Question on D&D

[Question7]

I am asking a question about people's opinions on Dungeons & Dragons. Please give serious responses, and I am getting people's opinions for a project. I want to know what you think of it and why. Also, tell if you have played the game before. Once again, I am not trying to anger anyone. Please give serious opinions. Thank you....

 

[Thibeault]

sorry i wouldnt know really much about that gam, since one i dont have it and have never played it.

 

[Lokisdottir]

I play D&D on a regular basis, and I love it. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I can easily see how some Christians might have a problem with it. It contains spells and magic, which I understand is a sin for Christians.

There are monsters, demons, etc. Of course, if you're playing a good character, you'll be fighting and defeating these demons (and isn't that a good thing?), but if you play an evil character, you're probably siding with them. Of course, if this is a problem, the solution is to simply not play an evil character. Be a lawful good paladin instead.

Some people, none of whom have ever actually played the game, say it's bad because the spells are real, and that anyone who plays it is unwittingly dabbling in the occult. That's just silliness. If that were true, I'd have an enchanted sword and a giant tiger to do my bidding, and people would be getting Magic Missiled left and right. No, the spells are 100% fake.

In some games, your character can choose to be devoted to a particular deity. I can see how that might be worrisome for some Christians. The deities, however, are entirely made-up, and of course there's no real worshipping going on. Anyway, I've never actually played in a game where deities have been an important factor.

The great thing about D&D is that it's easily customizable, so anyone can enjoy it. If a devout Christian wanted to play, but was put off by the different deities in the game, they could modify the rules and create a campaign in which there is only one deity, Yahweh/Jehovah. Or they could just leave out the deities entirely. Anything's possible.

So, no, D&D is not evil. It's what you make of it.

 

[Lithium Hobo]

sorry i wouldnt know really much about that gam, since one i dont have it and have never played it.

They why did you bother posting anything?...

 

[mepalmer3]

I am asking a question about people's opinions on Dungeons & Dragons. Please give serious responses, and I am getting people's opinions for a project. I want to know what you think of it and why. Also, tell if you have played the game before. Once again, I am not trying to anger anyone. Please give serious opinions. Thank you....

Ack! He started this same thread in General Apologetics. My answer there was basically that no it's just a game -- there's nothing wrong with playing a game or role playing some. Similarly, there's nothing wrong with fantasy adventure books (just because they're fantasy adventure). Tolkein and CS Lewis were both christian and wrote fantasy books. The Lord of the Rings also has a great deal of magic as does the Chronicles of Narnia. They both also have a number of christian tones in them. The "magic" itself in a fantasy setting isn't bad. What could be bad is if the material suggested that the magic is actually real. Further D&D could be bad if someone role played to such an extent that they acted out something that is bad in real life (ie, my character rapes yours is an extreme example).

 

[Eudaimonist]

I played D&D (technically, first version AD&D) when I was in high school and college, and I found that it had a many positive effects. It provided me with opportunities to socialize in a safe and fun way with others (no need for drugs or alcohol just for an escape!). It was a great boost to my imagination and creativity, leading to creative hobbies such painting, fiction writing, and game design. It sharpened my math skills, including the study of probability, from all that dice rolling.

If you have kids and you are worried that they will turn to drugs or alcohol in college, you will want them to play D&D!

 

[meebs]

I'd love to play dungeons and dragons.... but there is no-one to play it with

 

[Clem is Me]

I only played it once, and it caused me to go out and kill lots of people and do drugs and have sex with elves and gnomes.

Then I found Fox News.

 

[Shane Roach]

I played from the age of 12, back in the days when the dungeon master's guide had a picture of a demon with a scantily clad female victim in his hand on the cover.

I am not judged most to be, at the least, a right leaning conservative Christian.

I have in all honesty never understood the hullaballoo about D+D.

Also, some devout Christians study the occult. There is such a thing as just being informed. I suppose interest in things like D+D, mythology, or religion all lead one inexorably to questions about the occult, but again I don't see the harm.

 

[Shane Roach]

I might add this. There does seem to be a disporoportional percentage of pagans that play, but that could easily be a function of large numbers of Christians being turned away from the hobby in its infancy by some of the opinion put out about it.

 

[Abbadon]

I play D&D on a regular basis and I'm Christian. (Not "I play D&D even though I'm Christian" or "I play D&D but am a Christian"). Overall, I recommend http://www.mjyoung.net/dungeon/confess.html, it has a great overview of a D&D playing Christian (written by a Presbyterian minister).

D&D does not contain magic, sorcery, demons, devils, or any of that stuff. The storyline can have imaginary elements and characters, but most of the D&D players I've met don't even believe in magic.

