D&D General The Satanic Panic never really died?

[Morrus]

Guess it didn’t for some!

 

[Retreater]

I'm a children's librarian. I still have children coming to me regularly (more than weekly) who are forbidden to read Harry Potter or other fantasy series because it teaches "real witchcraft." For the same reason, I avoid running D&D games in our game nights here.

 

[GlassJaw]

I'm a children's librarian. I still have children coming to me regularly (more than weekly) who are forbidden to read Harry Potter or other fantasy series because it teaches "real witchcraft." For the same reason, I avoid running D&D games in our game nights here.

Or maybe you should, so as to enlighten the "enlightened".

 

[Salthorae]

It died down... but the myth still exists in pockets and places and people.

 

[Charlaquin]

The full-blown Panic subsided, but the underlying Satanic Anxiety is still untreated.

 

[Bawylie]

“Hey everybody! Get a load of this concerned mother’s sincerely held religious beliefs! Guess she didn’t get the memo that the 1980s are over HA HA!”

Classy.

 

[LordEntrails]

Ignorance and intolerance never die, they just go into hiding by those who feel "oppressed" by their views not being accepted until they can pass them on to a new generation.

 

[Sunsword]

I'm a children's librarian. I still have children coming to me regularly (more than weekly) who are forbidden to read Harry Potter or other fantasy series because it teaches "real witchcraft." For the same reason, I avoid running D&D games in our game nights here.

It's sad, we home school and I had a fellow home school Dad nearly causing a 12 year old girl who had fallen in love with Harry Potter and reading to cry. I stepped in and pointed out Christianity isn't designed to make children cry.

 

[Raunalyn]

To which I would proclaim, "Hail Satan!" as I pull out my dice bag and D&D books...

 

[Undrave]

“Hey everybody! Get a load of this concerned mother’s sincerely held religious beliefs! Guess she didn’t get the memo that the 1980s are over HA HA!”

Classy.

These 'sincerely held religious beliefs' are also why Gay Conversion Therapy camp exist so I'm not sure that's a good enough excuse...

Point is, DnD magic isn't real. Everybody knows that but apparently not that lady. Heck, even when a spell has a verbal or somatic component the book doesn't tell you what it actually is, just that it exists. They could be Nickleback Lyrics for all we know. Meaning that even if you wanted to use DnD as some sort of occult manual, it wouldn't get you far.

 

[Undrave]

To which I would proclaim, "Hail Satan!" as I pull out my dice bag and D&D books...

Don't you mean 'Hail Asmodeusu!' and then "I CAST ELDRITCH BLAST! PEW PEW!" because you're a Fiend pact warlock and that's what you do.

 

[iserith]

Meaning that even if you wanted to use DnD as some sort of occult manual, it wouldn't get you far.

All the occult stuff is in the DMG, which nobody reads.

 

[Undrave]

All the occult stuff is in the DMG, which nobody reads.

Only noobs need the DMG ;p

 

[BookBarbarian]

“Hey everybody! Get a load of this concerned mother’s sincerely held religious beliefs! Guess she didn’t get the memo that the 1980s are over HA HA!”

Classy.

I think we can successfully separate sincerely held religious beliefs from the specifically referenced Dark Dungeons's ideas that playing D&D is pursuit of real world sorcery.

 

[Sacrosanct]

If D&D magic were real, gamers wouldn't still be relatively low on the social hierarchy. We'd be ruling the world.

 

[Umbran]

“Hey everybody! Get a load of this concerned mother’s sincerely held religious beliefs! Guess she didn’t get the memo that the 1980s are over HA HA!”

Sincerely held religious beliefs are fine, so long as they don't contradict objective reality. Belief that D&D teaches you actual spellcraft and satanic rituals is not about religion.

 

[Retreater]

Or maybe you should, so as to enlighten the "enlightened".

I did purchase the books for young readers Wizards recently published (the "Choose Your Own Stories" series as well as the Young Adventurers' Guides) so they have access to the material. That said, I also purchase a lot of Christian fiction and religious-themed books. I try to provide balance in the collection.
But since I'm not going to host a "roleplaying games are wicked" program to accompany a potential D&D program, I can't claim the same balance. And knowing it's a hot button issue to me (having grown up during the Satanic Panic), I know I can't be impartial in those programs.

 

[Retreater]

If D&D magic were real, gamers wouldn't still be relatively low on the social hierarchy. We'd be ruling the world.

I would argue that we are ruling the world.
As my friend had an employee a few years ago who said he called D&D players nerds when he was in school. My friend replied. "You know what we're called now? Your boss."

 

[BookBarbarian]

I would argue that we are ruling the world.
As my friend had an employee a few years ago who said he called D&D players nerds when he was in school. My friend replied. "You know what we're called now? Your boss."

Bah I am still unable to Rage and become resistant to fire damage in real life.

If Satan is powering my Bear Totem he's doing a piss poor job of it.

 

[Undrave]

I did purchase the books for young readers Wizards recently published (the "Choose Your Own Stories" series as well as the Young Adventurers' Guides) so they have access to the material. That said, I also purchase a lot of Christian fiction and religious-themed books. I try to provide balance in the collection.
But since I'm not going to host a "roleplaying games are wicked" program to accompany a potential D&D program, I can't claim the same balance. And knowing it's a hot button issue to me (having grown up during the Satanic Panic), I know I can't be impartial in those programs.

Then run a sci-fi game instead How about Star Trek?