Should a Christian Play DnD?

Tuesday March 6, In the year of our Lord 2012
CDE Office, Caronport Saskatchewan
Posting Pre-Written Post, 3:51 PM
Weather = Melting


I was rummaging around in my email and found this post that I had written earlier. I figure I should put it up.

                The following paper is a reflection on the dangers associated with Dungeons and Dragons along with other roleplaying games (RPGs). As a devout Christian who studies theology at the Master's level and an avid gamer who has studied Dungeons and Dragons as well as other RPGs I intend to speak plainly on this issue; but first my qualifications for speaking. I have studied the game at a distance as well as up close. I have read notable critiques as well as defenses. I have read all of the core rule books and many of the supplement books for the 3.5 and 4.0 DnD systems. I have studied the history of DnD and have played the game myself many times as both a player and as a game leader (Dungeon Master). I have written about this topic several times. My conclusion in all of this is that DnD, along with most other RPGs, have been demonized and presumed guilty of sins that they have never actually committed. However, there are still dangers and guidelines that every player should consider before playing.

                I will write first about the perceived dangers of DnD, trying to illustrate both sides of the debate so that the reader will understand each position as it is actually presented abroad. I will then give my take on the validity of each side. You, the reader, are invited to do more research on any of these issues if you feel that my information is incorrect or if you disagree with my conclusions.

                There are two large criticisms that I will talk about, but first a section on what DnD actually is. (If you are familiar with the game, feel free to skip ahead.)

What is Dungeons and Dragons?

                Dungeons and Dragons is a table top role playing game (first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules Inc.) in which the players create imaginary characters to play in a medieval fantasy world. Players determine character statistics (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) by rolling dice or using a mathematical chart. The game leader (Dungeon Master or DM) tells the story and controls the world that players are playing in and the players interact with what the DM is saying by moving their characters on the board and rolling dice when success may not be automatic. Typical game sessions usually last between 2 and 5 hours and almost all of them are adventure based (saving villages from monsters, finding treasure, saving the princess, killing the evil wizard, etc).

                The options available to players during the game are limited only by their imagination. Players are free to attempt any solution they can think of to solve the scenario that the DM has created for them. Success or failure is determined by rolling dice and applying whatever character statistic is required and then comparing the result against a certain number the DM feels is appropriate. If the player rolls higher than that number then his character succeeds, if lower then the character fails.

Example: Thurg the Barbarian wishes to push a large rock off a mountain so that it will crush the monsters below. The DM says that the rock is quite heavy and estimates that a role of 18 would be necessary. The player roles the dice and gets a 17 and then adds Thurg’s strength bonus (+4) to get 21. Thurg is able to push the rock off the mountain and the DM rolls dice to see how many monsters the rock hits and the story goes on.

                Players are encouraged to ‘role play’ their character. This could mean speaking as though you were your character, acting on information that your character has (even though you the player will know more than your character will), and in some lively instances even demonstrating what your character is doing through physically reenacting the action yourself.

                Game material includes rule books, some form of grid as a playing board, character sheets, character tokens, pencils, dice, and a lot of imagination.

DnD encourages Satanism and causes demonic activity

                The first important criticism leveled against DnD is that the game encourages its players to become Satanists by introducing them to occult material. Playing DnD (especially when playing a spell casting character) causes demonic activity in the lives of the players as well as the area being played in. (for those readers who balk at this criticism from the outset I want to remind you that this has actually been a strong criticism of DnD in the past and deserves an evaluation.)

History

                This criticism was introduced by Mrs. Patricia Pulling after the death of her son in 1982. She became a licensed ‘cult crime’ investigator and wrote books, gave lectures, traveled, and spoke on TV and radio in an effort to combat what she perceived to be rampant Satanism that had infected America. She founded a political lobbying group ‘Bothered about Dungeons and Dragons,’ (BADD) and accused the DnD game for the death of her son. Irving had shot himself hours after playing DnD with friends at school because of a supposed curse put on him during gameplay. She spoke loudly and openly about how DnD was a cover for Satanism, how its participants drank blood, cast magic spells, and murdered people (among many other obscene and detestable things). Her accusations were investigated and then systematically thrown out of courts for lack of any evidence. She is remembered as an aggressive conspiracy theorist who was unreliable at best.

