Topic: What is D&D?

What is D&D™?

Dungeons and Dragons™ (commonly known as D & D™) is an elaborate fantasy game which evolved from the war games popular in the late 1950's. Instead of a historical battlefield and battle, D&D™ games are fought in the minds of the players as the DM (dungeon master, or god) sets the stage in the fantasy world. Each player assumes the identity of the character he creates. His creature is based on chance roll of the dice. Each character will have six basic abilities: strength, intelligence, wisdom, constitution, dexterity, and charisma. The manual guideline will determine whether the character will be "good" or "evil."

The object of the game is to maneuver these characters through a maze of dungeons (tunnels) filled with monsters, magic, ambushes, and adventures in search of treasures. To survive, each character is equipped with special aids - such as magical weapons, potions, spells, and magical trinkets (holy water, garlic, wolvesbane, etc.) They are also given more conventional weapons: daggers, hand axes, swords and battle axes.

The game is for "three or more players, age 10 and upward."

Each player can stay in the game as long as his character is not killed - from hours to years. If it continues long, most players identify themselves with their character, and the line between fantasy and reality tends to grow fuzzy. One authority concerning this "game" said: "The stuff that makes me nervous is over-identification with characters. I've seen people have fits, yell for fifteen minutes, hurl dice at a grand piano when their character dies."

What is D&D™?

Dr. Gary North, author of None Dare Call It Witchcraft, says, ". . . after years of study of the history of occultism, after having researched a book on the subject, and after having consulted with scholars in the field of historical research, I can say with confidence: these games are the most effective, most magnificently packaged, most profitably marketed, most thoroughly researched introduction to the occult in man's recorded history."

What is D&D™?

After extensive research, the Christian Life Ministries concludes: "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS™ instead of a game is a teaching on demonology, witchcraft, voodoo, murder, rape, blasphemy, suicide, assassination, insanity, sex perversion, homosexuality, prostitution, Satan worship, gambling, Jungian psychology, barbarism, cannibalism, sadism, desecration, demon summoning. necromantics, divination and many more teachings, brought to you in living color direct from the pit of hell!!!"

This is strong language! But its truthfulness is established by a careful examination of the books. Look in almost any toy store or book store. You will probably find twenty or more books on how to play D&D™. They are complicated, intricate, bizarre, expensive (many selling for $10.95 each) -and popular!

How Widely Used?

According to statistics released by the news media, over three million Americans are playing D&D™. The industry grossed more than 250 million dollars in 1981, and expects a large increase in 1982.
Many schools are using D&D™, especially in Gifted and Talented programs. Special "classroom versions" are being produced. Some state-supported colleges offer classes, while others have cancelled them at the insistence of concerned parents and taxpayers.
Parents, teachers, ministers, youth directors, and all young people should spend time in serious research on FRP (Fantasy Role Playing) games because their use is escalating; the issue must be faced by all of us sooner or later.

Other FRP Games

New games are being created, more sophisticated and cruel than the original D&D™, such as RuneQuest, Chivalry & Sorcery, Arduin Grimoire, Tunnels and Trolls, etc.
In the rule book to the Arduin Grimoire game (Vol. 1, p. 60) is listed the "critical hit table." Options listed are: "Dice roll: 37-38; hit location: crotch/chest; results: genitals/breast torn off, shock ... Dice roll: 95; hit location: guts ripped out; result 20% chance of tangling feet, die in 1-10 minutes. . . Dice roll: 100; hit location: head; result: head pulped and splattered over a wide area."

On page 10: "The 'dread vampusa’ a macho beast/man with writhing snakes for hair and a skull face, bristles with Neanderthal sexual imagery, his left hand holding a long, sharp lance sticking straight out from his genitals, dripping blood, his penis hanging limp just above it."

Arduin's creator, Dave Hargrave, defends the grisly specificity. He states: "It's deliberately gruesome. You have to blow a hole through that video shell the kids are encased in. They are little zombies. They don't know what pain is. They have never seen a friend taken out in a body bag. They've got to understand that what they do has consequences. The world is sex. It is violence. It's going to destroy most of these kids when they leave TV-land."

So, Hargrave admits that the game is designed for kids! Supposedly to equip them for the “reality” of life!

What Is Wrong with Role Playing or Fantasizing?

Some mistakenly believe that role-playing is merely acting out a character. Much more is involved. Psycho-drama techniques (the root of role-playing) were introduced in the early 1900's by Dr. Jacob L. Moreno, contemporary of Freud. He said his objective was to develop a "positive religion." His idea was that if you can "play a role", for instance, the role of God and develop that role and stop its playing at will, you will begin to learn how not to be possessed of that role. He said: "The only way to get rid of the God syndrome is to act it out."
What is the "positive religion" that Moreno envisoned? The religion that man is all-powerful, capable of answering all questions and solving all problems apart from any Supernatural Being more popularly known as Humanism. Read his statement again. Then consider its application to D&D™ and other FRP "games."

A principle laid down long ago by God is: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). We are what we think. It is ridiculous to believe that people, young or old, can absorb their minds with violence, murder, human sacrifice, suicide, demonology, rape, desecration, defecation, sadism, cannibalism, sex perversion, insanity, prostitution, necromantics, Satan worship, witchcraft, and every other form of perverted and violent conduct without being intensely, and perhaps permanently, affected adversely. We ARE what we THINK!

Young person, if you want to be successful, productive, well-adjusted, and happy, then refuse to fill your wonderful mind with such garbage! Don't allow someone else to take control of your mind. Think too much of yourself to become a tool in the hands of those whose interest is to get your money and destroy your faith in God.

Testimony of Negative Effects'

John Torell, with Christian Life Ministries in California, received a phone call from a medical doctor in Seattle, Washington. The doctor is treating a policeman for severe depression caused by the suicide of his sixteen-year-oId son. The son, who had been heavily involved in D&D™ for two years, shot himself with his father's service revolver.

Some have argued that D&D™ is a healthy release of suppressed hostilities. But seeing the power that can be seized in games, psychiatrist Laurence Johnson cautions, "If I had a child who tended toward schizophrenia, I'd never let him near D&D™. There's a danger that it would reinforce feelings of grandiosity, of omnipotence. Reality and fantasy are hard enough for schizophrenics to differentiate."

This reality distortion is frightening. A city police department in central Washington asks, "Are you a participant in Fantasy Role Games?" as a standard question . . . two people convicted of firing over three rounds into passing motor vehicles admitted that they "constantly fantasized killing someone." Other police departments have confirmed "some correlation" between Fantasy Role Playing Games and incidents showing up on their police blotter.

Many people have been innocently drawn into FRP Games. However, enough information is now available to reveal their true nature and real danger - so there's no need for wise and alert people to be further duped.

Even some Christians try to defend D&D™ and other FRP "games," In this futile attempt, one said: "But the game is helpful because it shows the difference between good and evil characters." To this a brilliant young player replied: "Not so. Nearly everybody would rather play evil characters because they are much more powerful."

In light of the quotes from their own literature, it would be wise to consider:

Does this "game" promote respect for the sanctity of life? Or does it rather serve as basic training in brutality and disregard for life (such as exemplified in the incredible massacres of recent years)?

Does it increase or decrease a player’s faith in God and His Word?

Does it trivialize, and even blaspheme, Christianity?

In summary: Does its over-all influence tend to build up, or tear down, character?

What can you do?

Make sure that your children are not involved with or participating in D&D™.

Distribute this information to young people, youth ministers, teachers, etc.

Contact me for more information, especially if your child or children are involved.

God Bless,

Ben