEOPLES OPINIONS ARE DIFFERENT THATS WHY ITS AN OPINION!!!!!!!!!! RAHHHH

Okay, so....

CURLY FAILED AS A MAN AND AS A CAPTAIN BUT I BELIEVE THAT HE WAS A GOOD PERSON!!! THOUGH I DEFINITELY FELT LIKE THE 'TALK' HE HAD WITH JIGGLESHIT WAS A PATHETIC SLAP ON THE WRIST. LIKE. AT MOST.

But I also appreciate that he's very human, very morally Gray, He believed that what he was doing was best for the whole crew. (The bigger picture) He didn't want to start more trouble, he didn't think it was NECESSARY to start more trouble... And I LOVE that about him, he doesn't understand that something like what happened to Anya could happen because he thought knew Jimmy well enough to know he wouldn't do that. I believe, it was not CURLY trying to be malicious it was him trying to regulate the crew in the best interest of EVERYONE (which was NOT the correct thing to do in this situation, but he was trying his best.) ((HES SO HUMAN RAHHH I LOVE HIM))

He definitely paid for what he did in the worst way/ in a way he didn't deserve. (Because no one deserves what happened to Curly) (Except jiggleshit) In my eyes, Curly learned the hard way to not let abusers get away with what they do.

He seems like one of those people (I know one irl, they are a good person, but TOO good to understand why anyone would do something horrendous like Jimmy did) who cant fathom someone like jiggleshit existing, It's not that he didn't believe Anya, he just had NO idea how to go about the situation she was in. [In short, he's naive. *respectfully*]

he was so stuck on jiggleshit being a good person that he wasn't able to change his opinion quick enough to help her... I think I like him because I believe that he learned that lesson throughout the game!!! He's such a beautiful character!!

To close, I know that because of what he did people don't like him, and are 100% entitled to their opinions of him!!! But because their opinion entirely depends on what they believe makes someone a bad person and because of this, everyones opinion tends to differ a little bit���🥺🥺

ANYWAYS!!! IL SHUT UP NOW SORRY IM OBSESSED NDNDJDNDJDJDNSN UM SORRY IF THIS WAS REPEDITIVE!!! I was kind of Frankensteining my previous thoughts left in comments and text responses together, so thats why it might not be very coherent thank you for reading my rambling if u did, it means a lot 😭😭😭

I wanted to post this on my actual account as well as the mouthwashing community :b

[postsforposting]

i'm surprised i've never seen anyone say that, because they didn't design the system, therefore nothing they choose to do is their fault and isn't a moral statement.

the whole point is that it's simple. simplistic. and yet we can't find an answer to even the simplest question. people keep changing it to make themselves feel better about it. it's common that people won't even engage with it, as if denying it is a solution. i guess that is a form of "this isn't my fault or my problem". if you act, you "take responsibility" for it all.

are you responsible? how much? does changing the parameters from a lever to shoving matter, and why? does it matter if you designed the system or not? why does it matter who the people are or how they got there?

life isn't fair and people don't like confronting that. there MUST be an out that leaves you unambiguously the good person. that's the just world fallacy: if only you can figure out how things work, nothing bad will ever happen to you, nothing bad will ever happen to anyone again, you'll never do anything bad again. you'll never deserve to be on the tracks, you'll never be forced onto them.

except that's a childish fantasy and life isn't fair. all you can do is try to make it more fair, which is the whole point of the question: what does that mean? why does bitching about it matter, when all that does is put moral paint over it to deny responsibility and thus consequences? why are there consequences when all you did was try to help? why is your trying to help nitpicked as if you designed the circumstances?

The root of my frustration with a lot of trolley problem discourse is that 'What does it mean to act ethically in a world where shitty luck and the actions of strangers you'll never meet have left you without any purely good options?' is, like, possibly one of the most relevant and universally applicable questions moral philosophy might help answer.

Saying it's a bad question because it's the negligent trolley engineer's fault literally exactly misses the point - yes how to deal on a personal level with systems and infrastructure that designed without much care for human collateral damage is an incredibly useful thing to think about!

