Casino 1

Owen Casino

Professor Lindsey Slanker

English 1201-509

23 November 2019

Role-playing games and the people who play them

Tabletop role-playing games are a type of role-playing game where players describe their

character’s actions through speech. One person in a group of players, who is called either the

dungeon master or the game master is the storyteller/overseer of the game. The Dungeon Master

decides whether a player can perform a certain action or not. A roll of the dice is the most

common method used to determine if the actions taken are successful. The history of tabletop

role-playing games has been overshadowed by a great deal of controversy and misinformation.

One game in particular, Dungeons & Dragons, and the people who play it have been hit

especially hard by this negative attention.

Dungeons & Dragons has been a part of my life for about two years now and its

controversial historical links to the occult and satanism have always interested me. One incident,

though, caused me to begin to really look into the topic. A family member, who knew I played

the game, asked if I had any real friends, implying that the group I played with did not count.

That really got me thinking. Even though Dungeons & Dragons and roleplaying games like it

have entered the mainstream, people who play these games continue to be seen by some as

socially awkward outcasts, dweebs, and losers. This is generally not the case as these games

require good social skills to play them, and studies have shown that they can help fulfill basic

social needs. There are even groups that use these games as a type of therapy to help build social
 Casino 2

skills. One of these groups was designed for the sole purpose of empowering young girls. Today,

Dungeons & Dragons is the most recognizable and most famous tabletop role-playing game out

there. It probably owes a lot of its recognition to the moral panic that it stirred up back in the

nineteen-eighties. I am going to first look back at the satanic panic that surrounded Dungeons &

Dragons and the negative effects attributed to playing tabletop role-playing games and then show

that these games may be more beneficial to players then what some people may think.

The event that really turned the media’s focus on Dungeons & Dragons occurred in 1979

with the disappearance at Michigan State University of 16-year-old James Dallas Egbert III

(Haberman). William Dear, a private investigator hired by the family, believed that James’s

erratic behavior was caused by his interest in the game. However, while James was interested in

the game, he never actually played it. His behavior was more likely caused by the fact that he

suffered from several mental and emotional issues and was addicted to drugs. During his month-

long disappearance, he tried and failed to commit suicide on two separate occasions. After

contacting his family and returning home, James took his own life in 1980 (Haberman). His

suicide began a series of events that would snowball into what would be known as the satanic

panic. William Dear went on to publish a book, The Dungeon Master, based solely on his mostly

fictionalized ideas about what happened to James. The book was criticized by the Egbert family

as Dears actions contributed nothing to the search for James, they also said that the events of the

book were inaccurate and were very exploitive of James’s death (Laycock, 81-84). These events,

though completely misconstrued, are what sparked the idea that Dungeons & Dragons twisted

the minds of children and the media began to link other teen suicides and even cases of murder to

Dungeons & Dragons (Retro Report 7:04-7:14). These ideas were propagated by mourning

parents looking for answers, like Patricia A. Pulling who believed that the game caused her son,
 Casino 3

Irving Lee Pulling II, to commit suicide on June 9, 1982 (Isikoff). After two failed lawsuits

against the people she blamed for Irving’s death, the principal of his school and the publisher of

Dungeons & Dragons, Patricia created an organization known as BADD which stood for

Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons. In his book about the satanic panic, “Dangerous Games,”

Joseph Laycock discounts her authority as an expert an says that it “did not come from her

mastery of facts or cogent arguments but rather from her persona as a bereaved mother, the

strength of the coalition she formed with law enforcement and other moral entrepreneurs, and her

ability to articulate general anxieties about changing social mores as evidence of an evil

conspiracy” (115). This lack of expertise was supported by the fact that nearly every claim made

by members of BADD was based on unfounded assertions, accusations, and biased personal

beliefs and guesses. This credibility issue, however, did not stop people from believing what the

organization was saying, which lead to more negative coverage of the game. Gary Gygax, Co-

creator of Dungeons & Dragons, even started to receive death threats as a result of the

accusations made about the game (Laycock, 119-121). With the media endorsing the claims

made by BADD, more people started to promote the idea that Dungeons & Dragons was

“essentially a feeding program for occultism and witchcraft” (Schnoebelen, STRAIGHT TALK).

