Dungeons and Dragons

[Kristine]

This question came to me after reading the posts in the Hobbit:
Speaking of mythical characters and imaginary battles between good and evil, what are your views on Dungeons and Dragons games?

My boyfriend is a fairly new Christian, and he still has (and occasionally plays) a big collection of Dungeons and Dragons books and game software. He claims it's just like any other game, although a role playing game, it's not much different then taking on the character of Super Mario and making him go through tunnels fighting fire-shooting creatures in order to rescue a princess. You play, you pretend, you have fun, you end the game.

What are your thoughts? I've heard some Christians say that the game is santanic & demon-inviting; and others that D&D is as harmless as fairy tales and ancient mythology - so long as you don't become obsessed with the game and start living as though you're that character, it's ok.

Thoughts?

K

[selah]

You should have a fourth option on there, something like "it's between each person and God." I'm a firm believer in Christian liberty, the idea that if something's not expressly forbidden in the Bible, the question of whether or not to do it needs to be decided between each individual and God.

Say I get way too caught up in television and it's getting in the way of my studies, my relationships, and most importantly my service to God. So God tells me, "Kathryn, you've gotta stop watching Dawson's Creek, Ally McBeal, Friends, and all those other shows taking you away from me." Fine, I'll stop watching the shows. But that doesn't give me the right to tell others they can't watch those shows. The same goes for a whole list of things: smoking, drinking moderately, playing certain games, kissing, watching R-rated movies, having relationships (of various kinds) with non-believers, I could go on. These are all things that can be a downfall for some and not for others. That's why I believe that these types of things should be a decision made personally between each of us and God.

[ZeroDivide]

I played it all through high-school, and look how I turned out!

Hmm, maybe not a good example.

But seriously, so long as its played with moderation, I think that its fine. Our school chaplain once expressed concern that we were playing the game, giving us a list of things it encouraged (homosexuality, prostitution, pagan worship, Jungian Theory (huh?) ). My playing chums had quite a bit of a laugh at it, then invited him for a game. He accepted, and conceded after he'd finished that it wasn't as bad as he'd thought.

There could be some danger from a Christian perspective, I suppose, if the campaigns feature lots of magic, daemonic figures, etc... but ours didn't have much of this... a tiny bit of magic, gnomes, and thats about it. I think you'd be hard pressed to seriously argue that was dangerous.

[Vinnie]

I played it all through high-school, and look how I turned out!

Hmm, maybe not a good example.

:rofl:

I think Kathryn gave a pretty good answer.

Personally, I like Heroes of Might and Magic :)

[Ardra]

I think the core of people's concern is that, when you create a character, you are invited to create a character and BE that character, to "role-play" them as they should be in real life.

And these characters are not only quite different than we are in real life (very often), they are also judged according to morality or "alignment" as it is called.

Characters can be Good, Evil, or Neutral. These alignments are further modified by a type of 'nature': Lawful, Chaotic, etc.

The opportunity to play an evil character might affect one's own personality to some degree, either in revealing character flaws or encouraging them.

I think it's the ability to "pretend" to be immoral that worries people....sort of the thin end of the wedge.


In sum, pretending to do bad things with no consequences isn't a good way to play pretend.


Now, i've played a lot both with dice and video games. I'm not "down" on role playing games, in fact I enjoy them, but I am aware of what dangers exist. I did not mention the addictions people sometimes get to games where it can disrupt their lives, but somebody else alluded to that.

[ZeroDivide]

Originally posted by Ardra
The opportunity to play an evil character might affect one's own personality to some degree, either in revealing character flaws or encouraging them.


I can't speak for every campaign, but most of the players who tried having "Evil" characters found their players in the lockup rather quickly. There are consequences, a cruel and vindictive Dungeon Master holding your character back! Nobody in their right mind is going to do something like that which holds their character back, and puts them at a disadvantage.

[Ardra]

So what do you think is the principal objection then?

Why give the option to be 'evil' anyways?

And in video games there isn't always a "cruel and vindictive" DM there to enforce justice....just player killing!

[ZeroDivide]

Because in real life you have the option to be evil. Obviously however, there are consequences. If I went and started mugging people in Sandgate, I'd be arrested by the police, and left to rot in prison for a couple of months. Similar in roleplaying games. Because of the very nature of the game, the option must be there. If a player wants to be evil, the DM shouldn't say "No, you can't do that", instead he should make life very difficult for the player, echoing what would happen if the player had really done that.

[Ardra]

well, what do you think people are worried about concerning role playing games then?



you said in real life you have the option to be evil- my point exactly- the game supplies an almost inconsequential place to experiment with immorality.

Just my opinion. I'm not down on the games really- I enjoy them. But that's why I think parents and clergy are against them. Because of the opportunities to explore outside of the usual system of consequences. Giving people choice without the prospect of God judging them.