Accusations Of Bullying And Blacklisting Surround Dungeons & Dragons Creator Couple
CW: Allegations of manipulation, emotional abuse
TTRPG content creators Satine Phoenix (former Community Manager for D&D) and her husband, Jamison Stone, were at the center of controversy this week when new accusations arose on twitter about their treatment of contracted freelancers, co-workers, and their fellow members of the TTRPG community. The two have worked with some of the biggest stars in the hobby including
Critical Role’s Matt Mercer, Krystina Arielle, and Luke Gygax.
It began when tattoo artist and D&D fan
Chad Rowe started a thread on June 8th detailing his professional encounters with the husband and wife duo, particularly Stone. He had been employed to work on the couple, including three days of work on Stone. After mentioning his previous work involved contracts (Rowe famously has done work on Post Malone), Stone became intrigued by the idea and wanted to set one up after the fact. That began a long back-and-forth where Rowe fielded calls and questions from both Phoenix and Stone, and in his words felt “incredibly insulted and boardline abused” by the two allegedly using their apparent fame to try to coerce him to follow their instructions.
It was never my intention to release this experience because I did not want to make my footprint in this industry this way. But in light of two dangerous people threatening and slandering some of my closest friends . It’s time I share my experience… a thread …
pic.twitter.com/DvOhp8yBnh
— chadrowetattoos (@nerdytattooer)
June 8, 2022
News travels fast on TTRPG twitter, especially with creators as prolific and connected as these. Soon others were sharing stories. Writer and game designer Jessica Marcrum shared screenshots from interactions surrounding her work on
Sirens: Battle of the Bards, a 5e campaign and setting book which raised almost $300,000 earlier this year. There, Jamison seemed to act cagey around questions of freelancer payment when asked by Marcrum and other writers, later placing them on a “
blacklist” and threatening their livelihoods over “unprofessional behavior.”
Chad's not the only one. Jamison gaslit and bullied us on Sirens: Battle of the Bards for asking to be paid after we were told to invoice by one of the other project leads (Rick Heinz). We eventually were paid…most of us less than we initially invoiced for, but it's done.
https://t.co/pIJOs6nkQr pic.twitter.com/57DqA9Y3XX
— angrynerdgirl (@Miss_Jess03)
June 8, 2022
This was backed up by the project’s writing lead Pat Edwards, as well as writer
Crystal M. Another writer shared a similar experience working on Stone’s
Red Opera campaign.
I believe every word of Chad’s post. This is nearly identical to my own experience. It was the most awful working environment. Jamison Stone repeatedly threatened & berated myself and other freelancers. I had never felt more taken advantage of in my life.
https://t.co/O8T0OnQq1A
— A Scribe Called Pat (@ThePatEdwards)
June 8, 2022
Freelancer Ray Jenkins went further, declaring his experience on the project “a nightmare” that served as an “ego trip” for the creators who made him feel like he should be “THANKFUL for the opportunity to work with a ‘D&D Luminary’ and Apotheosis.”
I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not to comment on this. But, ‘silence aids the aggressor’ is ringing in my mind. I’m nobody in the TTRPG space. I have a small stream and put out some STV books a few people liked. /1
https://t.co/503vGjyw1O
— Ray Jenkins (@qualthis)
June 8, 2022
Even Elisa Teague a.k.a GeekyPinup, who has worked with Satine on multiple projects, stated that she is as yet unpaid for her work on Sirens.
I’m not dodging anything. I support
@nerdytattooer & the creatives who have come forward. I’ve also not been paid for writing on Sirens, I backed out of Satine’s Quest & had my own personal attacks by him that I tried to put behind me until all this came to my attention yesterday
— Elisa Teague (@GeekyPinup)
June 9, 2022
A Gaming Power Couple?
Satine Phoenix has been a staple of the D&D scene for over a decade thanks to her work on Geek & Sundry, The Sirens actual play show, and her work with Wizards of the Coast as the Community Manager for
D&D and as an on-stream personality. Jamison Stone is a fitness guru and game designer who married Phoenix at this year’s GaryCon. Both live in Colorado. Satine is the main force behind Gilding Light, a storytelling studio based in LA, while both run Stone’s
Apotheosis Studios, which published
Sirens: Battle of the Bards, The Red Opera, and other publications. Phoenix and Stone were
married at this year’s GaryCon in a streamed ceremony featuring other TTRPG streaming creators and officiated by Luke Gygax, son of D&D creator Gary Gygax.
The two also started a fitness brand StonePhoenix as well as
Satine’s Quest, a sort of combination luxury vacation and game convention where groups of
Dungeons & Dragons fans can play with famous DM’s like Phoenix, Stone, Eberron creator Keith Baker and Jason Charles Miller of The Sirens.
One of the DM’s on a recent Satine’s Quest Cruise, Jason Azevedo of Realmsmith, posted his own reply to Chad Rowe’s thread. In his statement, he mentioned attempts at grifting, abuse of employees, and gaslighting of organizers and guests up to and including Phoenix herself (an allegation against Stone also made by Rowe). One of the organizers of D3atSea (a similar concept to Satine’s Quest where you play D&D on a boat)
accused the couple of trying to oust him from events and shut down D3 to eliminate the competition.
Thank you
@nerdytattooer for coming forward. This behavior has to end and has no place in our industry.
https://t.co/TeBlIf05fn pic.twitter.com/50buwUUBnL
— RealmSmith Origins (@realmsmithtv)
June 9, 2022
More stories began to come out of Phoenix and Stone’s actions and demeanor at conventions and within the space, of a sense of entitlement and celebrity that was covered by an outwardly loving and positive persona. They’ve also been connected to other problematic creators in the scene like Zak Sabbath, who Phoenix
disavowed in the wake of his own allegations.
