Christian RPGs

[Bohemian]

I see where your coming from, but this might clarify magic. No D&D game I've played ever takes place in this world, it's in some other world with different phisical laws where aeirial servants, gelatinous cubes, and wizards frolic and play. Since it has different phyisical laws, the time space continum allows mages to bind and mold nature's energies into spells. The same way we create friction between our feet and the carpet in order to shock someone. If you really are bothered by the idea of your character using magic, no matter how fake it is, then try GURPS(generic universal role playing system). You can roleplay anyway you want from World War 2(no magic) to Wild West(no magic) to SPAAAAACE(psionic not magic stuff). I'm just getting the 3rd edition, and it might even surpass D&D. Who knows...
-Bohemian

 

[ThePhoenix]

I see where your coming from, but this might clarify magic. No D&D game I've played ever takes place in this world, it's in some other world with different phisical laws where aeirial servants, gelatinous cubes, and wizards frolic and play. Since it has different phyisical laws, the time space continum allows mages to bind and mold nature's energies into spells. The same way we create friction between our feet and the carpet in order to shock someone. If you really are bothered by the idea of your character using magic, no matter how fake it is, then try GURPS(generic universal role playing system). You can roleplay anyway you want from World War 2(no magic) to Wild West(no magic) to SPAAAAACE(psionic not magic stuff). I'm just getting the 3rd edition, and it might even surpass D&D. Who knows...
-Bohemian

D20 Modern?

 

[{CRAKC}_Kenjisan]

the whole point of gaming is killing stuff. Anyway, its not real

 

[Bohemian]

I don't really know much about the D20 stuff, except it resembels D&D system...

 

[Kelly]

The 'new' D&D utilizes the d20 system, which can be incorporated into any level of tech/fantasy roleplaying. WOTC produced a second ruleset for modern tech level gaming called 'd20 modern'. If you played 3rd edition D&D you've played d20.

 

[Bohemian]

I know! I just meant to say I didn't know much about D20 other than actual D&D. I've wanted to try out Wheel of Time, cuz I'm a fan of the books.

 

[Night]

I've played a homemade version of D&D with my older brother ten times or so, during my years of six through ten. I recently played GURPS fantasy, but haven't played it in a while. I would not play a character that wasn't a pacifist, which was really disadvantageous, as one battle took more than half of the game time. And it so happened that the creatures we were up against either lizardmen or orcs, creatures that were evil, though with a soul and a chance for redemption. Well, the reason I was a pacifist in the first place was a protest to violence (with the hopes the other side would see my efforts and change their ways). Yeah right. If I stood in the middle of the battlefield with my arms held high, a living sacrifice, an orc would kill me without a second thought of my motives for doing so. The problem I find here is that in nearly all Fantasy RPG's, evil and good are more clearly defined than in the real world. A real person would have realized the self-sacrifice of a pacifist, and whether they chose to live a life a good or evil would have been entirely up to them, and not up to the definition of a race (in this case orc) as "you're a brutal sadist, 999/1000ths of the time you'll stay that way". If you're a nerd like me who takes everything seriously and has a problem killing make believe creatures, then the clear definition of good and evil would trouble you. As for you guys who just play the game for fun and don't take the games that seriously, go ahead and kill make believe orcs, since that might be the best thing to do in a fantasy world. And last, I'm going to start GMing a fantasy tabletop game, and I really need some help because I have never done it and I've tried on and off unsuccessfully for months to create a world and system from scratch. I'm thinking at first, we'll just freeform roleplay: the game will be more spiritual than the average game; God does not abide by a set of rules. If I do find a rule system that fits the game, or manage to create one after twenty years, I'll only use it for the physical, earth-bound aspects of the game. I take the game seriously because I was wondering what it would look like if it was built on Christ from the bottom up rather than on D&D philosophy. The site that sparked this in me is www.jonathonscorner.com, under The Minstrel's Song. There are also some very interesting writings, so feel free to check it out.

 

[Kelly]

Good and Evil in D&D are not just attitudes or moral choices for most non-player characters and creatures. Good, Evil, Law and Chaos are cosmological and part of their very essense. You will be hard pressed to find an orc who will see your pleas for peace and drop his weapons - he may single you out as an target because he despises your goodness, as a matter of fact - and that you are an easier target than the others.

Good and evil are even descriptors in certain spells - meaning that if you are of good alignment and cast an spell with evil in the descriptor, you may suffer an alignment change or other penalty if you do it too often - or you may lose your spells if your a cleric!

It is quite black and white. Player characters, of course, have more decisions to make and move around in their interpretation of alignment much more freely than most others. Some DMs are sticklers for alignment and others aren't. I tend to be if the character's class has certain convictions or is very focused on a certain alignment.