For more information I encourage you to read the official Stackpole ‘Pulling Report’
http://www.rpgstudies.net/stackpole/pulling_report.html


Argument in Favor of this Criticism

                DnD is a game where players take on a character who lives in a world where magic and morality are things to be experimented with.  The game encourages players to seek out magical artifacts and potent spells that may be granted by worshipping one or several of the gods or by finding secret knowledge (occult) or practicing dangerous rituals. The players will either play as or run into contact with wizards, sorcerers, spell thieves, witches, warlocks, demons, devils, and clerics of evil deities. The company who publishes DnD books (Wizards of the Coast) has also published supplementary books like The Necrominicon, Demons and Demi-gods, and The Book of Vile Darkness, which instruct players on how to perform Satanic rituals.

                The actions of the players while playing DnD can cause demonic activity. Let me explain. There is no right or wrong way to play DnD. The players are free to come up with any solution to accomplish the goals of the game and are often encouraged to ‘role play’ (speak and act as their character instead of as themselves). Suppose one of the players had a character that practiced black magic and decided to ‘role play’ his character by actually doing authentic Satanic or Wiccan rituals for summoning a demon. The content of the game (magic, occult, murder) mixed with the role-playing element is more than just a game, it is an introduction to Satanism.


Argument Against this Criticism

                DnD is a game where players ‘make believe’ what their characters are doing and then roll dice and consult a chart to see if they succeed. Magic is a dice roll with statistics, similar to the Table Top War Game genre (think Axis and Allies) that it originally grew out of. There are no instructions, hints, or anything at all resembling authentic Satanic or Wiccan rituals in any of the books. The Necominicon, Demons and Demi-gods, and all other supplement books are filled with monster statistics such has Hit Points, Attack Damage, and Optional Feats for characters, nothing even remotely related to Satanism or Wicca.

                The players playing DnD determine what is and is not allowed. Since the players determine everything that happens in the game, a Christian group of gamers can play without magic or polytheism. Role playing is optional and has to do with talking ‘in character’ and not actually swinging swords or casting spells. DnD is a harmless game where a group of friends sit around a table and tell stories while doing math.


My Personal Conclusions About this Criticism

                In many respects I think that both sides are right on some of their points and wrong in others. First of all it is true that this entire criticism, along with the bad reputation of this game, was founded on Mrs. Pulling’s outrageous and unfounded claims. All of her links between DnD and Satanism, murder, and suicide are false. I have read all of the so called ‘Satanic Manuals’ in DnD and they are actually just statistics for monsters. I have talked with actual Wiccan gamers and they laugh at the idea that someone could learn real magic from DnD. My personal reading of the DnD books has revealed the same results. This is not a cover up for Satanism or an instruction manual for the occult, it’s just a game.

                It is true that magic and relative morality are inherent to playing DnD (I’ll cover relative morality in a the next criticism). I do not buy the argument that a Christian group can play DnD without magic; it would be a very boring DnD group or a different game entirely. It is true that players will play as and run into various spell casters but I don’t see any problem with this. Human beings don’t just become Satanists by being exposed to an imaginary world where magic exists. By this logic everyone who reads C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, or watches a standard Disney film are at risk!

                Magic spells in DnD are tactical abilities for a grid style combat system similar to Risk or Axis and Allies (albeit more complex). I have listed below two spells straight out of DnD 3.5 to illustrate my point; Fireball, which is one of the most popular and most used spells, and Animate Dead, which is a darker spell to which this criticism is more directed against.


********Fireball*****************************************
                Evocation [Fire]
                Level:    Sor/Wiz 3
                Components:    V, S, M
                Casting Time:     1 standard action
                Range:  Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
                Area:     20-ft.-radius spread
                Duration: Instantaneous
                Saving Throw:    Reflex half
                Spell Resistance: Yes

                A fireball spell is an explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of     fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.

                You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to   burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. (An early impact results in an early detonation.) If you attempt to send the bead    through a narrow passage, such as through an arrow slit, you must “hit” the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely.

                The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.

