Nicholas Orvis
@nsorvis.bsky.social
Dramaturg, director, critic, and scholar working at the intersection of theater and games.
Co-creator @dndramanerds.bsky.social. Opinions my own.
Co-creator @dndramanerds.bsky.social. Opinions my own.
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
Did anyone really think that debanking would stop at erotic artists, or were they just kidding themselves?
![Social media screenshot:
Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand
In a normal world, this should be an immense scandal in Europe.
Le Monde has a long article describing the hellish life of Nicolas Guillou, a French judge at the ICC in The Hague, due to U.S. sanctions punishing him for authorizing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes in Gaza.
Guillou's daily existence has been transformed into a Kafkaesque nightmare. He cannot: open or maintain accounts with Google, Amazon, Apple, or any US company; make hotel reservations (Expedia canceled his booking in France hours after he made it); conduct online commerce, since he can't know if the packaging is American; use any major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex are all American); access normal banking services, even with non-American banks, as banks worldwide close sanctioned accounts; conduct virtually any financial transaction.
He describes it as being "economically banned across most of the planet," including in his own country, France, and where he works, the Netherlands.
That's the real shocking aspect of this: the Americans are:
- punishing a European citizen
- for doing his job in Europe
- applying laws Europe officially supports
- at an institution based in Europe
- that Europe helped create and fund
and Europe is not only doing essentially nothing to protect him, they're actively enforcing America's sanctions against their own citizen - European banks closing his accounts, European companies refusing him service, European institutions standing by while Washington destroys a European judge's life on European soil.
Again, in a normal world, European leaders and citizens should be absolutely outraged about this. But we've so normalized the hollowing out of European sovereignty that the sight of a European citizen being economically executed on European soil for upholding European law is treated, at best, as an unfortunate technical complication in transatlantic
[further text missing]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:jrzyao2holfkgrsfbq2tue27/bafkreiga2xugyfyqaagrd3essidr6sktmwm72xodvy7aatg3yebuvygiyi@jpeg)
November 21, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Did anyone really think that debanking would stop at erotic artists, or were they just kidding themselves?
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
NOW UPDATED: @meganpiont.bsky.social's "How to report ICE" zine includes the ✨new ICE hotline number for NYC✨
For those new to this type of guide: "SALUTE" is an acronym to help us remember what steps to take.
For those new to this type of guide: "SALUTE" is an acronym to help us remember what steps to take.
November 12, 2025 at 8:44 PM
NOW UPDATED: @meganpiont.bsky.social's "How to report ICE" zine includes the ✨new ICE hotline number for NYC✨
For those new to this type of guide: "SALUTE" is an acronym to help us remember what steps to take.
For those new to this type of guide: "SALUTE" is an acronym to help us remember what steps to take.
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
A place of honor and goodness. A bastion of hope. A lighthouse in the long dark. A pillar of the community. YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY, BABY!!!
November 20, 2025 at 7:58 PM
A place of honor and goodness. A bastion of hope. A lighthouse in the long dark. A pillar of the community. YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY, BABY!!!
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
SPREAD THIS FAR AND WIDE
A group of New Yorkers has made an ICE hotline to protect their neighbors from being kidnapped by secret police.
A group of New Yorkers has made an ICE hotline to protect their neighbors from being kidnapped by secret police.
November 19, 2025 at 9:18 PM
SPREAD THIS FAR AND WIDE
A group of New Yorkers has made an ICE hotline to protect their neighbors from being kidnapped by secret police.
A group of New Yorkers has made an ICE hotline to protect their neighbors from being kidnapped by secret police.
Talking with @persephone.blue was an absolute delight - check out our conversation about leftist politics in TTRPGs below!
This week, Percy and Nick discuss the politics of games and the different ways that TTRPGs have engaged with leftist and antifascist movements with a special guest: scholar of analog games @persephone.blue!
listen now on your podcatcher of choice 😎
linktr.ee/dndramanerds
listen now on your podcatcher of choice 😎
linktr.ee/dndramanerds
November 19, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Talking with @persephone.blue was an absolute delight - check out our conversation about leftist politics in TTRPGs below!
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
losing my mind over youtube's suggested reply for this comment
November 17, 2025 at 3:50 PM
losing my mind over youtube's suggested reply for this comment
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
We could solve like half the problems in education with smaller class sizes (like 15 instead of 30 kids crushed in a room). Including that it would be easier to find teachers b/c they wouldn’t get so burnt out.
Every decade, we hear "the kids can't read or write!"
Interventions that don't work are proposed. Those that do work are ignored: reducing class sizes, making kids & families feel safe at school and welcome, becoming a community resource.
When their expensive reform fails, they yell at us again.
Interventions that don't work are proposed. Those that do work are ignored: reducing class sizes, making kids & families feel safe at school and welcome, becoming a community resource.
When their expensive reform fails, they yell at us again.
November 15, 2025 at 1:29 AM
We could solve like half the problems in education with smaller class sizes (like 15 instead of 30 kids crushed in a room). Including that it would be easier to find teachers b/c they wouldn’t get so burnt out.
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
TL;DR: Friends don't let friends say "the first".
