D&D woes in society [Archive] - Wizards Community

D&D woes in society [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Illiden_Nailo
08-30-07, 09:31 PM Why does it seem that almost everyone that doesn't play (or never played before) D&D thinks that it is satanic, teaches witchcraft, etc etc. I mean half the books out there that is read by these people, I think, are bad in that sense.

I mean I am young yet, but some of you people have seen the world in a way I haven't,:D could you clarify?
facultyschedule
08-30-07, 09:42 PM DnD being "satanic" is SO early 80's

every once in a while, finger pointing witch-hunters have to grouse about someting that they see as corrupting to young people. it might be comic books or Elvis in the 50's or DnD and heavy metal in the 80's.

It doesn't matter at all. Have fun with it. Ignore *******s.
RadicalTaoist
08-30-07, 09:44 PM That's because they're morons who haven't heard this. (http://www.pennyarcadeexpo.com/PAX07_Keynote.mp3)

JK. Seriously, I don't see much of that anymore. Others may have seen more, though; I started serious gaming long after the Jack Chick crowd was more or less forgotten by the mainstream.
xXOblivionXx
08-30-07, 09:45 PM I'm not pretty sure why, but I know that some of those people are the ones that thank god for 9/11...
Illiden_Nailo
08-30-07, 09:59 PM Mm, yes, but does anyone know what actually started the notion of it being evil and such?
Board_Rider
08-30-07, 10:11 PM Started by a Christian or some religious group early on. Don't really see that assumption any more. More of a nerd thing now.
WizO_Kwai_Chang
08-30-07, 10:12 PM Let's keep this topic away from religious discussion, please.
Tempest Stormwind
08-30-07, 10:17 PM Mm, yes, but does anyone know what actually started the notion of it being evil and such?

As near as I can tell, William Dear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_tunnel_incident). He probably didn't start it (personally, I suspect that was a combination of evocative art, questionable titling, and parents who didn't realize that they were doing exactly what their parents had done to rock and roll) but Dear certainly was the catalyst that made this concern widespread. I should note that Dear was working off of incomplete information, actually (since D&D wasn't common knowledge back then and James Egbert wasn't exactly public about it), and the press blew it out of proportion (recall the connections the press made between Columbine and Metallica or video games? It was like that). Dear later changed his statements.

By the way, RT's link is made of win. Take the time to listen to it.
Mojo_Rat
08-30-07, 10:36 PM About 10-15 years ago i was listening to a program on CBC radio that had some excerpts from a speech that some woman had given talking about D&D. I cant remember who she was but I do remember that she had compared the game to doing crack or heroine. She felt that it had the same addictive properties and ultimmaltely lead you to the same end.

She was of course horribly ignorant but she was expressing a view that many people seem to share about anything which depicts magic in a positive light. There are still people who are firmly convinced the phb teaches you to cast spells.

these are of course the same people that advocate the burning of harry potter books. There useto be a web site in which the author went through a bunch of the spell descriptions and demonstrated their instructions do not work in RL. It was pretty funny but i forget the address for it.
OKCPayne
08-30-07, 11:09 PM Let's keep this topic away from religious discussion, please.

Trying to pull this off while staying on topic here...

I read an article that warned against letting your children play these game because the spells were researched and are REAL SPELLS!

So when was the last time YOU cast a fireball. Man... that would come in handy in 5:00 traffic.

On another path, but still on topic... I started wearing Doc Martins when it was still cool to wear Nike and Reebok's... so a friend of my mothers saw me in my green 9 hole docs one day and asked "Nice boots, which gang is that?"... I asked what she meant and she asked which gang my boots represent.

:confused:

This mostly comes from people one generation up. Those of the same generation either accept it or think its "geeky".

:cool:
Voran
08-30-07, 11:19 PM Honestly, those who still use D&D as their example of the sweet evil book of Satan that corrupts youth, really have to catch up with the times. I mean its so obvious that the root of evil is Grand Theft Auto related games.

I mean, Jack Thompson has it right, right?
Tempest Stormwind
08-30-07, 11:22 PM Honestly, those who still use D&D as their example of the sweet evil book of Satan that corrupts youth, really have to catch up with the times. I mean its so obvious that the root of evil is Grand Theft Auto related games.