                Material Component: A tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur.

******* Animate Dead*****************************************
                Necromancy [Evil]
                Level:    Clr 3, Death 3, Sor/Wiz 4
                Components:  V, S, M
                Casting time: 1 standard action
                Range:  Touch
                Targets: One or more corpses touched
                Duration: Instantaneous
                Saving Throw: None
                Spell Resistance: No

                This spell turns the bones or bodies of dead creatures into undead skeletons or zombies that    follow your spoken commands.

                The undead can follow you, or they can remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place. They remain animated until they are destroyed. (A destroyed skeleton or zombie can’t be animated again.)

                Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. (The desecrate spell doubles this limit)

                The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. (You choose which creatures are released.) If you are a cleric, any undead you might command by virtue of your power to command or rebuke undead do not count toward the limit.

                Skeletons: A skeleton can be created only from a mostly intact corpse or skeleton. The corpse   must have bones. If a skeleton is made from a corpse, the flesh falls off the bones.

                Zombies: A zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The corpse must be that of a creature with a true anatomy.

                Material Component: You must place a black onyx gem worth at least 25 gp per Hit Die of the undead into the mouth or eye socket of each corpse you intend to animate. The magic of the spell turns these gems into worthless, burned-out shells.

                ***********************************************


As you can see, neither of these spells have anything to do with actual magic and both are intended to be used to play a board game. The fireball is similar to an artillery shell that does damage to multiple foes in within a certain radius (measured in ‘squares’ or ‘hexes’ on a grid map). The Raise Dead spell is used to turn defeated enemy pieces on the board into allied pieces. There is no reference to how one might actually conjure up a real fireball out of nothing or raise a real zombie from a real corpse. The ‘Components’ section of each spell can be Verbal (V), Somatic (S), and Material (M). This only means that the character casting this spell must be able to speak (for verbal), move freely (somatic) and have access to specific material components (M) or the spell will fail. This is purely tactical information. Sometimes characters will find themselves unable to move or speak, (being submerged under water, or in a very tight crawl space) which limits what sort of spells they can cast. The ‘Material Component’ part of each spell is considered ‘flavor text’ which is often ignored. There is no relation to actual occult ritual or spells.



                The criticism is not without a kernel of truth though. I take what the gamers do in game very seriously. There is a difference between ‘playing make belief’ (casting a spell by rolling some dice and looking at a chart to see what happens) and actually participating in an occultic ritual. Player activity can cause demonic activity, but this is well beyond the content of DnD and unless the player has prior knowledge of authentic occult rituals, this will not be an issue. In the end it won’t be DnD that leads to demonic activity so much as foreign elements being incorporated into DnD (which are not found or encouraged anywhere in the game) that cause the problems. In one respect this issue is very serious in that the consequences can be dire. In another respect this issue is completely laughable since there is absolutely nothing within the content of the game that would point players in this direction. It would be as if someone decided to enact blood pacts or sacrifices during a game of Monopoly or Frozen Tag; you can tell that what they are doing is not part of the game.

DnD encourages Anti-Christian Thinking and Behavior

Argument in Favor of this Criticism

                The actions and characters of DnD are hardly good role models for Christians. Players can choose to be battle hardened warriors, thieves, magic users, or priests to foreign gods. Important skills such as the ability to kill, lie, steal, and murder are often necessary to fulfill the goals of the game. Why would a Christian play a game like this? We are to imitate Christ in our life and our mind, taking every thought captive and submitting it to Christ, not imagining and then acting out deceit, greed, and violence. A Christian group could in theory create only ‘lawful good’ characters but the game is to its very core all about violent conflict for the sake of treasure (greed). It only takes so long for this sort of thinking to go from ‘just playing a game’ to sticking in the mind of the player and then seeping out into everyday life. We are to fill our minds with whatever is good, noble, honest, and true but DnD turns good Christian youth into thinking about violence, theft, greed, and deceit.