November 14, 2025 at 5:48 PM
TL;DR: Friends don't let friends say "the first".
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
Big bundle of games for a good cause!
Bundle is live! Over $450 worth of pdfs for just $25 - including Crystal Heart RPG, Foils of Power (3 dungeon adventures), and Caregiver (single-player)
Please help spread the word - it's for a good cause, Feeding America - a charity that supports food banks
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
Please help spread the word - it's for a good cause, Feeding America - a charity that supports food banks
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
Feeding America [BUNDLE] - Fainting Goat Games | DriveThruRPG
This special bundle contains the following titles:Capers RpgRegular price: $24.992018 BAMFsie Award Winning...
Please note that the revised cover is only available in the PDF. The hardcover and s...
www.drivethrurpg.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Big bundle of games for a good cause!
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
You are infinitely closer to struggling than you ever will be to billionaires
James Van Der Beek Auctioning Off Dawson’s Creek Items Amid Cancer Journey
James Van Der Beek has put several Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues items up for auction as he continues to battle stage 3 colon cancer.
www.eonline.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:09 AM
You are infinitely closer to struggling than you ever will be to billionaires
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
Pretty much all affordability discourse could benefit from just posting this chart.
If you're in the better off America, all the luxury goods you want in excess are for the most part much cheaper. If you're in the poorer America, most of the shit you need to live/grow is more expensive.
If you're in the better off America, all the luxury goods you want in excess are for the most part much cheaper. If you're in the poorer America, most of the shit you need to live/grow is more expensive.
November 10, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Pretty much all affordability discourse could benefit from just posting this chart.
If you're in the better off America, all the luxury goods you want in excess are for the most part much cheaper. If you're in the poorer America, most of the shit you need to live/grow is more expensive.
If you're in the better off America, all the luxury goods you want in excess are for the most part much cheaper. If you're in the poorer America, most of the shit you need to live/grow is more expensive.
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
TYPEWRITTEN.
TYPEWRITTEN PAINTING.
TYPEWRITTEN PAINTING.
Holy shit, just learned about the typewriter art of Montserrat Alberich Escardívol, a Catalan typist. Using an extra wide typewriter and 180 color ribbons, she built up elaborate images from simple characters like 'm' and '.' and ';'. Here is her typewritten painting of the Cathedral of Barcelona.
November 13, 2025 at 3:46 AM
TYPEWRITTEN.
TYPEWRITTEN PAINTING.
TYPEWRITTEN PAINTING.
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
ANYWAY.
You want a tip to make any game handle power imbalances better? Here’s the one weird trick.
Take death off the table.
You want a tip to make any game handle power imbalances better? Here’s the one weird trick.
Take death off the table.
November 13, 2025 at 3:12 AM
ANYWAY.
You want a tip to make any game handle power imbalances better? Here’s the one weird trick.
Take death off the table.
You want a tip to make any game handle power imbalances better? Here’s the one weird trick.
Take death off the table.
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
So much work to deflect the violence of genocidal white supremacy. The question I have is, what "condition" made millions of people follow his plans of genocidal white supremacy and antisemitism? 🙄
What part of his DNA reaches out through online forums making more people believe the same?
What part of his DNA reaches out through online forums making more people believe the same?
Exclusive: Adolf Hitler’s DNA has been sequenced by scientists
It has:
- shown he had a disorder which impacted his sexual development
- debunked rumours about his ancestry
- shown a high likelihood that he had a neurodivergent condition and/or bipolar disorder
www.thetimes.com/article/e728...
It has:
- shown he had a disorder which impacted his sexual development
- debunked rumours about his ancestry
- shown a high likelihood that he had a neurodivergent condition and/or bipolar disorder
www.thetimes.com/article/e728...
Hitler had hidden genetic sexual disorder, DNA analysis reveals
The Nazi dictator had Kallmann syndrome, which hinders normal puberty and the development of sexual organs, according to groundbreaking research
www.thetimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:40 PM
So much work to deflect the violence of genocidal white supremacy. The question I have is, what "condition" made millions of people follow his plans of genocidal white supremacy and antisemitism? 🙄
What part of his DNA reaches out through online forums making more people believe the same?
What part of his DNA reaches out through online forums making more people believe the same?
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
Virginia House seats won by Democrats this century, out of the chamber's 100 seats:
in 2001: 32
in 2003: 34
in 2005: 40
in 2007: 44
in 2009: 39
in 2011: 32
in 2013: 33
in 2015: 34
in 2017: 49
in 2019: 55 (first Dem majority since 1999)
in 2021: 48
in 2023: 51
2025, i.e. this week: 64
in 2001: 32
in 2003: 34
in 2005: 40
in 2007: 44
in 2009: 39
in 2011: 32
in 2013: 33
in 2015: 34
in 2017: 49
in 2019: 55 (first Dem majority since 1999)
in 2021: 48
in 2023: 51
2025, i.e. this week: 64
November 9, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Virginia House seats won by Democrats this century, out of the chamber's 100 seats:
in 2001: 32
in 2003: 34
in 2005: 40
in 2007: 44
in 2009: 39
in 2011: 32
in 2013: 33
in 2015: 34
in 2017: 49
in 2019: 55 (first Dem majority since 1999)
in 2021: 48
in 2023: 51
2025, i.e. this week: 64
in 2001: 32
in 2003: 34
in 2005: 40
in 2007: 44
in 2009: 39
in 2011: 32
in 2013: 33
in 2015: 34
in 2017: 49
in 2019: 55 (first Dem majority since 1999)
in 2021: 48
in 2023: 51
2025, i.e. this week: 64
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
Higher ed debt means a reformulation of the educational project away from its liberatory, transformational potential.
