The good ole days of Satanic Panic
GuyBoy
Hero
I remember being fully aware of the Satanic Panic, but it was never really much of a “thing” in the UK.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve got more than our fair share of swivel-eyed loons (see Brexit for proof!), but they don’t tend to group around religion as their cause. So D&D was never particularly controversial.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve got more than our fair share of swivel-eyed loons (see Brexit for proof!), but they don’t tend to group around religion as their cause. So D&D was never particularly controversial.
billd91
Not your screen monkey (he/him)
We lost a player to it. He had gotten the red box basic for Xmas one year as well as some Steve Jackson Games paper minis. Some months later, his pastor got wind he played it and told his parents he shouldn't be doing so and they complied. It was unfortunate because he really enjoyed the game.
payn
He'll flip ya...Flip ya for real...
Theres been a long lasting effect of it too. Back in 2007 there was a murder trial where two of the suspects played Dungeons and Dragons Online. Why that came up who knows? The fact that they played a D&D videogame was a double dip into panic about corrupted youth being driven to violence nonsense. Not just the lawyers, but the opinion commentary from the media beat that narrative like a drum.
Sacrosanct
Legend
From 1981 (when I started to play) to 1986, I lived in small town America in Alaska and eastern Oregon. Catholic household, overall pretty Christian towns. No one really cared about D&D. My parents never gave any flack about it, and in fact bought us our stuff. Music, however, that was a different creature. My mom didn't like the "heavy metal". In fact, she banned us from listening to Huey Lewis and the News because of "I want a new drug" despite that song being explicitly against using actual drugs. 
In 1986 I moved to the outskirts of Portland, so a bigger city didn't have much of a panic either.
In 1986 I moved to the outskirts of Portland, so a bigger city didn't have much of a panic either.
J.Quondam
CR 1/8
in 1985 or so when I was playing Basic, the parents of some neighbors informed my family their children wouldn't be allowed to associate with me or my brothers anymore, because I played D&D.
They never actually played D&D with me (and neither did my brothers, for that matter). We were all just kids on the block, just "go outside and play!" sort of friends. Nevertheless, they were simply forbidden from ever playing with any of us at all. Because their pastor said.
They never actually played D&D with me (and neither did my brothers, for that matter). We were all just kids on the block, just "go outside and play!" sort of friends. Nevertheless, they were simply forbidden from ever playing with any of us at all. Because their pastor said.
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I started playing D&D in Aurora Colorado in 1977-78. While my Mom was marginally concerned*, I was made fully aware of the Satanic Panic in 1982 or so because of a relative. We had just moved to Texas. (At the time, I had also discovered heavy metal.)
Funny thing, I was attending an all-boys Catholic private high school at the time, and the monks who ran it didn’t worry about it at all. In fact, I was permitted to start a roleplaying game club while I was there.
In fact, the only faculty member who gave me any guff about the game (and the music, too) was my art teacher. He was one of my faves, and I think the feeling was mutual (we’re still cordial to this day), but he became born again midway through the school year, gave away his tapes (which he used to play in class on a boom box), and started opening classes with a Bible quote.
* Mom didn’t actually do or say anything about either the music or the hobby, but did eventually tell me YEARS later of her worries.
Funny thing, I was attending an all-boys Catholic private high school at the time, and the monks who ran it didn’t worry about it at all. In fact, I was permitted to start a roleplaying game club while I was there.
In fact, the only faculty member who gave me any guff about the game (and the music, too) was my art teacher. He was one of my faves, and I think the feeling was mutual (we’re still cordial to this day), but he became born again midway through the school year, gave away his tapes (which he used to play in class on a boom box), and started opening classes with a Bible quote.
* Mom didn’t actually do or say anything about either the music or the hobby, but did eventually tell me YEARS later of her worries.
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LongTimeLurker
Explorer
I went to a catholic grade school; about grade 5 a visiting priest came in to wail about the evils of "Dungeons & Hounds." Yes, that's correct, he didn't even know the proper name of the game (the art teacher corrected him). That particular priest later went to jail for raping children.
MGibster
Legend
Me: I'm heading to Chris'.
Mom: Are you guys going to play your Satanic game?
Me: Yeah.
Mom: Have fun.
My parents didn't take the Satanic panic very seriously. In sixth grade, I was reading Keep on the Borderlands in the school cafeteria and a teacher said to me, "I don't think you're supposed to have that here." but she didn't take it away or pursue the issue any further. While I always had a good time poking fun at some of those folks, I have to admit I feel very badly for Pat Pulling of Bothered about Dungeons and Dragons (BADD) fame. Her son, an avid gamer, committed suicide and I think Pulling kind of went off the deep end trying to cope with his death. The death of a young person is always difficult but dealing with suicide can complicate the grieving process quite a bit. I don't excuse her behavior, and while I might laugh at her absurd conclusions I don't laugh at her any more.
Mom: Are you guys going to play your Satanic game?
Me: Yeah.
Mom: Have fun.
My parents didn't take the Satanic panic very seriously. In sixth grade, I was reading Keep on the Borderlands in the school cafeteria and a teacher said to me, "I don't think you're supposed to have that here." but she didn't take it away or pursue the issue any further. While I always had a good time poking fun at some of those folks, I have to admit I feel very badly for Pat Pulling of Bothered about Dungeons and Dragons (BADD) fame. Her son, an avid gamer, committed suicide and I think Pulling kind of went off the deep end trying to cope with his death. The death of a young person is always difficult but dealing with suicide can complicate the grieving process quite a bit. I don't excuse her behavior, and while I might laugh at her absurd conclusions I don't laugh at her any more.
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