William Schnoebelen, a self-proclaimed former hard-core Satanist, was just one of the

game’s many religious critics. In 1989 he wrote an article in which he made several unverifiable

and untrue claims about the game. Schnoebelen first stated that two of the writers for Dungeons

& Dragons came to him and his wife for help, when they were still prominent satanic sorcerers

because the writers wanted to make the in-game satanic rituals as realistic as possible. He then

goes on to say that RPGs employ techniques of brainwashing and linked several tragic suicides

and murders to Dungeons & Dragons (STRAIGHT TALK). In 2001 around the time that the
 Casino 4

panic was finally dying down, Schnoebelen decided to write a follow-up article. His new article

uses outdated sources about the game and none of the updated information that had accumulated

since his first article was published. He spends a good bit of the article restating all of his

previous points in detail and then describes how almost everything in the game goes against the

bible and his idea of Christian values. Finally, he dismisses every positive aspect of the game

saying, “For a Christian youth (or adult) to fill their minds with all this occult (and pseudo-

occult) gibberish is an insult to the God who made that mind.” (SHOULD A CHRISTIAN?).

Another popular religious critic of the game was Jack T. Chick, an American cartoonist. Chick is

well-known for his Chick tracts which are short evangelical comics made with the intent to

convert the reader to Christianity. Chick published a tract called “Dark Dungeons” which

accuses the game of being a part of the occult and showed how the game would lead to teen

suicides. The comic follows the story of Debbie, a young girl who plays Dungeons & Dragons,

and her path to accept Jesus into her heart after escaping the evil of the game.

Fig. 1. Debbie’s' friend Marcie dies in-game (Chick).

 Casino 5

In this comic Chick shows that he had very little understanding of the game and no

understanding of how players treat each other. Marcie is completely ostracized by the group of

players after the game master, who in the comic controls everything except the player’s actions,

suddenly announces that Marcie’s in-game character gets killed by a trap with no warning

(Chick). This would never happen in a real-life game and goes completely against how the game

is played. In actuality, the game master would announce that the trap was set off and all the

players within the area affected by it would roll to see if it damaged them. Also, if a character

dies that does not mean that that is the end for that player. The character could later be brought

back from the dead either by a necromancer or in a new storyline where the rest of the group

goes on an adventure to bring them back. Finally, when someone dies in-game they are not

pushed out of the group as though they no longer exist to anyone anymore.

Fig. 2. Marcie’s suicide is the start of events that lead Debbie to find Jesus (Chick).
 Casino 6

Fig. 3. Marcie’s reasoning for killing herself is the guilt she feels for her character's death

(Chick).

Chick also implies that game players have somehow developed the ability to cast spells in

real life when he describes Debbie casting a spell on her father, causing him to stop bugging her

about the game and forcing him to buy her more figurines for the game. The idea that spells and

curses can affect people in the real world was a belief that was also held by the BADD

organization, as they believed that Irving killed himself as a result of a curse cast upon him

(Laycock. 113). Some people believed that the ‘curse’ was just the emotional aftermath of things

that happened while playing the game, but others actually believed there were literal evil curses

at play.

Although there remain some who feel the games are still inherently bad, more recently

the views of Dungeons & Dragons and other similar role-playing games have started to change

for the better. Tabletop role-playing games can help to improve people’s social skills and fulfill

social needs. When playing a role-playing game, any time a player does anything in-game they

need to communicate exactly what is going on, no matter how menial the task. From the amazing
 Casino 7

feat of taming a wild dragon to the simple act of opening a door, the only way the rest of the

players can “see” what is being done is for the action to be described in detail. Whether a player

is talking to the game master before performing an action or interacting with other characters

within the world of the game, such as fellow group members, shop owners, townspeople, and the

villains, this aspect of these games force people to interact with others. These interactions in

these vast imaginary worlds are a way to “fulfill the need to experience the world in exciting

ways” (Adams, 79).

In addition to communication skills, critical thinking skills are also a necessity for

successful gameplay. Any decision or any action could be the difference between life and death

for any or all of the characters. Playing a role-playing game without regard to the long-term

effects of one’s actions could even result in an entire planet being doomed accidentally. This

continued use of critical thinking in tabletop role-playing games has been shown to help improve

this skill in general (Brace, 66).