D&D is not "anti-Christian." In fact, Christians opposing D&D have absolutly no idea what they are talking about. Most of my D&D group is Christian (2 Anglicans, 6 Baptists, an Agnostic, and an Atheist).

D&D has been criticized because it "allows evil." Actually, the game doesn't affect a persons morals, but a person can choose to create an imaginary character to run in the storyline.

The regular game is playable by Christians without modification. If I create a chaotic evil cleric of Set (I don't play these types, some actual mythology was used in older versions), I myself am still a Christian who worships God. It like when an author includes an antagonist for a story, it doesn't actually mean the author went out and killed people even if he wrote about a serial killer.

 

[David Gould]

I play. I started playing when I was 13. I played all through my angry atheist teen years, all through my Christian years and still play now that I am a thoughtful atheist. I have never seen any problems develop out of the game - apart from being ostrocised by some Salvation Army people for not being a True Christian because I played D&D.

 

[Mirelys]

I play D&D. I don't see a problem with it, and neither do the rest of the group (who are mostly Christians). It's just entertainment, like movies or books. Like other forms of entertainment it should be kept clean IMHO, but it's not harmful in and of itself.
Now if only I could convince my mom so that I could invite her to a game...

 

[Moncubus Gwazz III]

D&D is a fantastic thing (though I'm only really familiar with 3e). It improves one's imagination, storytelling and public speaking (if a DM), acting ability (if you're one for actually roleplaying) and is one of the best ways to meet people. Of course, about eighty percent of all my friends right now I met through D&D in one way or another, so I'm a tad biased.

And on the subject of spells in D&D (and Harry Potter) - http://www.theescapist.com/random011102.htm

 

[Phinehas]

Some people, none of whom have ever actually played the game, say it's bad because the spells are real, and that anyone who plays it is unwittingly dabbling in the occult. That's just silliness. If that were true, I'd have an enchanted sword and a giant tiger to do my bidding, and people would be getting Magic Missiled left and right. No, the spells are 100% fake.

LOL, this has to be, by far, the best reply I've ever seen in these forums.

So, no, D&D is not evil. It's what you make of it.

I'd agree. I used to play when I was in jr. high and high school. If there's a part of it you don't like, it's pretty easy to do away with. Of course, if anyone is so consumed with D&D that it overshadows everything in their real life, it's not a good thing. This applies, however, to pretty much anything in excess (especially toothpaste don't ask ).

 

[Phinehas]

I only played it once, and it caused me to go out and kill lots of people and do drugs and have sex with elves and gnomes.

Then I found Fox News.

I wish I could have sex with elves.

(I bet the admin's gonna wipe this one. I'm dancing on the line! I'm dancing on the line!....whoops)

 

[Caylin]

I wish I could have sex with elves.

You and me both buddy...

 

[Self Improvement]

Further D&D could be bad if someone role played to such an extent that they acted out something that is bad in real life (ie, my character rapes yours is an extreme example).

Hold on now, what kind of D&D are you playing?!

 

[mepalmer3]

Hold on now, what kind of D&D are you playing?!

It was just an extreme example.

I only play computer RPGs. I have, however, seen some people acting out their role playing. I was playing some frisbee golf one day and came towards this open field. There were a bunch of guys wearing kilts and such. (And this was in Austin, Texas, USA -- so it wasn't an ordinary sight). They had 2 groups with fake swords and bows and such and were fighting. If they got struck in the arm they wouldn't use that arm. They called each other "wizard" and "gargoyle" and such. I thought, I really like fantasy adventure stuff, but if I ever get caught doing this, I sure hope someone shoots me.

I think role-playing makes a person (ever so slightly) inclined to act more like what they're role-playing as. The more you do it towards that sort of role, then the more likely you'll express yourself in that way in real life. Although I don't have any evidence to back up my claim. And I wouldn't necessarily be suggesting that the "role playing" causes someone to act like that in real life. I think rather that role playing lowers our resistence to acting like that in real life. Just as an example, if we take 2 kids being absolutely identical in their genetics, environment, etc... If one role plays being a really honorable character in RPGs and the other every time plays some horrific villain, then I would suspect the one who practices as the villain would be more likely to subconsciously act the villain in real life (again, even if ever so slightly more).

 

[Rae]

FYI, what objective studies I've found by psychologists and sociologists show that people who play roleplaying games at the worst aren't as good as they think they are, and at best that roleplaying games like D&D can help people build social support and learn to work together. There is no objective evidence that I know of that D&D or other roleplaying games harm people in and of themselves.