                One might try to make the argument that it isn’t the player ‘doing the action’ but the player’s character; but this is folly! The player is always in complete control of their character and the player always determines the actions and motivations of their character. It is the players who conspire, attack, steal, lie, and murder, never just their characters. This is a subversive form of the ‘character’ infiltrating the player’s mind. This is emphasized in the act of ‘role playing’ where players speak and act as though they were their character. They do not say “my character kicks that man in the face,” they say “I kick that man in the face.” Once again, this ‘playing a game’ quickly infects the mind and results in Anti-Christian thoughts and actions.

A much more thorough argument has been made by William Schnoebelen entitled: Straight Talk on Dungeons and Dragons, available at the following website.

http://www.chick.com/articles/frpg.asp

Argument against this Criticism

                Dungeons and Dragons is just a game, similar to a book or movie where you identify with the main character, except that you the player get to decide what the main character does. Players never actually use violence or theft in their gaming sessions; they roll dice and calculate the results through mathematical equations! There is always a barrier between who you are as a real person and who your character is in the fantasy world that he is playing in. People don’t just become violent because they played a bored game where they played as a warrior and neither do they become thieves because they played a thief! What human being doesn’t imagine violent thoughts after watching something like CSI or an Action movie? Who does not have thoughts of intrigue and conspiracy after watching a Spy movie? DnD is like a movie or a novel or a video game where the actions you see, read about, or do are different than who you actually are.



My Personal Conclusions About this Criticism

                I think this criticism is far more relevant than the first one. Both arguments touch upon different truths. It is important to separate who you are from your character, but at the same time your character will always be an aspect of yourself (because you can never role-play beyond who you are). I am convinced that some people should not play DnD or other RPGs for this reason, that they do not have a healthy separation between who they are and who their character is. This takes a certain level of mental maturity. I will explain further.

                Schnoebelen is correct to say that it is always the player who makes the character do the action. He is also right in saying that DnD encourages characters to be violent, and deceptive to achieve their goals. A party of smiling do-gooders who solved their problems by being friendly and speaking through the world’s problems isn’t near as much fun as a party who punches corrupt lawyers in the face and tosses monsters off of cliffs. Where I think he misses the mark is where he assumes that the player cannot separate game from reality. I say this with caution though, because DnD is more than just a movie, book, or video game. The player does actively choose and is completely responsible for the actions of his or her character. This is an issue that I had to think long and hard about. My conclusion is that I disagree with Schnoebelen’s premise in that there is no one to one relationship between how a character is played and how that affects the thoughts and actions of the player outside of game. My specific thoughts are presented below.


About Magic, Monsters, Gods, and other Fantasy Elements

                I’m going to talk about the inherent world of DnD first. DnD is a game where the players are mythical heroes on an adventure. Good adventure myths often deal with epic struggles like good versus evil, light versus darkness, nation verses nation, and so on. Conflict is inherent in the game, and rightly so since all good adventure myths involve conflict. This conflict is between the players and monsters, political powers, the world, even the gods. Conflict can’t be avoided and even if it could be I don’t think it should. Yes, DnD has plenty of violence (killing monsters) and maybe even greed (claiming treasure) but what would an adventure be without monsters and treasures? Stories like the Iliad, Lord of the Rings, and even the images in the Book of Revelation give voice to the deepest of human questions and struggles of the world. The magic, the gods, the monsters, they are all elements of good story telling and adventuring. I think the danger comes in when the player starts to lose a grip on reality (rare), starts taking the game too seriously (less rare), or is just immature in their faith.

Maturity is a base Requirement

                There are those among us who are really struggling in understanding who they are and what direction they will go in life. There have been a few times where the people I play with would not allow someone to join because they knew that the game would consume them (see ‘taking the game too seriously below) and would therefore be detrimental to his or her faith.

Taking the Game too Seriously

                From my own experience of playing DnD you can usually tell when someone is having trouble separating the game from real life. Obsessing over the game, or their characters, neglecting homework or social life, or harboring bitter feelings towards other players for something that happened in game can be indicators that that person is taking the game too seriously. There is more of a risk with this in DnD than other forms of entertainment because role-playing games are far more immersive and interactive. Players don’t just passively watch a screen, they actively imagine, engage, and make choose. Players are not restricted in two or three options; they are limited only by their imagination. Players don’t play this game alone; it is always with friends making it a social experience. It stimulates the imagination to be creative and innovative to explore real fantasy. There are books upon books of information for players to read if they so desire, new ideas for character creation, lore and legend, novels, art, and tools for building entire campaigns and worlds. The game is large in scope with a robust community of creative like-minded (as well as diverse) people which makes it easier to get sucked into. The game can quickly become a hobby and the hobby can become far more interesting than everyday life.