Higher ed debt means lashing all college grads to horrific working conditions that they'll need to "accept" in order to pay off their loans.
Higher ed debt is subjugation.
Higher ed debt means lashing all college grads to horrific working conditions that they'll need to "accept" in order to pay off their loans.
Higher ed debt is subjugation.
November 12, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Higher ed debt means a reformulation of the educational project away from its liberatory, transformational potential.
Higher ed debt means lashing all college grads to horrific working conditions that they'll need to "accept" in order to pay off their loans.
Higher ed debt is subjugation.
Higher ed debt means lashing all college grads to horrific working conditions that they'll need to "accept" in order to pay off their loans.
Higher ed debt is subjugation.
Kinda giving away the game with this title TBH.
Check out our game of @stillfleet.bsky.social's Stillfleet, run by resident sicko @benferber.com for an incredible and intrepid cast!
Check out our game of @stillfleet.bsky.social's Stillfleet, run by resident sicko @benferber.com for an incredible and intrepid cast!
The voidminers return to the Escheresque under orders to neutralize the fearsome Void Elves, but they find that their enemies’ ship is of a nature they never expected - and bears power that they could never have imagined. But access to that power comes at a terrible price…
linktr.ee/dndramanerds
linktr.ee/dndramanerds
November 12, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Kinda giving away the game with this title TBH.
Check out our game of @stillfleet.bsky.social's Stillfleet, run by resident sicko @benferber.com for an incredible and intrepid cast!
Check out our game of @stillfleet.bsky.social's Stillfleet, run by resident sicko @benferber.com for an incredible and intrepid cast!
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
Nice one, Zadie Smith.
November 12, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Nice one, Zadie Smith.
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
The Evansville Press, April 10,1916
May 30, 2025 at 6:31 AM
The Evansville Press, April 10,1916
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
they deported him
José's crew spent a week in August battling the Bear Gulch fire, then a 9,000-acre blaze + largest in 70+ years in WA’s Olympic Peninsula.
Border Patrol showed up to his remote forest location, surrounded the crew + ultimately arrested José + another immigrant firefighter.
"It’s backstabbing.”
Border Patrol showed up to his remote forest location, surrounded the crew + ultimately arrested José + another immigrant firefighter.
"It’s backstabbing.”
November 11, 2025 at 11:30 PM
they deported him
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
Apocalypse World has had a bigger impact on my life than any other roleplaying game. It's just a phenomenal game, designed by phenomenal people. You should pick up a copy of the new edition!
Here We GO! Come along, my dearies!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
Apocalypse World: Burned Over
The 3rd edition of the groundbreaking original.
www.kickstarter.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Apocalypse World has had a bigger impact on my life than any other roleplaying game. It's just a phenomenal game, designed by phenomenal people. You should pick up a copy of the new edition!
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
The problem is that the far right sees the same thing the far left does: dnd IS built on a bedrock of racist fantasy! It is NOT doing enough to address that, if it even can!
The far right is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and Musk keeps posting about "hobbits" because modern scientific racism owes more to fantasy worlds and gaming systems than genetic science, and they see both as effective mediums for right-wing propaganda www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Why Elon Musk Needs Dungeons and Dragons to Be Racist
The fantastical roots of “scientific racism”
www.theatlantic.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:31 PM
The problem is that the far right sees the same thing the far left does: dnd IS built on a bedrock of racist fantasy! It is NOT doing enough to address that, if it even can!
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
Reposted by Nicholas Orvis
Talk of the Table -- Dramaturgy in Actual Play (w/ @byconniechang.bsky.social & @seaplaysrpg.bsky.social )
We dive deep on the use of dramaturgy in actual play: how it supports players, safe artistic storytelling, and long term actual play in @transplanarrpg.bsky.social
pca.st/u2b4x321
We dive deep on the use of dramaturgy in actual play: how it supports players, safe artistic storytelling, and long term actual play in @transplanarrpg.bsky.social
pca.st/u2b4x321
Dramaturgy in Actual Play (w/ Connie Chang & Sea Thomas)
pca.st
November 10, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Talk of the Table -- Dramaturgy in Actual Play (w/ @byconniechang.bsky.social & @seaplaysrpg.bsky.social )
We dive deep on the use of dramaturgy in actual play: how it supports players, safe artistic storytelling, and long term actual play in @transplanarrpg.bsky.social
pca.st/u2b4x321
We dive deep on the use of dramaturgy in actual play: how it supports players, safe artistic storytelling, and long term actual play in @transplanarrpg.bsky.social
pca.st/u2b4x321