[slyandthefamilybook]

fellas is it freeing Palestine to send graphic images to American Jews

[autumnrory]

i rmr when all the initial meta around endgame was coming out people were talking about steve being depressed and whatnot and it's like well yeah but he's BEEN depressed, like he woke up alone in this century and he kept going, now i can understand it being worse this time after finding a family and getting bucky back and losing them all except of course that's not why endgame steve was on about so like......the people writing meta were trying to connect these things that of course weren't really there on screen because that simply wasn't our steve

but i think it really could've been SO interesting to see this is the thing that finally makes steve stay down like he's lost so much and he just CAN'T keep fighting like i get some people think that's what they were going for but considering the ending......it's really not. and so i'm just thinking about a version after iw, maybe he gets some of the thor treatment except not turning his depression into a dumb fatphobic joke lol and maybe nat and others are trying to get through to him and it just doesn't work and then we get some flashbacks (which you could have done for all the original avengers actually which would be particularly important for bruce and nat and clint who did not have their own trilogies) including his mom telling him "you always stand up" and THAT being the thing to finally get him moving like it would've been such a perfect way to finally show sarah rogers some respect and ACTUALLY show steve really struggling instead of whatever they tried to do with him in that movie

[ilsolefiesta]

is it a real downfall?

as Mercury (the ruler of the chart, by the way) and Venus in Libra, I felt so personally offended that I had even decided to write about it. joke, of course. I understand that this is a personal experience for everyone, but with my response, perhaps I may help you see it from the perspective of Libra. many people around me have strong Libra placements, so I guess the size of the statistical sample will allow me to speak for Libra as a whole. from my point of view, Libra doesn't need to have Aquarius's stubbornness or Gemini's dedication to any particular view (in fact, I have always seen them as true social butterflies, so I'm surprised) as this is not the part of their functional role. Libra's primary function is to find balance. this includes, first and foremost, finding your own personal balance, which might sound selfish, but it is what it is. they can bring balance to the world only by being balanced themselves. about "colorlessness" and lack of a moral compass - i think Libra is associated with justice for a reason. they have a fairly well-defined value system. Libra is quite good at challenging and balancing the most extreme points of view, if they are in a comfortable environment and have enough time to analyze the situation. they are just bystanders to how others stand up for their beliefs. everything is so. but where does the need to prove anything to someone come from? stubborn insistence on one's own point of view often causes a loss of those balance - people can tear each other's throats apart in arguments. Libra doesn't initially take a dominant position, and tries to avoid such situations intentionally. their purpose is to bring people back to equilibrium after an argument, having managed to present each side's main points of view. you also miss that Libra is a social sign. and what's the scariest thing for a social sign? rejection. Aries and Scorpio, who are strong-willed enough to withstand it, can go against society. Aquarius can do it, because he doesn't really care about society. so is Sagittarius, who just likes to watch the dissenters getting their asses burned. but not Libra. some will see it as conformity, others as flexibility and the ability to adapt. as for the aspect of friendship and the lack of desire to protect you. unfortunately, Libra's actions are really unbiased when it comes to the situation where there is no their personal interest. Libras are heavily influenced by favoritism and personal sympathy. this is the only thing that can cause them to abandon conformity and the only time when their overall objective and rational value system fail. and then they can do something really bad - falsify facts and justify the actions of someone they sympathize with. therefore, if such a situation has happened to you, I'm afraid that you just didn't fit into the value system of those specific people. I'm sorry about that.

another situation is also possible.

until now, I've advocated for Libra placements' manifestation of other people, but not mine. because, ironically, I'm an exact example of what you are talking about. in addition to my Libra placements, my ASC, Sun and Mars are in Virgo. here favoritism has no power. even while reading the post, at the "where is a leo or a scorpio is defending their friend whether they are right or wrong" moment, I wondered - why should they if you are wrong? in my environment, I always advocate for refined justice, free from emotions. it's easy for me to ignore whether someone is my friend, loved one, or family, as I look at their actions in a specific situation and try to be honest with them. "do you want me to just support you and tell you that you're the best, or do you want my honest, unbiased opinion that may be painful?" - people often come for the latter later, when their emotions cool down a bit and they need an outside perspective. however, the challenge here is that developing such a communication strategy and understanding that people don't always require my open-minded approach didn't come to me immediately. I had to learn this, as it prevented me from communicating with others (returning to the topic of Libra's social orientation). maybe there was a similar situation with people around you - I mean that the reasoning wasn't Libra placements solely. anyway, as I've said in the beginning - I understand that this is a matter of personal compatibility. just a thought from my side, because the post seems interesting to me - so I decided to share opinion. thank you for an interesting topic to think about!

