Dungeons and Dragons games...

[ShaunJ]

I know I'm a new guy around here but I hope I can add in my 2cents.

Why not start a Christian online AD&D game.

I'm talking old school pen and paper style. It would be amazing fun and we could gather people from the boards.

I played D&D pen and paper for years

 

[SongOfTheLamb]

How do you play pen and paper style?

 

[Megachihuahua]

*southern accent*
D&D is Eviiiiiiiilllllllll... Eviiiiiiiiillllllll...
I bought that expensive book, and no one would play with me...
So I dressed up like an elf, took the book to school and now everyone likes me. Actually, the plan would have backfired if I wasn't already very popular...
like wearing a medical mask during the SARS thing, and saying I felt bad after my trip to toronto...

 

[ehoelker]

How do you play pen and paper style?

You know we used to play those games without console. All you needed was some dice, pencils, paper, maybe a source guide or twelve and some freinds and you had an entire summers worth of entertainment.

If you have ever eaten a can of baked beans at 2AM because you forgot to eat lunch and dinner and you forgot to get groceries again, you know what pen and paper means.

 

[Kelly]

How do you play pen and paper style?

The original form of D&D. A Dungeon Master (the guy that knows the plot of the story and has mapped out the dungeon and it's inhabitance, etc) guides the players (each controlling a character) through an adventure. The character's abilities, powers, equipment, etc. are all found on the character sheet (paper), you consult it and roll the appropriate dice when required.

The players roleplay or 'act' in character as much as they feel comfortable in doing and use the dice to determine the outcome of your actions (attack, skill use, avoiding damage, etc). The DM portrays all the other people (friendly and not) that the characters might meet.

All that's required is the Players Handbook (try Amazon.com), a set of polyhedral dice (try chessex), pencils, paper and some sort of miniature or counter to represent your character. The DM will most likely require a Dungeon Master's Guide and perhaps the Monster Manual. There are TONS of other books out there but those 3 books are considered the "Core" books. i.e. all you really need to play.

Sessions last from 3 to 12 hours depending on your desire and availability to play.

 

[PaladinValer]

Or until everyone falls asleep

 

[Dust and Ashes]

You know we used to play those games without console. All you needed was some dice, pencils, paper, maybe a source guide or twelve and some freinds and you had an entire summers worth of entertainment.

If you have ever eaten a can of baked beans at 2AM because you forgot to eat lunch and dinner and you forgot to get groceries again, you know what pen and paper means.

You forgot to buy groceries again? Dude, make a saving throw...

 

[Dracil]

Dracil, did I hit a hot spot? Did you ever stop to think that maybe you and I have different experiences in gaming....perhaps from gaming with different crowds? Calm down. No one here is saying that you or gaming are evil. Get grip, chica.

No, but you did attack a group of people associated with a benign activity. Thus giving out harmfully false warnings and impressions to those who do not know better about gaming.

Basically, your warning is about as useful and helpful as the warning "be careful about getting a job, sometimes the crowd that comes with that can hurt your walk with Christ."

Granted, on a theoretical level, that *is* true. What I am annoyed about however, is the hypocritical stance of only saying the warning applies to one but not the other.

 

[KarateCowboy]

No, but you did attack a group of people associated with a benign activity.

When?

Basically, your warning is about as useful and helpful as the warning "be careful about getting a job, sometimes the crowd that comes with that can hurt your walk with Christ.

No, it's not. Pen & paper gaming happens to be a haven a haven for wiccans and pagans, usually because of the allure of magic and spells and such. Furthermore, you're talking about two totally different environments work vs. play.

What I am annoyed about however, is the hypocritical stance of only saying the warning applies to one but not the other.

I'm not even going to dignify this with a response. Oh wait, I just did. Dang.
By the way--praise Jesus.

 

[Dracil]

When? Your very first post in the thread, and in fact, your most recent post too.

You've just showed your prejudice and hypocrisy again. Allure to wiccans and pagans because of magic and spells and such? That's pure baloney. Lots of non-wiccans and pagans like fantasy. The magic and spells you talk about are not even real, so there's no reason why wiccans and pagans would be more attracted to it.

Hypocrisy I see, and hypocrisy I call.

 

[ShaunJ]

When?
No, it's not. Pen & paper gaming happens to be a haven a haven for wiccans and pagans, usually because of the allure of magic and spells and such. Furthermore, you're talking about two totally different environments work vs. play.
QUOTE]

I'm a wiccan??!?!

 

[stonetoflesh]

I started RPing as a kid in 1984 with purple-box Basic D&D (with the Erol Otus cover), Star Frontiers and Gamma World. "Moved up" to AD&D 1st ed a couple years later, and the original DMG and PHB designs (with the efreet and the demon statue on the covers) sent my parents into conniptions!
1st ed. AD&D was the game of choice all the way through college with some other bits mixed in here and there; alas, I haven't had a regular group for a couple years now-- some one-shots here and there have been little scattered oases in the desert...

