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74 Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is the most
successful and most well known of a wide variety
of a fantasy role-playing games. D&D has been
condemned as inspiring young people to commit
suicide and other antisocial acts. It has also been
portrayed as a diabolical primer, leading young
people into the Satanist fold.
Dungeons and Dragons was created by Dave
Arneson and Gary Gygax, who organized the
Tactical Studies Rules Association in 1973. It was a
development from earlier war games and military
simulations. The game was first marketed in 1974.
It gained great popularity among teens and young
adults, particularly after Random House began
distributing it in 1979. It is now published by
Wizards of the Coast. Dozens of other companies
have since published hundreds of similar games
under a variety of titles, such as DragonQuest,
RuneQuest, Tunnels and Trolls, and Villains and
Vigilantes. The games fall into many genres.
These games are played by groups of two or
more people—four to seven are typical. One
player is the Game Master (GM) who defines the
imaginary environment in which the game is
played. Sometimes the GM is referred to as
Dungeon Master,Storyteller,Referee,etc.He or
she creates a make-believe world through which
the players will move and have their adventures.
The players each create a single imaginary character,
defining their shape, race, intellectual and
physical powers, armament, protective devices,
supplies, and materials. The GM decides what
traps, obstacles, and encounters the imaginary
characters will meet. Sometimes the GM holds the
post for a long time; in other groups, the job
rotates among the membership. Adventures may
include play-acting the rescuing of people, the
quest for money, treasure, power, knowledge, and
sometimes even survival of the pretend character.
Each player makes ethical, philosophical, and
moral decisions on behalf of her/his imaginary
character as the game develops. The GM describes
the environment, the events, and the actions of
supporting characters (also called nonplayer characters
or NPCs). The players describe their
pretend characters’ actions and reactions. The GM
then tells them the results of their actions. Many
games use the rolling of dice to resolve conflicts
and to determine the results of various actions
(e.g., trying to disarm a trap or leap across a
chasm, etc.). Any given session begins where the
previous session ended. Games can continue for
years. A few gamers use a system called Live Action
Role Play (LARP) in which the players actually act
out the roles of their characters. Sometimes, they
dress up in costumes as if in a live play. Some
gamers view LARPs negatively. The society in
which Dungeons and Dragons is played is typically
prescientific. Weapons are at the spear and
crossbow level. Some characters may be imagined
as having telepathic powers, others as being
capable of casting magic spells. Other fantasy roleplaying
games are set in the Wild West, in the far
future, etc. Players are usually in their teens to
early thirties. Many younger players will meet for
a game once a week; others once or twice a month.
The session might last about six hours.
Starting in the late 1970s, these games came
under severe attack by some conservative
Christians who alleged that they contain occult
content and inspire people to suicide or criminal
activity. After a young man’s suicide in June 1982,
his mother organized BADD (Bothered about
Dungeons and Dragons). He was apparently
emotionally disturbed. Unfortunately, his mother
kept a loaded gun in the house that he was able to
access, and he used it to commit suicide. His
mother became convinced that the death had been
triggered by her son’s involvement with Dungeons
and Dragons; she believed that his teacher had
placed a curse on her son during a game.
She brought a lawsuit against the teacher and
school. It was thrown out of court. She then
organized BADD and started to speak out against
Role-Playing Games (RPGs), claiming that they
induced young people to commit suicide and
murder. BADD asked the Consumer Product
Safety Commission to place warning labels on
RPGs. The agency investigated but found that the
games did not present a hazard to the public. At
present, BADD is apparently inactive. A second
group actively opposing gaming is the Cult Crime
Action Network (CCAN). In June 1996, the
fantasy role-playing game industry in Italy came
under attack. As in the earlier attacks in North