Satanic panic and witch hunts have been occurring for 100s if not 1000s of years and in the 1980s, the fantasy adventure game Dungeons & Dragons sprang up new fears and interests in devil worship.
Various people and groups in the 80s linked D & D to teen suicides, murders and claim it lead many into the roots of satanic rituals.
In 1980, Christian minister Norman Spinger told the New York Times D & D books are filled with things that are not fantasy, but real in the demon world and are dangerous to anyone involved, because it leaves them open to satanic spirits. In that same year a British clergyman said letting children play D & D is like handing them over to Satan. Reverend John Hollidge said it's (D &D) a game of life and death. In 1982, the movie "Mazes & Monsters" staring Tom Hanks depicts D & D in a hysterical, inaccurate and nonsensical way "Of Dice and Men" author David M. Ewalt said.
D & D is indeed a game of life and death, but the vast majority of the time, it's all fantasy, a mythical journey where imaginary characters gain new abilities and more powers over time or they are swallowed in the spheres of annihilation.
"Of Dice and Men" illustrated the gripping power of D & D and Advanced D & D, though it never seized my attention. Having played the game or attempting to play twice back in the 80s, I was never quick minded enough to escape the many hazards of the game, so my character perished in the very beginning stages of the game.
Each game is different with countless outcomes and scenarios. Most D & D participants are 21-year-old college students meeting at least once a week with the same group of individuals to play the game. A single game can last weeks, months, years or even decades.
It's estimated that since 1974, the inaugural year of D & D, more than 30 million people have played the game. Ewalt is willing to bet that 29 million of these people had their first tasted of playing D& D in a tavern.
'Your in a tavern' has become the D & D equivalency of 'Once Upon a Time.' Many games include a Pub Crawler. The Pub Crawler is the one character to go to for finding information about the local area foreign travelers find themselves in. The Pub Crawler, who dwells in a tavern is called Norm, because of the 90s TV show "Cheers."
The leader of each game is the Dungeon Master or DM. The DM is responsible for various acts of creation for the many aspects throughout game. Example; The DM sketches details like mapping out where various traps are, where treasure is, and what monsters may be guarding the treasure or lurking about, seeking to destroy each character participating in the game. Players earn points in many ways. Killing a rat may be a 100 points while slaying a dragon might be a 100,000 points. Earn enough points to move up to the next level; with each level more abilities and strengths are gained.
Extreme enthusiast of the game play Advanced D & D, Advanced D & D is for men they say and D & D is for boys.
Funerary customs are rituals to allow the living to celebrate and say good-bye to the dead said Ewalt. Upon co-creator Gary Gygax's death in 2008 an impromptu game of D & D between friends and family emerged at his funeral. It's an annual convention now. In 2012, more than 500 people gathered for four days to play more than 200 organized games of D & D in memory of Gygax.
I checked this book out from the library simple because I enjoyed the title. It's a solid three star read. The details about D & D co-creators Gygax and Dave Arneson and their fall out in the 80s was a bore along with the unnecessary particulars of how much money the two made with D & D during its first six years.
Ewalt has been playing D & D since he was 10-years-old. He's a journalist and writes about games for Forbes magazine.
"I'm no wizard, but once a week I feel like I am. Even though it's make believe, the catharsis is real. My life isn't wanting for magic because I've got D & D," Ewalt said.