                Some people are just not able to separate themselves from the actions of their characters and so when their character is angry they themselves as the players are angry or when their character fulfills his life goal they are loving life even though they are neglecting it. In the groups that I play in we are all mature Christians who make sure to talk with players who we think might be taking things a bit too seriously. Sometimes this means telling players that they need to reevaluate how important the game actually is or even to say that they can’t play anymore. This is the exception though; once again, this is a maturity issue.

                Another thing that can sometimes happen is that a player's personal garbage can slip into their character. This can be both good and bad. It can be good in that the person has found an avenue to deal with their personal issues. It can be bad in that this can become unhealthy to the player as well as everyone else around the table. A friend of mine has violent thoughts, and those thoughts were beginning to play out in his character. It became more than just ‘I attack the monster (roll dice),’ it became “I put my boot over her throat and tear her wings off with my bare hands, slowly crushing her air pipe!” One of the other players called him on it and as a group we decided to tone down the violence level. There have only been a few times where I've had to talk to certain players about what their characters were doing.

Good things that can Happen

                On the flip side of things, playing DnD can (and has) alerted players to pieces of themselves that they did not know existed. A friend of mine realized that he tends towards extremes in real life after seeing how his character moved from one extreme to the other. I personally realized that I had greed issues when I caught myself plotting against the party as to how my character could get the most treasure. Both issues were dealt with and provided an opportunity for growth that would not have been available had it just remained covered up.

                DnD also gives players the chance to see the world from a different perspective. When a player role-plays a character he tries to play true to that character. For instance, playing a rogue who’s backstory involves being sent to an orphanage, often wrongly accused, and beaten by staff and soldiers you would realize that your character would not trust authority and may even be bitter at the world. You begin to wonder what your character would think when he saw that the local magistrate accidentally left a large purse of gold behind him, would he give it back or would he take it as reparation for part of a life that that magistrate had made miserable. Then you begin to wonder if that is the sort of reasoning that other people have who are not as privileged as you (the player) and you begin to understand how other people view the world. This can lead to great discussions with the group you play with and (assuming that they are all mature Christians) can be an excellent time to explore what it means to be the Body of Christ in light of how other people view the world. This can occur with a high level of maturity.

Who you play with is Important

                Who you play with is important. Playing with other Christians is ideal, but they should be mature Christians. (just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean you are mature or wise). I am always wary of playing with Non-Christians since there is a fundamental difference in worldview and what content is taboo. The groups that I do play with steer clear of sexualizing the game or playing obsessively violent / obscene. Personal character and maturity are key to a good game group. Mature non-Christians are really good about keeping the game clean and friendly. It is the responsibility of the player (and if the player is young, then also the parent) to be wise and discerning about who to play with.

Should Christians Play DnD?

                At the end of the day I think that DnD is a gray issue. Some people are perfectly fine with playing and it does not affect them in any negative way. They have tons of fun, stretch their imaginations, hang out with friends, and build memories. Other people shouldn’t play DnD, either because it will consume them or because it will become an unhealthy outlet for internal problems that need to be worked out first. Sometimes players that would be fine to play should avoid playing if the DM or other players are immature or giving voice to their personal issues through the game thus negatively affecting everyone. Players, skeptics, and parents should look at the content of the game, who is playing, and how they play more than the name ‘Dungeons and Dragons,’ or the general themes of magic, monsters, and adventure.

                If there ever was a person who simply could not handle make belief and actually did try to emulate what their character did in game, then DnD would NOT be a good idea for that person. Thankfully most human beings are born with natural mental filters and can discern and distinguish between reality and fantasy.

                I for one have absolutely loved playing this game with my friends. It has been a wonderful time of bonding, creativity, and fun. If you would like to talk more about what I have written please feel free to email me at gwollf85@hotmail.com.