Difference between revisions of "Dungeons and Dragons"
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One item of concern for conservative Christians is that player characters do not usually worship [[God]], but instead choose a [[patron]] deity from a [[polytheistic]] pantheon. | One item of concern for conservative Christians is that player characters do not usually worship [[God]], but instead choose a [[patron]] deity from a [[polytheistic]] pantheon. | ||
| − | Player characters | + | Player characters are sometimes rewarded with treasure and occult powers for |
| + | summoning and worshiping demons and devils. | ||
Another criticism is that illustrations in the rule books for Dungeons and Dragons often contain images of immodestly dressed women. | Another criticism is that illustrations in the rule books for Dungeons and Dragons often contain images of immodestly dressed women. | ||
Revision as of 11:19, April 28, 2007
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D or DnD) is a role-playing game which takes place in magical fantasy world of mythical creatures such as elves, dwarves, orcs, and dragons. Players undertake a series of heroic adventures or quests, following a plot controlled by one player called the dungeon master (DM).
The game was originally published in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and is now published by Wizards of the Coast.[1]
Game play
Dice of various types are used to determine outcomes. As players' characters accomplish more, they gain experience points (XP) which allow their characters to gain levels, which in turn make them more powerful and have more abilities. The DM may use a commercially-produced adventure, or may create one of his own.
The game's allows players to play either good, neutral, or evil characters. The game may include occult elements like ghosts, spirits, demons and devils which the characters may fight, use or aid as they see fit. Most DMs forbid evil characters as they are often disruptive to the game.
The game settings manufactured by Wizards of the Coast (Greyhawk, Faerun, Eberron, etc.) also expressly adopt a polytheistic pantheon of deities and reject real-world religions as a part of the game. That being said, there is nothing to stop a DM from coming up with a monotheistic world in which to run his adventures. In fact, there is an unofficial published setting, Testament, that is about roleplaying in the Biblical Era. Most characters in the game worship fictional deities both as lay persons and as "clerics", a profession than any character may choose to undertake assuming their alignment matches or is close to a match with their chosen god. Clerics of these deities are granted magical powers by their chosen deity by means of which they can kill enemies, or heal their party members.
The game has been steadily modified and expanded since the original first edition and is now in edition 3.5.
There is now a Dungeons and Dragons Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG) known as Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach which takes place in the Eberron campaign setting.
The Magic System
The magic system used in Dungeons and Dragons was adopted very roughly from the writing of fantasy and science fiction author Jack Vance. In the Vancian system, magic-users such as wizards must prepare all of their spells in advance for that day by memorizing them and a spell leaves the wizard's memory upon being cast. To cast the spell again, the magic-user must once again memorize the spell. The Vancian system was chosen for a variety of reasons such as its originality compared to pre-existing magical systems, its avoidance any connection with systems of magic described in any religion or occult theory, and it being the creation one of Gygax's favorite authors.[2][3]
The Combat System
Players fight by throwing dice having 20, 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4 sides. Rolling two 10-sided dice creates a two-digit random number for percentages, which the rules will sometimes refer to as rolling a 100-sided die.
In combat there are three different ways that a character can damage another character: melee, ranged, or magical. Attacking a PC is often an evil act that will get you tossed out that group, but PC-vs-PC combat is sometimes entered by mutual agreement of the players as part of a plot.
Criticism
Starting in the late 1970s the game and others like it came under attack mainly from some conservative Christians as promoting occult and criminal activity. Its dangers were summarized in the Dark Dungeons tract by fundamentalist Christian author Jack Chick.[4]
One item of concern for conservative Christians is that player characters do not usually worship God, but instead choose a patron deity from a polytheistic pantheon.
Player characters are sometimes rewarded with treasure and occult powers for summoning and worshiping demons and devils.
Another criticism is that illustrations in the rule books for Dungeons and Dragons often contain images of immodestly dressed women.
These criticisms were accompanied by boycotts, lawsuits
and calls for censorship.
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast's D&D site
- ↑ Forum discussion: "Is D&D magic purely Vancian?"
- ↑ RPGnet: Review of "The Primer of Practical Magic"
- ↑ Jack Chick: "Dark Dungeons"