I mean, Jack Thompson has it right, right?

Check out the opening line from the speech RT linked. ;) Or even the *entire* speech, which I'd highly recommend.

(Check your volume first, though; it's not something you want blared out loud at work.)
Gryllmyre
08-30-07, 11:26 PM *raises hands*

Please, don't kill me!
mearrin69
08-30-07, 11:33 PM So when was the last time YOU cast a fireball. Man... that would come in handy in 5:00 traffic.

Hmmm. I find lightening bolt, with its line effect, more useful in traffic :)
M
therougepenguin
08-30-07, 11:50 PM Hmmm. I find lightening bolt, with its line effect, more useful in traffic :)
M

I could just imagine some guy sticking half his body out his car window waving his hands and mumbling, then BAM!
Zousha_Omenohu
08-30-07, 11:51 PM Hey, it could happen in Urban Arcana.;)
OKCPayne
08-30-07, 11:57 PM Hmmm. I find lightening bolt, with its line effect, more useful in traffic :)
M

And that, my friend, is why we D&D players are evil.

Casting fireballs and lightning bolts at people... why I never!

:clap: :evillaugh :devil: :bow: :rofl: :rimshot:
Crimson13
08-30-07, 11:57 PM Now that you think about it actually using D&D magic would be pretty cool...and it would be really easy to get spells because all you would have to do is look in a D&D spell book.
KillerVole
08-31-07, 12:10 AM A lot of it was started by Patricia Pulling, a woman whose son committed suicide. It was allegedly caused by "a Dungeons and Dragons curse". She started a crazy crusade, which was thoroughly debunked here: http://www.rpgstudies.net/stackpole/pulling_report.html
Carmine_the_Wolf
08-31-07, 06:19 AM I'm always intrigued by the claims that people outside the hobby make about what goes on in a game of D&D.

All that guff about there being initiations and quasi-satanic rites to advance people in the game/cult.

I just wonder where my devoted circle of brainwashed followers are after 10 years of Dming?

The things I could have them do for me!

