Bemused
As the subject line says, I am bemused. I am not angry, although that would be a reasonable response. I am not laughing, though that could also be a reasonable response.
Why, you ask?
Because I just saw someone on facebook claim complete credit for writing a module that I, in fact, wrote.
Nowhere in the module description does the person give me credit for anything. Anything. I'm amazed at this. I was going to post a rant in the person's comments section, but what would that garner me? I could call them on it, by why? If their ego is so fragile and wrapped up in this, I can't see them admitting their mistake or even cottoning to it.
To be clear, this person is a prolific writer. He wrote the bulk of the first campaign, and a good part of the second campaign. He's won awards for his mystery and horror modules.
But this was the module I wrote. Me. From start to finish. Yes, it was inspired by a horror movie, and a card from the CCG, but I am the one that put pen to paper and worked hours on it. I dreamed up the creepy end. I invented the contests/challenges. I put in the pickpocket to test the players compassion. Not this other person.
The only contribution that this other person actually gave this module was to suggest setting it during a festival (as an excuse as to why the PC's might be there) and to add in his own NPC (so that he could tie it into a larger plot, instead of having it as a stand alone).
I was fine with those changes. I still am.
But I was the writer. I came up with the idea that these undead were revenants. That they were not tainted by the Shadowlands (which is why the anti-taint spell Jade Strike does not affect them). That they were water logged corpses, so fire would do much less damage to them.
And I just watched this person claim credit for those things as well.
Let me be blunt for a moment. I don't turn in half done projects. When I write a module for a campaign, I write it start to finish. It might need some polish. Or an additional NPC. But I come up with the idea, the concept, the execution, the hooks, the encounters, and the resolution. I do the writing. I don't give someone the outline, other than to possibly pitch the idea, and then walk away from it. That isn't my way.
The reason that this is really bemusing to me: He looked at an earlier module my wife and I submitted to him (based on the movie Ghost and the Darkness ((based on the book Lions of Tsavo))), and told us that it would be better as a classic module (the difference is that in a classic module, you play pre-generated NPC's, as opposed to a regular module, where you create your own characters to play through it).
We offered to re-write it as a Classic. He demurred and left it to flounder in limbo. Then, in his recent writings, he claimed that he told us that he rejected the module, but took a bunch of ideas from it that were plot points for several other modules.
He also took my name off of several of my wife's modules (we co-wrote them) when he put them out for campaign play. Recently, when he discussed the 'ideas behind the module', as he has been doing, he credited her for the module, but not me.
He has no trouble crediting his wife for the help she gives him in writing the modules or ideas she came up with that he used, but he cannot extend this same courtesy to me.
Once, I would have laughed off as a random thing. Twice, makes me a tilt my head and consider things. Three times and I just have to wonder.
Is my ego wounded? Honestly? Yes. A bit. I don't have the accolades that this person has. I don't have the prolific archive of things written he does. I am not full time staff on a major rpg company. I don't understand why he did this.
I am a freelance writer (or as I call it a Mercenary Wordsmith). Not giving me recognition does damage me. I wasn't paid for any module I wrote or collaborated with for that campaign. The name on the author line was payment (and when it was taken off of my wife's modules, I was a little miffed back then). It was to get me recognition/awareness. Now not mentioning my name and taking full credit for the module is insulting. It was my work.
Yes, this is the same person that evidently liked my writing enough to convince AEG to hire me to write the Zakyo Toshi chapter of Stronghold of the Empire for Legend of the Five Rings. It was a great experience. I learned a lot from doing that project. It was also the last project I did for them. There were a LOT of issues behind the scenes between the project being finished to when it went to print. And I can admit that I threw some gasoline on that fire when I thought I had been treated unfairly (and there was bullshit being flung about).
I have never been treated like this in any of my dealing with other campaigns/companies that I have worked for. I have my gripes about what Fantasy Flight did to Dragonstar, but that was with the company, not the campaign. I really don't have a problem with how Thenodrin (sp?) treated me when I wrote for them for Fellowship of the White Star.
