Gatekeepers need to understand that there are many ways to play RPGs.

Central to #DnD is the ONGOING conversation between everyone at the table about expectations, narrative goals, safety, and fun!

Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is uniquely your own. D&D 3.0 & 3.5 are my personal favourites. I LOVE the crunch and have so many fond memories of my characters (really loved the older Arcane Archer and the Order of the Bow Initiate) from those editions.

Sometimes, that doesn't work for those at my table and I adjust accordingly.

Today is #CreatorDay @itchio! Today they are waiving their fee & giving all profits to creators! Here's are all of the #TTRPG zines I've published at danielhkwan.itch.io related to my Chronicles of Spring & Autumn project - a campaign setting inspired by Warring States China! "Denizens of Mountains & Seas" volumes 1 and 2 are collections of Chinese monsters and cultural touchpoints on how to incorporate them into your #DnD (or any TTRPG) sessions!

"Blades of the Lunar Kingdom" is a short zine containing legendary magical swords and historical notes!

There is a lot of potential lost in the overreliance on Asian pop culture stereotypes in the latest news about Strixhaven. While I'm SUPER excited to be seen in a game I enjoy, this doesn't mean there isn't room for A LOT of improvement.

/thread

dicebreaker.com/games/magic-th… 1⃣ Honour shouldn't be the only motivation for a character. It's 2021 and "Asian honour" should not be the defining feature of a character's story.

/1

Hey @LegendaryGamesJ, with everything going on in America right now, which member of your team decided that "mysteries of the Orient" was a good idea?

Did your cultural consultant think "unapproachable East" was a good idea in 2021? Did you even hire one? With all of the hateful rhetoric towards Asian people, did the Legendary Games team think that FURTHER mystifying us would add anything productive to the conversations in the TTRPG space?

So I wrote the history section of Haunted West on "Chinese people in the West". It's about struggle, racism, and resilience. That's been the Chinese experience in Canada and the US for generations. Still is.

Educational thread incoming.

1/ I think it's really important for people to understand different perspectives - it's how we become more tolerant and come to terms with our privilege. That's why products like Haunted West and Harlem Unbound are so important. That's why I signed on to write for HW.

2/

Hi! Since I have a whole bunch of new followers after #DnDCelebration2020, here's a bit about me! I produce and co-host @aznsrepresent! Our podcast is hosted on the @OneShotNetwork and we stream at twitch.tv/aznsrep! You can find old streams at YouTube.com/aznsrepresent!
1/ Prior to working in tech and gaming, I was an academic archeologist and educator @ROMtoronto. I've lived and worked in Jordan, Greece, and China. My academic specialties were Japanese (Jomon) and Chinese (early Holocene) ceramics, geoarchaeology, and early agriculture!

2/

I'm at the DMV. Pray for me. There are a surprising amount of people here who think bandanas are adequate face coverings.

We're 10 minutes into Mulan and I already dislike it. The dubbing of Jet Li just looks comical.

This tweet is getting a lot of attention. Can y'all also do me a favour?

Go follow @DeeEmSteve, @ammarijaz, @20arabiaRPG, and @TheDovetailor. They'll be on the Weaving Asian Stories panel with me. This is a team effort, and these amazing humans deserve so much. #DnD

https://twitter.com/danielhkwan/status/1301663427270782979

Not only is @DeeEmSteve a best selling author and fellow ENnie winner, but he's also one of the most emotionally intelligent and empathetic people I know.

We balance each other out on-stream, and that's one of the driving factors behind youtube.com/aznsrepresent.

This is a start. Thanks @Wizards_DnD for trying to take a positive step forward. This statement cannot be the end of your commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community. I look forward to seeing your next steps and hope you follow through on this.

/thread

https://twitter.com/Wizards_DnD/status/1280973004604755968

It's been almost two weeks since this tweet. In that time, I've been called a book burner, racial slurs like "Ch**k", and more. For what? For calling out how @Wizards_DnD continues to profit off of racist content. Unacceptable.

https://twitter.com/danielhkwan/status/1277239086072422400

So why go with @questrpg for our @aznsrepresent actual play? As we close out the first season of our "Dungeons & Da Asians" actual play, which we plan on renaming (suggestions welcome!), here's are some of my thoughts on switching to a new game system! #ttrpg /thread Let's start by saying that I won't be playing in any public 5e games until we see some real change in WotC.

