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| | ===Demons and Devils=== | | ===Demons and Devils=== |
| − | In D&D, player characters (the player's in game persona) are constantly gaining strength and power. Therefore, they are forever seeking more powerful adversaries and more difficult challenges. For example, at the start of a campaign player characters may be doing battle with creatures short of stature with few may limitations (low intelligence, fear of sunlight) such as [[goblin]]s or [[kobold]]s. But as the player character's power increases, so to increases the deadliness of their opponents. In the search for ever more powerful opponents game designers eventually developed attributes for demons and devils. | + | In D&D, player characters (the player's in game persona) are constantly gaining strength and power. Therefore, they are forever seeking more powerful adversaries and more difficult challenges. For example, at the start of a campaign player characters may be doing battle with creatures short of stature with significant disadvantages (low intelligence, fear of sunlight) such as goblins or kobolds. But as the player character's power increases, so to increases the deadliness of their opponents. In the search for ever more powerful opponents game designers eventually developed attributes for demons and devils. |
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| | The publishers of the game had imagined that they would sell a few hundred copies to college-aged males and never imagined that the game would experience explosive popularity, especially among teens as young as thirteen. Therefore, no thought or planning was invested into the potential impact of defining the powers and abilities of demons and devils. To the game's designers and players, killing a demon (in game) was no more controversial than killing a bishop in a game of chess. | | The publishers of the game had imagined that they would sell a few hundred copies to college-aged males and never imagined that the game would experience explosive popularity, especially among teens as young as thirteen. Therefore, no thought or planning was invested into the potential impact of defining the powers and abilities of demons and devils. To the game's designers and players, killing a demon (in game) was no more controversial than killing a bishop in a game of chess. |
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| − | But to bystanders the very inclusion of demons and devils was enough to cast suspicion upon the entire game--particularly since the game's much-touted freedom might allow a character to side with them. Additionally, the inclusions of demons and devils in the game raised other questions, such as why there are no angels in the game. There were no angels in the earliest editions of the game, because there was no reason to have an angel in the role of a ''monster''. (See terminology above.) By late First Edition and early Second Edition, the game included and defined [[angels]], [[devas]] and other highly powerful creatures of good; sometimes these were presented as allies for good characters, sometimes enemies for evil ones. This led to the criticism that religious icons were being disrespected by inclusion in the reference works. | + | But to bystanders the very inclusion of demons and devils was enough to cast suspicion upon the entire game--particularly since the game's much-touted freedom might allow a character to side with them. Additionally, the inclusion of demons and devils in the game raised other questions, such as why there are no angels in the game. There were no angels in the earliest editions of the game, because there was no reason to have an angel in the role of a ''monster''. (See terminology above.) By late First Edition and early Second Edition, the game included and defined [[angels]], devas and other highly powerful creatures of good; sometimes these were presented as allies for good characters, sometimes enemies for evil ones. This led to the criticism that religious icons were being disrespected by inclusion in the reference works. |
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| | In the Second Edition, the publishers tried to sanitize D&D by removing demons and devils, but many players (who enjoyed the challenge of destroying demons) resisted this effort. Later editions removed many references to "real" demons. Additionally, the terms "devil" and "demon" were replaced with the terms "baatezu" and "tanar'ri", respectively, and "the Nine Hells" (the outer planar home of devils/baatezu) was renamed "Baator". | | In the Second Edition, the publishers tried to sanitize D&D by removing demons and devils, but many players (who enjoyed the challenge of destroying demons) resisted this effort. Later editions removed many references to "real" demons. Additionally, the terms "devil" and "demon" were replaced with the terms "baatezu" and "tanar'ri", respectively, and "the Nine Hells" (the outer planar home of devils/baatezu) was renamed "Baator". |