DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.....

THE GAME

Mind against mind, the battle rages on with only the sharpest

and fastest thinkers going out ahead of the pack of hungry and

fighting players as each scheme and plot against the other to survive.

The "War Room" is in the mind of each player as the make-

believe battles and struggles pit player against player; against the

elements; against the environment; against creatures from this world

and from other worlds; against lords - gods - demons - devils - curses

- witchcraft - every known power of warfare that the mind can conjure

up.

"Only the strong survive" doesn't apply here. The limitation

of the mind determines the outcome. Rules and regulations, limits and

players tools governing the "Game" are contained in the different

manuals and volumes of books containing hundreds of pages. It isn't

easy reading much less and easy game.

It is a challenge not only to win, but to stay alive. The

sharper the mind, the better the memory, the longer the player will

stay alive in the game.

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. The DM (dungeon master, or god) sets the stage in the fantasy

world. Each player assumes the identity of the character he creates.

Their creatures are based on a 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, wolves-bane, etc.) They are

also given more conventional weapons: daggers, hand axes, swords and

battle axes.

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."

Fantasy Role Playing (FRP) is promoted by many schools in

"gifted and talented" programs as a means of challenging and

developing the mind of a "bright" child.

The Fantasy Role Playing in D & D has come under fire by

different individuals and groups claiming that the player may align

himself to "God"; promoting violence, teaching religion, encouraging

sexual perversion, indoctrinating in witchcraft, and even leading to

death.

Well, lets look at some facts.

CONCERNING VIOLENCE - The following occured to D & D players as an

apparent result of the game. In November a 12 year old boy shot his

brother. In January a 14 year old boy walked into school and killed

a teacher. Psychiatrist Laurance 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."

CONCERNING BECOMING GODLIKE - "This game lets all your fantasies come

true. This is a world where monsters, dragons, good and evil; high

priests, fierce demons; and even the gods themselves may enter your

character's life". *

"Changing Alignment: Whether or not the character actively

professes some deity, he or she will have an alignment and serve

one or more deities of this general alignment indirectly or

unbeknownst to the character" (Dungeons Masters Guide, p. 25). You

serve a deity or deities whether you want to or not.

CONCERNING WITCHCRAFT / DEMONOLOGY - Swords and sorcery (witchcraft)

best describes what this game is all about.... *

"Magic users draw upon arcane powers in order to exercise

their profession... He or she must memorize and prepare for the use

of each spell, and its casting makes it necessary to reabsorb the

incantation by consulting the proper book of spells..." *

George Marsh, member of the Cardova Park School Board

(California) stated in a letter, why he voted to remove D & D from

the school district's summer program: "The Supreme Court has

already barred religious activity from public facilities. D & D is

clearly religious in content."

CONCERNING DEATH - "If the Assassination is being attempted by or in

behalf of a player character, a complete plan of how the deed is to

be done should be prepared by the player involved, and the

precautions, if any, of the target character should be compared

against the plan. Weapon damage always occurs and may kill the

victim even though 'assassination' failed." (Dungeon Masters Guide,

p. 75).

CONCERNING SEXUAL PERVERSION - "... These evil creatures will

certainly expect to loot, pillage, and rape freely at every chance,

and kill (and probably eat) captives" (Players Handbood, p. 31).

The game may be just a game. However, it has become much more

to many people. - In Seattle a father is under treatment because

his son used his service revolver to kill himself after being

involved in D & D for only 2 years. - In January a 17 year old

walked onto a school stage, pointed a sawed off shotgun to his head

and fired.

Many - many cases are on public record of involvement in D & D

leading to violence - murder - suicide.

Yes, it's only a game. But it contains the spiritual teachings of

witchcraft.

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." Prov. 23:7.

"Keep thy heart with all dilligence; for out of it are the issues of

life." Prov. 4:23.

We become what we think. If we dwell on murder, rape,

demonology, sadism, prostitution, witchcraft, etc. we absorb that

knowledge and the thin line between fantasy and reality is removed and

may leave no way out but death.

If you are involved - even a little bit with any fantasy role

playing, stop and ask yourself of its influence on your mind and life.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever

things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are

pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good

report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these

things." Paul the Apostle wrote these words. You can read them for

yourself in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 8.

* D & D Handbook

If you want or need further assistance please call or write to:

Gospel Tract Society, Inc.

P. O. Box 1118

Independence, MO 64051

Reprinted with permission - the Gospel Tract Society is maintained by

the gifts of God's people. Help them if you can.... Sysop

 

 

 

 


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