Tabletop role-playing games can also be used to teach people how to work together

(Granshaw). Teamwork is a large part of many role-playing games because it is almost always

impossible for someone to deal with every conflict and obstacle they encounter by themselves.

When playing the game these groups of people will portray a diverse set of characters of many

different races and classes who can perform different actions in the hope that together they will

achieve the same overall goal. Each character has specific skills they rely on and no single

character can do everything on their own. One player could have the strength needed to solve a

problem but be unable to figure out the solution, while another player has the intelligence to

solve a puzzle but have very low strength. It is only by working together that these two players

will reach the solution. Cooperation is also very effective in situations where no one has the
 Casino 8

specific ability that is needed to solve a problem. In these cases, the group is forced to work

together combining their individual skills to find another way to overcome this obstacle. These

skills carry over well into the real world as seldom can people take care of every aspect of their

lives without help from others.

While people do need to work together while playing these games, the fact that many

different types of people are interested in these games forces people to interact with others they

would not normally interact with. Tabletop role-playing games have the power to bring people of

different age, gender, racial background, sexual identity, disability, and religion into one

accepting group of people (Brace, 63). Working together with people who are very different

from each other in the game reinforces the idea that people are really not that different after all.

Interactions with others in a game can also have a beneficial effect on the social-emotional

learning of young players. The game can help build and strengthen friendships by making

players cooperate rather than having them compete against one another (Darvasi). Generally,

after finding a group that they enjoy playing with, people will continue to play with that same

group, even into adulthood. As these groups spend time gaming together their friendships will

grow stronger as they go on a lot of adventures with one another. Over a long period of time,

these friendships become close enough that some people call their group their “gaming family”

(Brace, 19). These games not only bring children together, but there are even cases of adults who

claim that the game has improved social and emotional aspects of their lives and even given

them a new lease on life. (Darvasi). Not only that, but they can also build bridges between the

most unlikely of pairs.

Former inmate, Bryan Richie, tells a story of his time in prison when he became friends

with a former racist. The game master for this prison RPG let the racist join the game much to
 Casino 9

the objections of Bryan. The game master’s plan, however, was to make Bryan a character who

was intrinsically racist toward the newcomer’s character. Forcing them each into the other’s

shoes opened a path for communication between the two men and helped them to become

friends. This is an example of how games like Dungeons & Dragons can bring people with

different viewpoints together (Richie).

Bryan then goes on to say that Dungeons & Dragons could be used to teach the inmates

not to have a prejudicial mindset. Forcing people with negative ideas about each other to work in

groups and experience things from the viewpoint of another person could help alleviate some of

the bigotry. Bryan also says that Dungeons & Dragons can be a useful tool in rehabilitative

therapy for inmates. He says that for this to work well, the prison should hire someone with

experience in psychology, sociology, and conflict resolution to be the dungeon master of the

game. This Dungeon master could then, at least in the beginning, guide the players in the right

direction to solve problems. The players could also be rewarded to reinforce using good

behaviors rather than violent behaviors to resolve a conflict in the game. Repetition of this could

re-train their minds to find nonviolent solutions to problems (Richie).

Finally, Tabletop role-playing games are not just a way to bring people together, they

have also been shown to be an effective means of therapy. Rehabilitation of prison inmates is not

the only possible therapeutic use of the game. Certain organizations are also using these games to

help build self-esteem in children. The non-profit organization Game to Grow uses Dungeons &

Dragons to help kids who have issues socializing with others. The group is mainly geared

towards kids who do not want to go back to normal therapy, as they want to keep coming back to

the game that rejoices in being different (Gebhart). According to the organization “Game to

Grow’s weekly therapeutic social skills groups help young people become more confident,
 Casino 10

creative, and socially capable using tabletop games, most notably Dungeons & Dragons”

(Gaming Brings Us Together). Another therapeutic gaming group called The Self-Rescuing

Princess is run by Dr. Megan Connell. This group is meant to empower women and young girls,

teaching them not only leadership skills but also how to stand up for themselves and how to

work as a team. This group also teaches the members how to recognize the signs of an abusive

situation and the safest ways to get a person in that type of situation some help (Granshaw).

Tabletop role-playing games have come a long way since Dungeons & Dragons was

originally published back in 1974 (Laycock. 43), but they still have a long way to go. Hopefully

in the future people will not think of tabletop role-playing games players as just a group of social

outcasts in their parent's basements who do nothing to contribute anything good to society.