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓃𝒻𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝓁𝒾𝒷𝓇𝒶 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈

Preface: this is not meant to be a hurtful post, but rather my own personal observations I have made through interacting with various libra placements

these are my own observations and may not resonate with your experiences

I don’t have much experience with libra placements, but the few people close to me with major libra placements have all had glaring shared characteristics. I tend to find that libras are fair to a fault. They lack the headstrong nature of aquarians and aren’t powerfully opinionated as geminis tend to be. It’s not that they refuse to take a stance on things, it’s that their stance depends on who they are with. They ebb and flow with whatever is presented to them, whether bad or good, positive or negative. This can be a really beautiful attribute. It allows for them to see and understand all perspectives. However, it can also be their downfall. They aren’t fiercely loyal, powerfully individualistic, or strongly opinionated. They won’t defend you when you are being ridiculed. They won’t stand up for those they care about. Their fairness forces them to watch from afar. Pushed into perpetually being bystanders. Libras are often associated with justice. This has shown up in my life as not taking a stand, but rather watching others fight for their beliefs while avoiding conflict at all costs. They mold to the beliefs of whoever they are closest to in that exact moment. Their best friend of ten years is being torn apart in an argument? They are avoiding eye contact and refusing to speak up. Whereas a leo or a scorpio is defending their friend whether they are right or wrong, a libra is pretending that the conflict didn’t happen. This is truly their downfall. Again, fairness and agreeableness are attributes that I truly look up to, but it is hard for me to jive with people who don’t follow their own strong moral code, whether it be positive or negative.

with love,

starryark ✨

[noodle-shenaniganery]

can we stop trying to bully people into advocacy, please?

can we stop making people feel personally responsible for issues they only just heard of and may not even understand?

can we stop yelling and berating people who aren’t putting all of their (probably limited) energy into researching something that has almost nothing to do with them and which may stress them out?

can we stop pressuring people who are already struggling to survive to limit their options on how they can live, what they can eat?

please?

please

can we stop

[dizzybevvie]

"not pro-ana just using the tags" "pro-ana only for myself" Ok but you see how you're still hurting people right. you see how you're perpetuating this mindset for other people by posting about it right.

[brick-van-dyke]

My dad, jokingly: "I'm badman"

Me: "haha sure" (not thinking he's anything like batman)

My dad: *left/ separated from my mum when I was a teen, started a GTA gang that helps bullied kids, ended up emotionally adopting like 8 kids and helped them through bullying, suicide, abuse, etc.*

Me: *was hurt by an abuser and had to deal with said abuser being forgiven by family around me*

Me: *gets into Batman lore*

Me: ...

"Wait a second..."

[talonpaw]

for the record: i very much enjoy reading critical and meta analysis of warriors, especially analyses that cover more serious topics like the series’s depiction of abusive relationships, ableism, misogyny, elements of insensitivity to and appropriation from indigenous cultures, etc.. i just get EXHAUSTED watching people engaging in bad faith discourse and harassing other fans, even though i am fortunate enough to have never experienced that sort of harassment myself

[starbuck]

HATE when i’m taking a class that i KNOW would be a piece of cake for people who are fans of objective definitions with no exceptions and unexamined moral outrage…

[acewizardinspace]

The truth is, sometimes there is no watsonian answer.

Lets say for a moment a character is established to hate the color green. Then in one scene we see them wearing a green scarf. This is never mentioned or explained. It can be fun to come up with watsonian (in universe) explanations for this behavior. Maybe he got it from this other character who loves green, or maybe he changed his mind. But when those explanations actually directly contradict what happens on screen, then there is a problem. Lets say it is impossible for him to have met this other character and gotten a gift, or he mentions his hatred for green again two episodes later meaning it is impossible for him to have changed his mind.

Now your fun watsonian headcanon instead of adding meaning actively detracts meaning. Now it makes the story worse not better. Now the story stops making any amount of sense because you insist on calling attention to something the creators never wanted you to. This can be fun for AUs and headcanons, please keep with it! But it is a shit basis for shit literary analysis.

The truth is, sometimes his scarf is green because that is what the costumer designers had on hand. The truth is, sometimes there is no watsonian answer.

[magnoliamyrrh]

"the difference between a conspiracy and fact is time" isnt always true because some things are just genuinely loony and wrong but. boy oh boy is it true in too many cases

[thorntopieces]

"they're basically the same person" except the different names growing up in different countries knowing different people having entirely different childhoods and circumstances and hobbies and personalities and appearances and fashion and-

sigh