If you're curious about the kind of abuse I receive from the white D&D fan base. Check out the comments on our YouTube videos. Once I became a vocal critic of OA, the negative comments and dislikes began to pop up on our channel. youtube.com/aznsrepresent

https://twitter.com/danielhkwan/status/1279437712198639618

"It's just fantasy"

"That book isn't for you"

"If you don't like it, don't read it"

"You're being too sensitive and looking to be upset"

These are examples of comments we receive from people who didn't like that their favourite "Asian" D&D book was being called out for racism

The Dungeons & Da Asians cast and I decided to cancel today's stream. We did so for a number of reasons:

WotCs treatment of BIPOC creators and our stories has been shocking. They've shown that they don't care about our stories - no matter what they say about diversity.

/thread That, in addition to Ben Chong's inexcusable behaviour, indicates that our community needs time to heal. Promoting a stream is not the right thing to do. I care more about my community than producing "content". Their well-being matters more.

WotC's statements about equity in #DnD rings hollow for me for so many reasons. For one, they are still profiting off of Oriental Adventures and other harmful supplements. When you buy this, you show them that you are ok with Asian people being represented by blatant stereotypes. You show consumers that these legacy products are to be consumed. They aren't.

What if someone looks to the optional "Honour" rules found in the 5e DMG or inquires about the "cultures" of Kara-Tur mentioned in the PHB?

Kara-Tur is still being sold and this is a PROBLEM.

I've noticed a lot of new followers on my page, so I thought I'd do a short intro into what I do!

I co-host @aznsrepresent podcast. We do interviews, streams, and produce Dungeons & Da Asians - a 5e actual play! We ditched all of the base classes in favour of new Asian ones! Every Friday at twitch.tv/aznsrep, @DeeEmSteve and I read through the AD&D Oriental Adventures handbook and offer our critical analysis. It's been a fun (and emotionally draining) adventure! All of the VoD from that is available at youtube.com/aznsrepresent

I just introduced my family to the magic of D&D! Highlights from our first session include:

Dad (Cleric) - "Pelor and I got into an argument and we aren't friends anymore. He's holding me back at level 1. I'm not talking to him until he apologizes."

#dungeonsanddragons #thread Dad (Cleric of "Pelor") - "I try to spray Windex on the cursed corpse. It heals everything...even death"

He's basically playing the dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

#thread I just had the most wonderful (and cathartic) conversation with @HTTPaladin about the "Mystic Asia" situation going on in the TTRPG space right now.

Paladin thought I had some sort of beef with them, and it bums me out that it kept us from talking for so long! I will clarify something for Asian creators in the community. If I don't engage with your work through this account or @aznsrepresent, it DOES NOT mean I hold ill will towards you. I want every project in our community to have as much positive exposure as possible.

"Our intent has always been to educate, to enlighten, and to help normalize various peoples to one another so that we may all live in a better world."

Assuming positive intent, their execution was completely wrong. This formal reply is hollow and sets my expectations really low.

https://twitter.com/Jetpack_7/status/1235343281590018050

I find it incredibly hard to believe that they hired a cultural consultant from the beginning. A consultant would never have let this project get to the point of it being "Oriental Adventures 2020".

A "mid-April 2020" relaunch shows they aren't taking feedback seriously.

I need to summon the positive force that is our #TTRPG community. Bennie, an avid #dungeonsanddragons @levelupgamingCA participant of 3 years, has a VERY rare autonomic nervous system disorder called Familial Dysautonomia and needs your help! #thread

gofundme.com/f/bennie-and-m… His mother Monica is a single parent and as a result of the demanding care needed by Bennie, was unable to continue her career as an educator. Bennie has had repeated ongoing health challenges, frequent hospitalizations, and the need for specialized healthcare support.

I think a lot about the #TTRPG industry and how it can have more #inclusive spaces/content. Since we started @aznsrepresent, the question I'm most frequently asked is, "when is it right for me [a white creator] to make a game that has Asian themes?" #dungeonsanddragons #thread My answer is usually a reference to @simonsinek's "golden circle" concept regarding one's sense of purpose (or "why").

Why are you making this game? Why have you decided to use Asian themes?

If in your heart, you believe that you should be making your content. Go ahead.

Read the comments on this reddit post. The user ("OrderOfMagnitude") who objects to the celebration of Shang-Chi's 98% Asian cast is the reason why we started @aznsrepresent. We exist to educate and empower people to stand up to ignorance.
reddit.com/r/movies/comme… "Why is America scrutinized for not portraying the world's ethnicities but in India and China...it doesn't matter? Hollywood isn't an international organization, they're American-made movies for Americans?" - this user has a VERY incorrect understanding of what an "American" is.