A few interesting, if not amusing, articles about dnd....

[Pielorinho]

It's interesting how many folks think the Necronomicon is "real" -- that is, that it was written by the mad Arab Al Azif many hundreds of years ago.

If you think it's real, howabout finding a single reference to the book that predates HP Lovecraft? Anywhere?

Of course, if you're talking about the trade paperback published by Puffin Books (?) called the Necronomicon, then sure, it's real. Every bit as real as The Velveteen Rabbit, another real book.

Daniel

 

[UD]

*Raises hand*

My names UD and I'm a Christian. Im also a roleplayer. And Im also president of our Unis roleplay society. I know 6 other roleplaying Christians. Only one other Christian I know thinks Im going to hell because I rp. (And hes not really 'right' in the head.)

Folks, dont let these guys wind you up, just ignore them.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

First, I just want to add that, indeed, the Necronomicon is not real. It and the Egyptian Book of the Dead are two very different things. I have the latter (in paperback, no less!), and I've yet to be torn apart by demons. There is a bookm called the Necronomicon, but its not the one cited by Lovecraft; it's a book inspired by the one Lovecraft made up. Lovecraft perfectly used a device that was more common in the late 1800s in literature - citing newspaper articles and books that never existed to lend an air of verisimilitude to his work. The fact that the Necronomicon still is causing doubts today as to its non-existence is something Lovecraft would probably appreciate greatly.

Second, a lot of us old-timers are, indeed, tired of hearing about the anti-rpg/anti-D&D lobby. It was a lot more prevalent back 20+ years ago, and more successful in its campaign. Eventually reason prevailed, but there is a very small, less-noticed version of that lobby today. Compared to what it once was, it's quite negligible now. That's why some of us say to not worry about it. It had its day in the sun. But, I agree it's probably good for newer RPGers to be acquainted with this group.

 

[Information]

A Christian Hall of Shame would fill volumes.

 

[Zhure]

(starting joke)
You mean magic is real!?!?!? How long did you think you could keep this from me!? Somebody tell me how to cast Hold Person. Then I won't ever have to worry about bullies at school again.
(end joke)

Wisconsin is an antimagic zone and you're 0 level. Might I suggest taking Improved Unarmed Strike instead?
Greg

 

[Bozo]

The real question is

What has caused more suffering in the world...Religion or Roleplaying? The good Cristians should lay off at least untill we catch up with them.....Lets compare notes

Little Tommy (who is seeing a therapist) has some issues and kills a cat for a "D&D" ritual...

The Pope (who is seeing God) Sends his knights to kill the heathens in a little thing called the Crusades...

Then there is the whole Holocaust thing....

The Witch Trails..(the first attempt to wipe out D&D players)

The Galileo thing.......


The point being- in any group there are some nuts but why subject the whole group to that stereotype?

Are all priests child molesters?

Are all muslims loony bombers?

Are all D&D players Satanists (and as long as they don't hurt anyone else is there anything really wrong whith them?)

 

[Zappo]

Don't be taken in by the anti-gaming lobby. All of these so-called cases are either unsubstantiated (read "fabricated") or were tragedies where no causal link was found between RPG's and the violent acts involved.

I have a better word for them: lies.

I am so, so tired of hearing this periodical crap from this or that zealot, especially from Chick. Really, I am sick of it.

I want WotC to sue him. I want WotC to drag his sorry ass to court and get him to put all that back where it came from and pay them some hefty money in the process.

Why, oh, why can't they do it? Could they conceivably lose? Chick and the likes of him have objectively caused immense damage to the RPG industry using lies. If this isn't defamation, then I don't know what defamation is.

God, I am sooooo sick of hearing this rants and knowing that there are people out there who actually believe them.

To court! To court, I say! What the hell, I understand that back in the '80s TSR didn't have the money for that, but now WotC does - especially with Hasbro support. It's hateful that you need money to defend yourself from obvious defamation, but if that's how it works...

 

[Zappo]

Re: The real question is

The Witch Trails..(the first attempt to wipe out D&D players)

That's quite a stretch, isn't it?

 

[Enforcer]

Suing Chick would accomplish one thing for WotC: giving Chick more attention than he already gets, and maybe even national media attention at that. If Wizards wants the impact of this guy to remain minimal, they'll just leave him alone.

Plus, the guy can't possibly have any money worth suing for.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

In addition to giving him attention degrees of order above what he had even in his heyday, suing him would risk making a martyr of him. Not in the literal sense, of course, but a relatively big corporation suing an individual always looks like the big bully with something to hide going after the little guy who has something the corp wants hidden.