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how to convince people that D&D is not evil
- Thread starter Corvidae
- Start date
If they're amenable to reason, ask them to consider separately the medium of RPGs and the subject matter or genre of D&D.
If their problem is the medium, do they feel the same about acting and theatre? About improvisational theatre? There are self-consistent (but crazy) reasons to object to theatre and games -- to art and imagination and play with identities -- but not, that I've heard, to roleplaying in particular.
Or maybe their objection is the combination, but few anti-RPG people have thought it through even to that extent. If they're not amenable to reason, there's not much you can easily do.
If their problem is the medium, do they feel the same about acting and theatre? About improvisational theatre? There are self-consistent (but crazy) reasons to object to theatre and games -- to art and imagination and play with identities -- but not, that I've heard, to roleplaying in particular.
Or maybe their objection is the combination, but few anti-RPG people have thought it through even to that extent. If they're not amenable to reason, there's not much you can easily do.
Herremann the Wise
First Post
Corvidae,
Like almost all players here, I play to have fun. Fortunately for me, I do not need to justify such motives to my wife, my friends or of course myself.
However, I almost feel sorry for you that you are in a position where you have to either justify to yourself or to others that "D&D is not evil". If you look at the current ruleset, it is about creatively facing challenges, either by cleverly getting around the challenge or by going over the top of it or straight through it. In other words, in D&D you typically kill things. Most of the PHB decribes a whole stack of ways of doing this more and more effectively. Most people regard killing things as evil. Therefore D&D as conventionally played is evil.
That's the way to look at it if you don't separate the fantasy nature of the game from the real world. For most people that play though, the game is like a book or movie and is pure make believe. While you invest something of yourself in your character (like you do with the characters in a book or movie), you would never see blasting people with fireballs as a real world solution to things. You can quite easily separate the two.
However, certain groups don't believe in separating the two. You are what you live and think and do. For such people with such beliefs, D&D is completely and justifiably evil. Trying to convince them that it isn't is almost silly. To do that, they would have to change how they look at the whole world and their existence in it. Do you really want to do that? Do you really think you can? As for justifying it to yourself as a conservative, that might be pretty difficult too (and thus why you started the thread perhaps?).
All I would say to anyone is that it's a fun game and pure fantasy. If they have a problem with that, then it's more their problem and issue than mine. If you're the meat in the sandwhich though, things are obviously more difficult and complicated. I hope you can sort things out OK for all involved. It sounds like you have many passions in your life. Just remember it is but a game.
Best Regards
Herremann the Wise
Like almost all players here, I play to have fun. Fortunately for me, I do not need to justify such motives to my wife, my friends or of course myself.
However, I almost feel sorry for you that you are in a position where you have to either justify to yourself or to others that "D&D is not evil". If you look at the current ruleset, it is about creatively facing challenges, either by cleverly getting around the challenge or by going over the top of it or straight through it. In other words, in D&D you typically kill things. Most of the PHB decribes a whole stack of ways of doing this more and more effectively. Most people regard killing things as evil. Therefore D&D as conventionally played is evil.
That's the way to look at it if you don't separate the fantasy nature of the game from the real world. For most people that play though, the game is like a book or movie and is pure make believe. While you invest something of yourself in your character (like you do with the characters in a book or movie), you would never see blasting people with fireballs as a real world solution to things. You can quite easily separate the two.
However, certain groups don't believe in separating the two. You are what you live and think and do. For such people with such beliefs, D&D is completely and justifiably evil. Trying to convince them that it isn't is almost silly. To do that, they would have to change how they look at the whole world and their existence in it. Do you really want to do that? Do you really think you can? As for justifying it to yourself as a conservative, that might be pretty difficult too (and thus why you started the thread perhaps?).
All I would say to anyone is that it's a fun game and pure fantasy. If they have a problem with that, then it's more their problem and issue than mine. If you're the meat in the sandwhich though, things are obviously more difficult and complicated. I hope you can sort things out OK for all involved. It sounds like you have many passions in your life. Just remember it is but a game.
Best Regards
Herremann the Wise
really,
for most of my life I was ok hiding that I was a gamer, I was fine with people not knowing. People knowing brings questions, and at that point in my life, questions scared me, what if I am wrong, what if what if.
Anyway, in the past week or so I was exposed to the "dark dungeon" comic as well as several things saying how evil D&D was. Now at this point in my life, I have no problem with questions, or answering them, so I decided I would see what the view was. I also wanted to provide people who have been exposed to this a resource to turn to.
As I said before, I never thought advice was a bad thing, and am always willing to ask for it. Again, I also want to see people's responses and reactions to this, if they have been exposed to it.
I don't need to justify it to myself, I have been a member of this site for over a year, and have posted numerous articles, I love the game, and do not think I need other people to say, it is ok John, you can do it.
I hope that helps explain why I started this thread
John
for most of my life I was ok hiding that I was a gamer, I was fine with people not knowing. People knowing brings questions, and at that point in my life, questions scared me, what if I am wrong, what if what if.
Anyway, in the past week or so I was exposed to the "dark dungeon" comic as well as several things saying how evil D&D was. Now at this point in my life, I have no problem with questions, or answering them, so I decided I would see what the view was. I also wanted to provide people who have been exposed to this a resource to turn to.
As I said before, I never thought advice was a bad thing, and am always willing to ask for it. Again, I also want to see people's responses and reactions to this, if they have been exposed to it.
I don't need to justify it to myself, I have been a member of this site for over a year, and have posted numerous articles, I love the game, and do not think I need other people to say, it is ok John, you can do it.
I hope that helps explain why I started this thread
John
Halivar
First Post
Unfortunately, for most people who have a problem with D&D, I don't think it's either. The offensive thing about D&D is that it is a non-traditional way for socially awkward nerds (yeah, that's right, we can face it like men) to congregate and be accepted... by each other. No footballs. No cool clothes. No fast cars. Just dice and the imagination.Faraer said:
My own parents are not religious in the least (we certainly did no go to church), but told me that roleplaying was evil and satanic. Why? because that many "anti-social rejects" in one room can't possibly be up to any good.
People fear what they do not understand. They don't understand why pastey white kids want to be in the A/V room instead of on a soccer field. So, D&D is evil.
Well I'm originally from Montreal, so that makes it a tad different from being in the US Bible Belt, but I used to play in a Vampire LARP.. Strike that, a SABBAT Vampire LARP, and the main gaming locale was the basement of a catholic church, with the priest fully aware of our doings. So you know.. Playing a regular D&D game in your friend's dining room is prolly alright, and blessed by the pope.
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