I just don't know whether to be hurt, sad, angry, or annoyed at this. I called this person friend. I am not sure I can do that any more.
Why, you ask?
Because I just saw someone on facebook claim complete credit for writing a module that I, in fact, wrote.
Nowhere in the module description does the person give me credit for anything. Anything. I'm amazed at this. I was going to post a rant in the person's comments section, but what would that garner me? I could call them on it, by why? If their ego is so fragile and wrapped up in this, I can't see them admitting their mistake or even cottoning to it.
To be clear, this person is a prolific writer. He wrote the bulk of the first campaign, and a good part of the second campaign. He's won awards for his mystery and horror modules.
But this was the module I wrote. Me. From start to finish. Yes, it was inspired by a horror movie, and a card from the CCG, but I am the one that put pen to paper and worked hours on it. I dreamed up the creepy end. I invented the contests/challenges. I put in the pickpocket to test the players compassion. Not this other person.
The only contribution that this other person actually gave this module was to suggest setting it during a festival (as an excuse as to why the PC's might be there) and to add in his own NPC (so that he could tie it into a larger plot, instead of having it as a stand alone).
I was fine with those changes. I still am.
But I was the writer. I came up with the idea that these undead were revenants. That they were not tainted by the Shadowlands (which is why the anti-taint spell Jade Strike does not affect them). That they were water logged corpses, so fire would do much less damage to them.
And I just watched this person claim credit for those things as well.
Let me be blunt for a moment. I don't turn in half done projects. When I write a module for a campaign, I write it start to finish. It might need some polish. Or an additional NPC. But I come up with the idea, the concept, the execution, the hooks, the encounters, and the resolution. I do the writing. I don't give someone the outline, other than to possibly pitch the idea, and then walk away from it. That isn't my way.
The reason that this is really bemusing to me: He looked at an earlier module my wife and I submitted to him (based on the movie Ghost and the Darkness ((based on the book Lions of Tsavo))), and told us that it would be better as a classic module (the difference is that in a classic module, you play pre-generated NPC's, as opposed to a regular module, where you create your own characters to play through it).
We offered to re-write it as a Classic. He demurred and left it to flounder in limbo. Then, in his recent writings, he claimed that he told us that he rejected the module, but took a bunch of ideas from it that were plot points for several other modules.
He also took my name off of several of my wife's modules (we co-wrote them) when he put them out for campaign play. Recently, when he discussed the 'ideas behind the module', as he has been doing, he credited her for the module, but not me.
He has no trouble crediting his wife for the help she gives him in writing the modules or ideas she came up with that he used, but he cannot extend this same courtesy to me.
Once, I would have laughed off as a random thing. Twice, makes me a tilt my head and consider things. Three times and I just have to wonder.
Is my ego wounded? Honestly? Yes. A bit. I don't have the accolades that this person has. I don't have the prolific archive of things written he does. I am not full time staff on a major rpg company. I don't understand why he did this.
I am a freelance writer (or as I call it a Mercenary Wordsmith). Not giving me recognition does damage me. I wasn't paid for any module I wrote or collaborated with for that campaign. The name on the author line was payment (and when it was taken off of my wife's modules, I was a little miffed back then). It was to get me recognition/awareness. Now not mentioning my name and taking full credit for the module is insulting. It was my work.
Yes, this is the same person that evidently liked my writing enough to convince AEG to hire me to write the Zakyo Toshi chapter of Stronghold of the Empire for Legend of the Five Rings. It was a great experience. I learned a lot from doing that project. It was also the last project I did for them. There were a LOT of issues behind the scenes between the project being finished to when it went to print. And I can admit that I threw some gasoline on that fire when I thought I had been treated unfairly (and there was bullshit being flung about).
I have never been treated like this in any of my dealing with other campaigns/companies that I have worked for. I have my gripes about what Fantasy Flight did to Dragonstar, but that was with the company, not the campaign. I really don't have a problem with how Thenodrin (sp?) treated me when I wrote for them for Fellowship of the White Star.
I just don't know whether to be hurt, sad, angry, or annoyed at this. I called this person friend. I am not sure I can do that any more.