Dungeons & Dragons and games like it have done and continue to do a lot of good for many

different people. Playing the games has helped people to be more social and introduced them to

diverse groups of people that many care about enough to call them their family. With the spread

of the internet, these groups can now even be a way for people all over the world to socialize

with each other.

My Dungeons & Dragons group brought together six complete strangers, from different

backgrounds, from many different locations across America and Canada into a group of gamers

that became close friends. We were a ragtag group of adventurers thrown into random situations

that we had to deal with together. These situations were as complicated as they were outrageous.

From the headless body of a giant running around destroying everything in its path, to a sentient,

near-indestructible table that was created out of pure spite and anger for an Orc, this group has

faced a lot. Through it all, we have had the pleasure of learning how to work together,

communicate, and get along better than we thought possible.

 Casino 11

Works cited

Adams, Aubrie S. “Needs Met Through Role-Playing Games: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of

Dungeons & Dragons.” Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative

Communication Research, vol. 12, 2013, pp. 69–86. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=94804077&site=eds-live.

Accessed 14 Oct 2019.

Brace, Christopher S. “Of Dice and Men: An Ethnography of Contemporary Gaming

Subculture.” 2012. University of Arkansas, Thesis. ScholarWorks@UARK,

scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/488/. Accessed 30 Oct 2019.

Chick, Jack T. “Dark Dungeons.” Chick.com, Chick Publication,

www.chick.com/products/tract?stk=46&ue=d. Accessed 12 Oct 2019.

Darvasi, Paul. “How Dungeons & Dragons Can Help Kids Develop Social-Emotional Learning

Skills.” KQED, KQED, 13 May 2019, www.kqed.org/mindshift/51784/how-dungeons-

dragons-can-help-kids-develop-social-emotional-learning-skills. Accessed 18 Oct 2019.

“Gaming Brings Us Together.” Game to Grow, www.gametogrow.org. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.

Gebhart, Andrew. “The Dungeons & Dragons Game Rescuing Kids from Their Social

Anxieties.” CNET, CNET, 10 Aug. 2019, www.cnet.com/news/game-to-grow-the-

dungeons-dragons-game-rescuing-kids-from-their-social-anxieties/. Accessed 16 Oct

2019.

Granshaw, Lisa. “How Tabletop Games like Dungeons & Dragons Can Be Therapeutic for

Players.” SYFY WIRE, SYFY WIRE, 23 May 2018, www.syfy.com/syfywire/how-

tabletop-games-like-dungeons-dragons-can-be-therapeutic-for-players. Accessed 18 Oct

2019.
 Casino 12

Haberman, Clyde. “When Dungeons & Dragons Set Off a 'Moral Panic'.” The New York Times,

The New York Times, 17 Apr. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/04/18/us/when-dungeons-

dragons-set-off-a-moral-panic.html. Accessed 12 Oct 2019.

Isikoff, Michael. “Parents Sue School Principal; Game Cited in Youth's Suicide.” The

Washington Post, 13 Aug. 1983. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.2880817&site=ed

s-live. Accessed 15 Oct 2019.

Laycock, Joseph. “Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says

about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds.” University of California Press, 2015.

EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat01128a&AN=scc.b1868167&site=e

ds-live. Accessed 17 Oct 2019.

Retro Report. “Dungeons & Dragons: Satanic Panic,” The New York Times, 7 June 2016,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATUpSPj0x-c. Accessed 12 Oct 2019.

Richie, Bryan. “Dungeons & Dragons—A Life Changing Experience.” Prison University

Project, 21 Aug. 2017, prisonuniversityproject.org/news/dungeons-dragons-a-life-

changing-experience-by-brian-richie/. Accessed 29 Oct 2019.

Schnoebelen, William. “Should a Christian Play Dungeons and Dragons?” Chick.com, Chick

Publications, 2001, www.chick.com/information/article?id=Should-A-Christian-Play-

Dungeons-and-Dragons. Accessed 12 Oct 2019.

Schnoebelen, William. “STRAIGHT TALK ON DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS.” Chick.com,

Chick Publications, 1989., www.chick.com/information/article?id=Straight-Talk-On-

Dungeons-and-Dragons. Accessed 12 Oct 2019.