ndsss@ihuxx.UUCP (Al R. Zantow) (11/01/84)
Hello, just dropped by to tell you the latest threat to the "good, moraly upstanding republican" world since the discovery of backwards masking (you know, play a record backwards and not only do you hear bizzare sounds, you hear devil worship and such). It turns out that this hell sent curse is ... D&D !!!! At least, as reported by a local holy roller type on the boob tube, I think he was with the PTL club or something like that. It turns out that some kid committed suicide and it was all caused by D&D rotting his mind. I am not saying that suicide is a trivial thing, but this sort of thing is not caused by playing games, but is caused by other, more complex issues. The kid may have used the game as an escape (by no means am I saying that this is the normal reason for playing any FRP game), but this has nothing to do with the game itself. The crew on the tube then went on to show their horror at discovering that the Dragon Masters Guide was, in there eyes, advocating devil worship, human sacrifice, sin, dancing, and the drinking of beer. They then went on to put this in the same class of world destroying evil as backwards masking of rock music, which supposedly can be heard when the LP is played backwards at some speed other than 33 RPM, while some Moron Majority type repeats over and over what you are supposedly hearing off the album. I am not trying to offend anyone, except the possibly the people who try to ram this crap about devil worship in rock music, games, and just about everything else (just like cancer) down my throat every chance they get. I have never played the game of D&D, but I would like to give it a try. I think I can prevent myself from killing my myself or joining some devil cult just bacause I was having some fun, but some lunatic fringe religious cult will probably use me as their next example of a person who has strayed from the paths of pure bull--ht. Sorry about the rave out, anyone care to show me the ropes ? Al Zantow !ihuxx!ndsss
sps@drusd.UUCP (11/01/84)
I am also disgusted whenever I hear D&D referred to as a satanic game. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, there are many demons, devils, and other assorted evil creatures described in the literature of the game; they are described as abhorred beings to be feared and, if possible, destroyed by the player characters. D&D uses the mythos of Hell as a foundation for the struggles between GOOD and EVIL, on the basis of "know thy enemy." Most player characters are constrained to good, and some to lawful good, alignments. I have yet to play an FRP game where the player party was not engaged in mortal combat with the minions of evil. Isn't this the same battle as that being waged by the groups who brand the game as a corruption of proper society? (The opinions expressed are those of the author, and do NOT reflect those of the sponsor!) SP Shapland, aka Amlwch, Lord of the Karpian Dragons 11655 Logan St. Northglenn, CO 80233 drusd!sps