I'd never have to leave the house for shopping or buy a beer ever again!:D

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Illiden_Nailo 08-30-07, 09:31 PM	Why does it seem that almost everyone that doesn't play (or never played before) D&D thinks that it is satanic, teaches witchcraft, etc etc. I mean half the books out there that is read by these people, I think, are bad in that sense. I mean I am young yet, but some of you people have seen the world in a way I haven't,:D could you clarify?
facultyschedule 08-30-07, 09:42 PM	DnD being "satanic" is SO early 80's every once in a while, finger pointing witch-hunters have to grouse about someting that they see as corrupting to young people. it might be comic books or Elvis in the 50's or DnD and heavy metal in the 80's. It doesn't matter at all. Have fun with it. Ignore *******s.
RadicalTaoist 08-30-07, 09:44 PM	That's because they're morons who haven't heard this. (http://www.pennyarcadeexpo.com/PAX07_Keynote.mp3) JK. Seriously, I don't see much of that anymore. Others may have seen more, though; I started serious gaming long after the Jack Chick crowd was more or less forgotten by the mainstream.
xXOblivionXx 08-30-07, 09:45 PM	I'm not pretty sure why, but I know that some of those people are the ones that thank god for 9/11...
Illiden_Nailo 08-30-07, 09:59 PM	Mm, yes, but does anyone know what actually started the notion of it being evil and such?
Board_Rider 08-30-07, 10:11 PM	Started by a Christian or some religious group early on. Don't really see that assumption any more. More of a nerd thing now.
WizO_Kwai_Chang 08-30-07, 10:12 PM	Let's keep this topic away from religious discussion, please.
Tempest Stormwind 08-30-07, 10:17 PM	Mm, yes, but does anyone know what actually started the notion of it being evil and such? As near as I can tell, William Dear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_tunnel_incident). He probably didn't start it (personally, I suspect that was a combination of evocative art, questionable titling, and parents who didn't realize that they were doing exactly what their parents had done to rock and roll) but Dear certainly was the catalyst that made this concern widespread. I should note that Dear was working off of incomplete information, actually (since D&D wasn't common knowledge back then and James Egbert wasn't exactly public about it), and the press blew it out of proportion (recall the connections the press made between Columbine and Metallica or video games? It was like that). Dear later changed his statements. By the way, RT's link is made of win. Take the time to listen to it.
Mojo_Rat 08-30-07, 10:36 PM	About 10-15 years ago i was listening to a program on CBC radio that had some excerpts from a speech that some woman had given talking about D&D. I cant remember who she was but I do remember that she had compared the game to doing crack or heroine. She felt that it had the same addictive properties and ultimmaltely lead you to the same end. She was of course horribly ignorant but she was expressing a view that many people seem to share about anything which depicts magic in a positive light. There are still people who are firmly convinced the phb teaches you to cast spells. these are of course the same people that advocate the burning of harry potter books. There useto be a web site in which the author went through a bunch of the spell descriptions and demonstrated their instructions do not work in RL. It was pretty funny but i forget the address for it.
OKCPayne 08-30-07, 11:09 PM	Let's keep this topic away from religious discussion, please. Trying to pull this off while staying on topic here... I read an article that warned against letting your children play these game because the spells were researched and are REAL SPELLS! So when was the last time YOU cast a fireball. Man... that would come in handy in 5:00 traffic. On another path, but still on topic... I started wearing Doc Martins when it was still cool to wear Nike and Reebok's... so a friend of my mothers saw me in my green 9 hole docs one day and asked "Nice boots, which gang is that?"... I asked what she meant and she asked which gang my boots represent. :confused: This mostly comes from people one generation up. Those of the same generation either accept it or think its "geeky". :cool:
Voran 08-30-07, 11:19 PM	Honestly, those who still use D&D as their example of the sweet evil book of Satan that corrupts youth, really have to catch up with the times. I mean its so obvious that the root of evil is Grand Theft Auto related games. I mean, Jack Thompson has it right, right?
Tempest Stormwind 08-30-07, 11:22 PM	Honestly, those who still use D&D as their example of the sweet evil book of Satan that corrupts youth, really have to catch up with the times. I mean its so obvious that the root of evil is Grand Theft Auto related games. I mean, Jack Thompson has it right, right? Check out the opening line from the speech RT linked. ;) Or even the entire speech, which I'd highly recommend. (Check your volume first, though; it's not something you want blared out loud at work.)
Gryllmyre 08-30-07, 11:26 PM	raises hands Please, don't kill me!
mearrin69 08-30-07, 11:33 PM	So when was the last time YOU cast a fireball. Man... that would come in handy in 5:00 traffic. Hmmm. I find lightening bolt, with its line effect, more useful in traffic :) M
therougepenguin 08-30-07, 11:50 PM	Hmmm. I find lightening bolt, with its line effect, more useful in traffic :) M I could just imagine some guy sticking half his body out his car window waving his hands and mumbling, then BAM!
Zousha_Omenohu 08-30-07, 11:51 PM	Hey, it could happen in Urban Arcana.;)
OKCPayne 08-30-07, 11:57 PM	Hmmm. I find lightening bolt, with its line effect, more useful in traffic :) M And that, my friend, is why we D&D players are evil. Casting fireballs and lightning bolts at people... why I never! :clap: :evillaugh :devil: :bow: :rofl: :rimshot:
Crimson13 08-30-07, 11:57 PM	Now that you think about it actually using D&D magic would be pretty cool...and it would be really easy to get spells because all you would have to do is look in a D&D spell book.
KillerVole 08-31-07, 12:10 AM	A lot of it was started by Patricia Pulling, a woman whose son committed suicide. It was allegedly caused by "a Dungeons and Dragons curse". She started a crazy crusade, which was thoroughly debunked here: http://www.rpgstudies.net/stackpole/pulling_report.html
Carmine_the_Wolf 08-31-07, 06:19 AM	I'm always intrigued by the claims that people outside the hobby make about what goes on in a game of D&D. All that guff about there being initiations and quasi-satanic rites to advance people in the game/cult. I just wonder where my devoted circle of brainwashed followers are after 10 years of Dming? The things I could have them do for me! I'd never have to leave the house for shopping or buy a beer ever again!:D