In one detailed thread, two content creators went through their time working the couple as on-air talent at PAX West. They describe a long list of demands by the couple (including refusal to wear any shirt that wasn’t black and sleeveless), allegations of unprofessional behavior, manipulative behavior, and mistreatment that allegedly led to vendors offering the creators (who were paying Stone and Phoenix for their time) swag and snacks out of the belief that they were the more famous couple’s beleaguered assistants.
The first I saw of this was when
@kmdemat called me earlier today to tell me. We both read through it, and it rings true to us based on our own experiences with Satine Phoenix & Jamison Stone. This is our (long) story.
Throughout, K=Katie and T=Me.
https://t.co/gQicSAVeJQ
— Tristan (@TheTriscuit)
June 10, 2022
Fallout
Satine herself has made no comment, but Jamison put out a
statement on his Facebook wherein he expressed apologies to Rowe and his wife Satine. He stated that his actions stem from “Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” and that he has been working with a therapist. It makes no mention of the
accusations being leveled by freelancers.
So far, four of the ten events to be hosted at this weekend’s Origins Game Fair by Stone, Phoenix, or both have been canceled: Inclusivity in TTRPGs, Indie TTRPG Publishing & Kickstarter, and both sessions of the Tentacles in the Deep game. Stone has also been removed from the convention’s Special Guest list. Ashley Benson, Marketing, Social Media Guru, Executive Assistant at Apotheosis Studios,
announced her resignation from the company as well.
The Fandomentals has reached out to Apotheosis and Gilding Light, as well as Satine Phoenix, for comment but have not had a response yet.
UPDATE
The Red Opera co-creator Pat Edwards has come forward with a detailed account of his experience working with Stone on the project, including allegations of threatening language and the holding hostage of owed royalties by Apotheosis.
#TTRPG Experiences I had in co-creating The Red Opera, focusing on how the creatives were mistreated & under-credited:
Did y’all know The Red Opera is an adaption? There’s this great band called DiAmorte, fronted by Drake Meffesta. The Red Opera is an album & stage show… 1/
— A Scribe Called Pat (@ThePatEdwards)
June 10, 2022
UPDATE
On Friday night, there were mass shakeups at both Apotheosis Studios and Phoenix’s Gilding Light collaborative studio. At Apotheosis, Jamison Stone has
resigned from his position as CEO as of last night, with the studio’s Marketing, Social Media Guru, and Executive Assistant Ashley Benson also resigning.
I didn't think I'd need to make a post, but as an fyi: I quit Apotheosis Studios yesterday morning.
I am seeing my professional obligations for Origins to their end.
And then a long rest.
— Bashley Origins Game Fair (@MitigatedText)
June 9, 2022
Gilding Light, Satine’s storytelling collaborative network in LA, has also had multiple people leave the group (these positions were unpaid). These include the
head moderator and Community Manager of the GL Discord, Producers
DC Lasair and and
Greyghostgirl, and the group’s social media manager Kurt Venetis.
It is with a heavy and confused heart, that I announce I am leaving Gilding Light and no longer the Social Media Manager for it. So much has happened so much I didn’t know was happening. I can’t in good conscious continue to support it and it’s owners.
— KuVenet the Horrible Alchemist(He/Him) (@KurtVenetis)
June 11, 2022
Talent on the group’s affiliated shows expressed their disappointment, with Action Pact DM Tony Bork
shopping his show to other channels and Chrystal Fier (who played on Inspectres with DC and Lori) leaving as well.
I will no longer be streaming on or associated with Gildinglight, Satine Phoenix, or Apotheosis Studios.
https://t.co/WB3tHXV8iq
— Crystal Fier but storm season (@Crystal_Fier)
June 11, 2022
We’ve also gotten new allegations from a few different sources.
Islands of Sina Una co-director and designer HTTPaladin alleges in a tweet that his work on a stream to promote a Kickstarter by Stone and Phoenix ended up unpaid.
There were three or four streams done entirely so that they would promote that Kickstarter campaign. After checking in with another player and the DM: Yeah, we got given the same treatment.
https://t.co/r2GSkUo9kD
— HTTPaladin #BLM #StopAsianHate (@HTTPaladin)
June 10, 2022
Voice Actress and game designer Liisa Lee came forward as well, alleging that during her time working with Phoenix and a previous partner Ruty Rutenberg she was used for free labor, robbed of credit, and allegedly defamed by Phoenix in retaliation to her refusal to go along with it.
Fall 2016 Ruty pinged me on Twitter. Asked me to be on the show, we started talking gaming, writing & he asked me to meet up about writing with him, moding & being a guest on Maze Arcana.⁰
First meeting Dec. 9th 2016, at the Pikey, /10
— Liisa Lee (@Liisabelle)
June 11, 2022
Frequent collaborator Keith Baker also spoke up in support of individuals coming forward with allegations.
These stories are heartbreaking. TTRPGs are about collaboration. They allow us to create safe spaces and build the worlds we want to see. But it begins with the creators and gamemasters, and we need to be better than this.
https://t.co/odIPUeK9dQ
— Keith Baker (@HellcowKeith)
June 10, 2022
As this is a developing story, this article will be updated as new details come to light.
Images via respective owners.
Thanks to
Robert Reeve for his help in sourcing for this article.
