A reader of my blog recently reached out to me. He shared a video of Fr. Peter Heers, an influential Orthodox Christian YouTuber, answering the question as to whether or not the Satanic Panic was actually correct. He ended up warning people: do not play Dungeons & Dragons.
This may come as a bit of a surprise, but I find myself agreeing with his basic premise. If I were to answer the same question I would have to point out that given the current state of the game, its ownership, the way that people are being taught how to play, and the space it occupies in popular culture, I must agree with Fr. Peter. Do not casually play D&D.
Those of you that have been reading my blog, however, will know that I have a very different opinion of the Satanic Panic. Not only did it damage the hobby and the game, is was and is utterly ignorant of how it drove the hobby and the game away from Christianity into the very state that Fr. Peter is so uncomfortable with.
Christianity is implied in 0e, Holmes, B/X, and 1e. The rules lend themselves beautifully to building out fantasy worlds where Christianity plays a major role. Pagan gods have stat blocks, with hit points. That means they are monsters that can be killed. Psalm 82 provides the framework from which to build out an entire D&D campaign based on the idea of hunting down fallen angels (pagan gods) and their progeny. An enthroned, pre-incarnate Christ declares:
You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.
In 0e and Holmes, there are no “Holy Symbols” in the equipment lists, only Wodden and Silver Crosses. Couple this with the description of the Vampire from the Holmes edition of Basic D&D and I have all I need to prove the early D&D was implicitely Christian:
All vampires, regardless of religious background, are affected by the cross which is sovereign against them. They will not flee these symbols, but it can keep them from their intended victim if interposed between the vampire and its prey.
The Satanic Panic pushed the game toward the demonic, not away from it. Starting with 2e, paganism is hard-wired into the game. It now requires a DM to do the hard work of converting all the various domains and the mechanics that surround them into a Christian context. This work was not necessary prior to the Panic. Today, you can play Warlocks who make pacts with devils, play bards who use their magic to be promiscuous with all kinds of creatures, and even play half devil tieflings (a status that would have God commanding your utter destruction by either flood or the sword of the Isrealite with no mercy). None of these were availlable in the early rules.
Do I think it is possible to bring Christ to the gaming table? This blog demonstrates that the answer is yes.
Do I think that the Satanic Panic has actually brought more people to atheism and worse than early D&D ever did? Absolutely.
Do I think that we can casually play any form of D&D without the hard work it takes to bring Christ to the table? No.
It is becoming increasingly clear that our culture has blinded itself to spiritual world and the daily battles that it brings. Properly done, D&D can allow us to enjoy each other’s company and this hobby while introducing us to that sturggle. Improperly done, we invite the demonic.
When God says to Cain, “sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it” He is refering to a demon waiting to be let in. Don’t let them in.
2 comments:
Thank you for addressing this issue!
We currently play 5e, but I have played D&D from the beginning.
While I don't think everything has to be sanitized to appear Christian in the game, just like I don't think it necessary to sanitize stories of mythology and the like (to me there is something unsettling about being overly sanitized about stories and games), I do agree it is much harder for a Christian DM to navigate the current gamescape and make decisions regarding what can be blessed and what not. For those times, I try to check in with other Orthodox Christians, including priests, to be sure I don't completely loose my footing.
In the end, for us, it is just a fun game we can play together as Orthodox Christians during the week, taking a hobby break from the stress of normal parental responsibilities. The intention of the heart is key imo, and there is a difference between a storyline about demons or monsters, and actually wanting to have communion with them in real life. Our intention is to enjoy each other's company and have a fun evening, and also to catch a fragrance, a longing of the Kingdom which is not of this world.
But I'm sure I have lost my footing and glorified aspects of the game that were iffy or not bringing glory to God. For all of those times, and I'm sure there will be more, Lord have mercy upon me, a sinner.
Before this campaign, I made sure we talked about certain themes and players were upfront and honest with anything they felt uncomfortable with. So we made sure we were all on the same page as a Christian group before we started the campaign.
Apart from allowing no evil characters in my games and making sure the storyline is the party fighting against a clear evil, I have begun (again) to start our sessions off with a prayer that was compiled by an Orthodox player who played my last campaign. It is our small way to invite Christ to the table as you say.
Here it is, for anyone interested:
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, greatest Storyteller and greatest Hero of the greatest story ever told. Bless us, we pray, as we enter into this game, so that as we play, an awesome story may unfold—revealing the tragedy of fallen darkness, but most of all how Your Light and courage shines through and triumphs in the midst of it. May this story not wound our consciences—but be full of Your joy, wisdom, freedom, meaning, creativity, and purpose, bringing us enjoyment—that through it we too may learn, even if but a little, how to live as heroes in the ever-unfolding story of Your Holy Church, as She struggles towards life eternal. Amen.
It's due to things like this that I do consider whether I should have a game similar to https://holylandsrpg.com/ in that it had Christian ethos at It's heart. Not that you can't do similar with D&D.
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