Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Polyhex" data-source="post: 456169" data-attributes="member: 5498">I am delurking for this. Like some people, I find the BoVD's content bland and somewhat weak. I do not think it is particularly offensive or particularly inspiring. I would not have purchased it if I were not running a campaign that deals intimately with the Archdevils and Demon Princes. Any 12 year old can read far darker, more graphic, and morally challenging material by picking up a Stephen King novel.  I am not against the idea of mature content in RPGs. I am an adult, and I prefer to be treated like one. However, there is an important effect that the BoVD has had on the way I think of D&D. I would not run a D&D campaign for a minor, and I would strongly caution any adult considering it. Not because I would EVER include inappropriate content for a young person, and not because I in any way think roleplaying is unsuitable for adolescents or even children. I would not run a D&D campaign for a minor out of fear of criminal liability. There is a frightening hysteria attached to accusations of crimes against children that becomes its own evidence. (Real crimes against children and young people are of course, the most selfish, despicable acts that a person can commit. I am talking about people falsely accused.) Consider the run of (mostly later overturned) convictions in the 80's (US) against people, particularly workers in the child care industry, accused of using children in Satan-worshipping cults and orgies. In many cases, the evidence against these people consisted of A) leading children to make accusations they initially denied through repeated interviews by corrupt psychologists. (Keep reprashing the same questions over and over again until you get a "yes."), and B) testimony from occult "experts" (read: quacks).I can see the BoVD in the hands of an occult expert in the witness stand so clearly I can read the print on the cover. To clarify, I DON'T see the BoVD elliciting anything more exciting than a yawn from the media or the religious right. I find the material very mild, and I won't be alone. They have much bigger fish to fry. But if a DM somewhere is ever accused of crimes against a minor, I fear that the BoVD will be something that the prosecution trots out. Yes, there has already been much darker content published for d20. Remember also that people are stupid, and the BoVD is clearly labelled "Dungeons & Dragons" on the cover. If this ever happens, I don't think that the answer, "But I don't use that in my campaign," is going to cut it. Do you use demons in your campaign? Has the party ever fought a demon? Forget that, do you use *villains* in your campaign? Thinking of this from the perspective of the lowest common denominator, and a complete unfamiliarity with RPGs, a "yes," to any of those questions could be used to link the accused to the BoVD. And hence back to Satan worshipping cults and orgies. Hey, the 80's are in again, right? You can take this with a grain of salt. I am naturally paranoid and I also would never run a daycare center for similar reasons. My husband is finishing his degree in criminal justice with an eye on law school, so I am often treated to stories about gross miscarriage of justice. I don't object to the BoVD and I would actually PREFER more d20 mature content available. But I am also not planning on allowing a minor in my campaigns.</blockquote>

Verification