We have a barabarian in our group who is Chaotic Good, meaning that he believes in being good to most everyone, opposing evil and he shys away from laws and regulations that govern personal freedoms. The rest of the party had captured some bad guys, who had willingly surrendered. A couple of the characters wanted to run them through and be done with it. He opposed this to the point where he threatened one of the PCs. He released the prisoners and told them to get back to their homelands and never return. They thanked him and fled.

He played the alignment very well. He had defeated them in combat, but didn't need to kill them, halting when they surrendered. When others wanted to execute them, he stood up for their rights as prisoners, defeated. He felt the humiliation of capture was enough.

 

[faiththatbreathes]

magic in roleplaying games seems like just another way to kill a monster. rarely do people actually join the occult because their mage cast ice wall on a level 8 orc. i wish someone would create a christian role-playing game (please, pleeeease no armor of God - that one's a little old by now). the closest i've seen is engel (german rpg, you play an angel) at http://engel-net.com . unfortunately, i can't find where you actually play the game but it's an interesting scenario, and whatever seeming discrepancies there are between the Bible's account and engel's version of angels is explained by the storyline (found in one of their books)

the funny thing is that most of the websites making blatant, ridiculous claims against rpgs like D&D tend to also accuse such things as Promise Keepers and the NIV translation. or, for that matter, rock music. wow, am i tired of that one.

 

[Kelly]

unfortunately, i can't find where you actually play the game

It's a pen and paper game. You have to get the books and a group of ppl together!

 

[Damien Nightbane]

Therefore, it's rare to find any Red Dragons who are good (if any exist at all).

In the Forgotten Realms, during the fall of the Elven city of Myth Drannor, there was a LG Red Dragon named Garnet. (P.S. Greyhawk sucks. )

 

[Kelly]

(P.S. Greyhawk sucks. )

If you like superpowered epic NPCs who have already done everything there is to do, I guess FR is great.

Make mine Greyhawk everytime.

 

[Damien Nightbane]

Have it your way. Just don't complain that the last product that has been Greyhawk exclusive in the past few years is the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil.

 

[Kelly]

All D&D core products are Greyhawk.

 

[Damien Nightbane]

Yes, but only because they use the Greyhawk deities as an example. Core products don't count because they don't have the Greyhawk logo.

 

[Kelly]

Shrug

Either way, it's not that important.

 

[Mistblood]

Actually, my old church youth group leader DID create a Christian-based roleplay game with several of his friends when he was in high school. It isn't a Biblically-rooted game in itself, but it actually was created with the intent of incorporating Christian values into a game. It's called "Warriors of Virtue" (Created BEFORE the movie with kung-fu kangaroos), and it is EXCELLENT!!!
I'll try to post their website up when I can; They've also got a great section on a biblical defense of roleplaying.

 

[EPIC]

i wish someone would create a Christian role-playing game.

I've been working for several months on a setting for D&D through which I will lead a Bible study.

It uses the d20 system, all the usual D&D components (and some Arcana Unearthed components). The setting is based in a bronze-age tech level, with the feel and struggle of the Old Testament. It is a great setting to teach through, where idols come alive and the Lord protects his flock. Where the prophesy of the Christ is nearing and the epic stories of the Bible are part of the world's history. It's made to teach both Old and New Testament, though the setting leans more towards the Old with allusions to the New.

If anyone here is interested, I'm going to make it a free publication. It weighs in currently (in it's rough draft phase) at just under 100 pages. Let me know if you are interested in some play-testing and sampling and I'll send it on. My goal is to have it finished and available by the end of April.

My use for this setting is to introduce a couple of gamer friends of mine to the Bible in a way that they would respond to naturally. Both are seeking something, and I felt there should be a medium for gamers to learn the Bible without having to resort to some of the other Christian RPG's out there (not that there's anything wrong with them, just that most gamers find them hokey). If such a devise can be used to turn people to God, I wouldn't worry about playing a fake spellcaster. It's a matter of priority.

If any of you good folks live in the Dallas area, I'd love to meet up for a game sometime, just drop me a line and we'll study the Bible and roll some bones.

Great discussion! I love this forum.

Epic.

 

[Netto]

We should start our own online Christian RPG..
anyone wanna join?

 

[CJ.23]

We should start our own online Christian RPG..
anyone wanna join?

There is on on this very forum.

Anyway, I am able to proubly present the finest empirical investigation of the links between MAGIC and D&D ever offered. You will find the shocking revelations here...

http://www.theescapist.com/random011102.htm

I hope this leads some of you to a better understanding of the forces you are playing with, especailly Kelly... In fact Kelly, i insist for your own good you read this!

(The whole site is superb btw!)

cj x