You know we used to play those games without console. All you needed was some dice, pencils, paper, maybe a source guide or twelve and some freinds and you had an entire summers worth of entertainment.

Yep, imagine that-- roleplaying games that aren't PBEM, IRC, PC or platform based... After RPing in these mediums (and enjoying them for the most part), I can still say that pen & paper is the greatest.

Pen & paper gaming happens to be a haven a haven for wiccans and pagans, usually because of the allure of magic and spells and such.

Um... I have yet to meet a single person of any religion who roleplays because of this "allure". Maybe I'm just sheltered or something, I don't know... On a similar note though:

I haven't met a single person in my years of gaming who I would consider maladjusted or seriously warped as a result of playing RPGs; likewise, I haven't met a single person who thought they could cast spells for real or that RPGs enabled anything like that.

Why not start a Christian online AD&D game.

I'm talking old school pen and paper style. It would be amazing fun and we could gather people from the boards.

That would be killer, I'm so all over it... as long as it's not 3rd edition! Maybe we could get a little corner of the RPG section taped off for "old school" gaming...

Lady Firehawk mentioned the CGG and I have to agree with her-- it's a terrific resource for Christian-focused RP. IIRC, their online zine is called "The Way, The Truth, and the Dice"; they also have a pretty good listserv that covers a lot of different topics...

 

[stonetoflesh]

I play a little D&D. The games aren't inherently bad, but the crowd that comes with them can sometimes hurt your walk with Christ. Pagans, etc.. Just stay in the Word!

You're right in suggesting that we stay in the Word as gamers; however, that advice should be applied to any hobby or pastime. I can't think of any hobbies offhand that are exclusively Christian (I don't consider bible study a "hobby"); even if we were into model trains or rocketry or whatever there would be other enthusiasts who weren't Christian. If we allow our hobby to become an obsession-- if, as another poster suggests, we turn our hobbies into idols-- that's when the real problems start. As long as our priorities are clearly defined (with God as our #1 focus) I don't see why playing D&D or any other RPGs would be harmful, regardless of the medium (tabletop, PC, IRC, etc.). RPGs are only as "good" or "evil" as the players make them; as Christian gamers, there's a lot of potential for witness here... Staying in the Word will not only help us keep our focus on God in the real world, but also help us to keep a Christian focus on our game-playing behavior.

 

[Bohemian]

Hi everyone. I play Dungeons and Dragons games. Yes, the games that many Fundamental Christians believe are evil. What is your opinions of these type of games? I only play the PC games by the way. My favorite is NeverWinter Nights with both expansions.

I play both the PnP and PC games. They're fine, as far as I can see.

 

[Bohemian]

That would be killer, I'm so all over it... as long as it's not 3rd edition! Maybe we could get a little corner of the RPG section taped off for "old school" gaming...

Here's a vote for a 1e or OD&D game running here! I'll have to check with my half-orc cleric to see if he's interested!

 

[BrotherJoseph]

I have played D&D style games and I enjoy them very much.


I have been playing internet MMORPGs for probably about 5 or 6 years now. I love them! I also love fantasy books, and movies.

I have heard it preached that this is all demonic and Satan worship.

I love the Lord and I cannot agree with these statements alone. I need to hear explainations and to really get down to it we need a debate where people from both sides can plead thier case and why. I mean in the church. Not on the streets. It requires an open minded level headed discusion amung Christians so that everyone is of the same understanding.

Nope, I don't believe Harry Potter is from Hell either. I believe it is fantasy and what kid has never dreamed of flying?

Is cowboys and indians evil? It's fantasy and it's roleplaying too.

 

[~WildRoseCowgirl~]

The Bible says to stay as far aways as we can from witchcraft and sorcery.

 

[stonetoflesh]

The Bible says to stay as far aways as we can from witchcraft and sorcery.

Reading, writing, and/or daydreaming about magic in a fantasy context does not equal practicing witchcraft or sorcery. The same can certainly be said for roleplaying games...

 

[~WildRoseCowgirl~]

It does according to the Bible, the Bible says not to have ANYTHING to do at all with them.... I'm sorry, I really didna want to make a debate or argument, I just wanted to put in my 2 cents, so I will leave now.

 

[stonetoflesh]

It does according to the Bible, the Bible says not to have ANYTHING to do at all with them.... I'm sorry, I really didna want to make a debate or argument, I just wanted to put in my 2 cents, so I will leave now.

I see...
By writing the Chronicles of Narnia-- which has magical elements to it-- was C.S. Lewis being a bad Christian? How about Tolkien with his various Middle-Earth books? How about "the Force" in the Star Wars movies-- really just magic dressed up. Should we as Christians shun all these things because they have make-believe magic?

I don't think anyone here is looking for an argument, just some quality dialogue. Why are you running away?