Steve Jackson Games are offering partial refunds on The Fantasy Trip Adventures after some gamers expressed concerns that Bill Webb’s Frog God Games was now involved in the project.
Bill Webb has become the focus of heated debate and arguments debates in the RPG community, and Steve Jackson has already had to step in on Kickstarter to ask his community to remain civil.
In 2017 witnessed reported Bill Webb harassing a woman at Paizocon. EN World has a write up and Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens made a statement.
Last year, there were calls of a boycott of GaryCon after organisers made Webb a special guest. He later withdrew.
The Fantasy Trip was Steve Jacksons’ first ever RPG, and it went to Kickstarter in 2018. Later that year, Steve Jackson Games opened the license for the RPG and introduced a marketpace for other writers to contribute projects.
On April Fools’ day, it was announced on The Fantasy Trip Adventures supplement Kickstarter that Steve Jackson Games and Frog God Games would collaborate. The Lost Lands setting would contain adventures and resources so that gamers could use The Fantasy Trip for it.
Two days later, Steve Jackson himself responded to concerns raised by backers. He said;
Aaron – I am sorry to have disappointed you by not responding quickly, but I don’t yet know what this is about, and the only reason I’m posting now is to assure you that I’m reading the comments. I have seen at least four posts alluding to Bill Webb’s “reputation,” but none of them even gave enough specifics to understand, let alone check out. I immediately reached back to one of the posters who I know of old, and he has promised to get me more information.
Yesterday, April 13th, Jackson returned to the community to share the news that his company would continue to work with Frog God Games but that they would offer partial refunds to those who disagreed with the decision. He wrote;
I have read in its entirety the 2017 EN thread that Chris pointed to, and I do understand that a number of posters there are incensed at Bill Webb. To me, that does not justify SJ Games boycotting a whole company. Some very good things are coming out of our work with Frog God – three different projects are underway, and I don’t expect them to be the last. If that makes you wish you had not supported our Adventures campaign, we’ll work with you to refund your pledge, minus the fees already charged by Kickstarter, Stripe, and BackerKit.
This incident may be the first time an RPG publisher has offered refunds in recognition of community concern around the ethics of business partners. This year, many publishers took actions against Zac S in response to credible allegations made against the writer, and Wizards of the Coast stripped his name from D&D, but this blogger isn’t aware of any refunds offered.
On Kickstarter, some gamers have made it clear that they can no longer support or use The Fantasy Trip in any way. One backer, David, wrote;
Look, if you want to attach The Fantasy Trip to this guy that is your call, but it throws me off because I was planning on using The Fantasy Trip to play in public places like local tabletop gaming clubs. It’s a great product for getting more people to take the plunge into RPGs. If you attach it to FGG I can’t do that anymore and I just wasted a lot of money backing a game I can no longer use.
Other gamers, however, believe that Steve Jackson Games have been treated unfairly and harshly. Some have suggested that the public concerns are virtue signalling and that forgiveness for past makes is due.
The decision to offer refunds could not have been an easy one for Steve Jackson Games to make. There are not huge profit margins in the RPG business and every sale counts. While continuing to work in partnership with Frog God Games will disappoint many, Steve Jackson Games may also have nudged towards setting a precedent on refunds.
I have never seen an April Fool’s Joke go this far….
One man’s problems apparently outweigh two companies and all their employees, casting a greater shadow on a single product (TFT) than all the good people who made it and play it. Riiiiiight.
So you’re saying it’s okay to harass women and get away with it as long as it’s for the greater good? And people wonder why there aren’t more girls in the hobby.
No, but I am saying boycotting bill Web for disliking what he did is fine. Extending that to Steve Jackson Games and other authors who did not do harm is excessive. Webb shouldn’t be allowed to attend conventions, and if he does he now gets an escort to keep him in check. My opinion: he should be forced to go to AA, and he should apologize to the woman he harassed as well as his wife (who is a very nice woman) and kids as well for being an ass to this girl in front of them. But I’m really… Read more »
The term is ‘virtue signaling’.
Good spot! Fixed.
I’m sick and tired of all this SJW silliness where they think they can ruin people’s lives and livelihoods over hearsay and innuendo. I’ll be looking into supporting Steve Jackson games for not bowing to the pressure and breaking contract over something someone may or may not have done at some point. Freaking tired of this crap.
Just to be clear, Webb’s behaviour is not disputed.
I’m glad you don’t think people should have their lives ruined.
I would disagree about this being in dispute.
As for Bill Webb… as far as I can tell what happened is BJ Hensley asked Bill Webb for a cigarette, Bill handed her his pack of cigs, but he had left his hotel key in the cellophane, which is something every smoker does I know of. (I myself leave my hotel keys in my cellphone case.) The hotel key being in the cig pack she took as sexual harassment.
It’s important to note that this happened at a convention where Bill was at with his wife and kids.
It’s not in dispute. Here’s Frog God’s mea culpa https://froggodgames.com/frogs/joint-statement-of-bj-hensley-and-frog-god-games/
That “Mea Culpa” doesn’t acknowledge any specific wrongdoing… it’s a ceasefire, nothing more.
This is the second sentence “On the first day of the convention, Bill Webb engaged in several inappropriate and unprofessional interactions with BJ Hensley. ”
By any definition; that’s an acknowledgement.
What are the exact details? They seem sketchy to say the least…
Precisely, that after investigating, Steve Jackson Games felt they should continue to work with Frog God Games but offer refunds on this particular project for those who objected.
Want to know why these details are not mentioned in the article? Because it is sketchy! But of course, who are true journalists anymore who would relay all the important information like that and allow people to make up their own minds?
Yes, it is. He has been accused of four things: (1) acting creepy (which he admits to), (2) roofying a drink (he denies), (3) becoming violent (he denies), and (4) propositioning the woman (he denies).
Do you have first-party links? We’re trying to stick to what the people involved say. It’s an old story to dig up, but Steve Jackson Games have issued partial refunds and Webb did admit he was out of line. I don’t believe there have been first-statements with many more details. I note also that all parties seem to want to put this behind them.
It’s not the first time he had harassed women or generally terrify people at conventions. But since he’s a straight white cisguy, obviously he gets a pass for anything, because it’s an exclusive boys’ club.
And so we should all throw a fit and not let companies do business with each other? People these days are crazy. And if anything, being a heterosexual, light-skinned man who identifies as a man is a liability these days.