Parentsareconcerned.Andwellweshouldbe.Ourchildrenaregrowingupinaveryhazardousworld.

Notonlyare
theyforcedtopicktheirwaythroughacomplexmazeofconflictingvaluesatschool,intheneighborhood,andoutin
themarketplace,buttheyareevenbeingassaultedinthesafetyoftheirownhomes.

theheartsandmindsandsoulsofourchildrenhavebecomeabattleground.

ItsChristmasmorning.BrimmingwithexcitementJunioropenshisfirstgift,a
BmcDungeom
andDragonsSet.
Inside
hefindsarulebook,somegraphpaper,andanoddsetofdice.Nogameboard.Nolittlementomovearound.He
checks
the
wrappingpaperformissingpieces,thenbeginstoopenthe
c]ther
packages,hopingtofindtherestofhis
game.

But,Juniorhasallheneedstoplay
DungeonsandDragons(D&D),
thegranddaddyofthefantasyroleplaying
games(FRPs)andoneofthefastestsellinggamesintheUnitedStates.Thegame,yousee,doesnttakeplaceona
board.Instead,youplayinyourhead.In
D&D
thebasicruleis,Useyourimagination.Stretchittothelimit.Game
boardsandlittlemencanbesoconfining.

Since1980,
D&D
anditsimitatorshaveenteredthemainstream
of
Americanlife.Publicschoolsuse
D&?D
toteach
readingandmathskills.Highlyintelligentstudentsareparticularlyattractedbythecomplexityandexcitement,and
D
&D
isoftenusedinclassesofgiftedchildren.InHerberCity,Utah,parentalobjectionsto
D&?D
inthepublicschool
pressuredtheschoolboardtodiscontinueitsuse.

PolicereportsaroundthecountryhaveconnectedFRPactivitytomorethanahundredsuicideandmurdercases.

Or,considerthisselectionfromtheCriticalHitTableoftherulebookfor
ArduinGrimoire:

Diceroll:3738hitlocation:crotch/chesqresults:genitals/breasttorn
o~
shock.

.Diceroll:gshitlocation:gutsrippedoutresults:20percentchanceoftanglingfeet,diein110minutes.

.Diceroll:
100
hitlocation:headresults:headpulpedandsplatteredoverawidearea.

Itistheocculticelementthatgivesplayersof
D&3D
anditsimitatorsthesenseofawesomepower.Itistheoccultic
elementthatleadstoamanipulativeattitude.Anditistheocculticelementthatmakesthegamesoverydangerous.
MagicandwitchcraftarefoundonnearlyeverypageofanFRPrulebook.Thelistofcharactersfromwhichaplayer
choosesincludesmagicusers,druids,illusionists,andclerics.Therearetwomajortypesofspellsdescribed:magical
andclerical.Thecharacterswithmagicalpowersarethemostpowerfulplayersinthegametheothercharactersrely
onphysicalstrengthandsavagery.The
DungeonMastersGuide
includesseveralpagesofinstructiononacquiring
andcastingspells.Therearedirectionsforchanting,theuseoffamiliarspirits,speakingwiththedead,usesof
occulticsymbolstoprotectthespellcaster,anddefinitionsofspecialspellsusedbyshamansandwitchdoctors.
Spellsaregivenforhealing,exorcism,charmingothercharacters,magicalflight,fireballs,divination,andeven
restoringthedead.

Manyofthespells,incantations,symbols,andprotectivemeasuresaregenuineoccultictechniques.Severalspells,
forexample,instructtheplayertodrawaprotectivecirclewhencommunicatingwithdemons,apracticeusedby
realwitches.Spellsoftenrequirehumanbloodorflesh.The
spell
foraCacodemon(Conjuration)suggeststhatBy
tributeoffreshhumanbloodandthepromiseofoneormorehumansacrifices,thesummonercanbargainwiththe
demonforwillingservice.Anotherspell,smackingofBiblicalreferences,givesinstructionsforchangingsticksinto
snakesandbackagain.

TheDungeonMasteralsohasawidevarietyofmonstersanddemonstopopulatehisdungeon.Manyoftheseare
drawnfromSatanism.Onemonster,theMane,isdescribedasasubdemonwhohasgonetothe666layersofthe
demonicabyss.ThemostevilofthemareconfinedintiersofflamesofGehenna.Baalzebubislistedasan
archdemon.Therearehellhounds,abletobreatheoutascorchingfireonanopponentuptoaoneinchdistance.
TheRakshasaisdescribedasanevilspiritencasedinfleshwhoenjoysadietofhumanfleshandhasthepowersof
ESPandillusion.
Attheveryleast,anyonefamiliarwithFRPrulebooksislearningtheterminologyof
witchcraftandSatanism.Morelikely,aseedissownandheisalmostimperceptiblydrawnintotheoccult.

Withoutanydoubtinmymind,afteryearsofstudyinthehistoryofoccultism,afterhavingresearchedabookonthetopic,andafter
havingconsultedwithscholarsinthefieldofhistoricalresearch,Icansaywithconfidence:thesegamesarethemosteffective,most
magnificentlypackaged,mostprofitablymarketed,mostthoroughlyresearchedintroductiontotheoccultinmansrecordedhistory.
Period.

Inan.ominouslyparallelway,
Dt2?D
hasbecomeamoderndaycatechism.Thegamecontainsasummaryofthe
principlesandanintroductiontothefundamentalsoftheoccult.Byrepetitionandrecitation,
D&?D
enableschildrento
rehearseocculticbasicsinafun,easytolearnfashion.Thus,
D&D
reallyisacatechismofoccultism.

InsteadofraisingupagenerationnurturedandadmonishedbythethingsofGod,weresystematicallyweaningour
childrenontheoccult.


Second,mostFRPstakesplaceinathoroughlyManichaeanuniversewherelawandchaosareequally
powerfiul
and,inastrangesense,equallygood.Characterscanchoosetoalignthemselveswithlaworchaos,andeachof
thesealignmentscanbegood,evil,orneutral.Therearegoodandevildeities.Thespellssuggesttheuseof
holy/unholywater.Insuchauniverse,magiccanbeeitherwhiteorblack,goodorevil.Anditdoesntmuchmatter
which.Obsessiveplayerswhobecomedeeplyattachedtotheircharactersaretrainingthemselvestoviewrealityin
thesameway.

Dungeoru
andDragons
isadangerousgame.Itservesasanintroductiontoevil,acatechismofoccultism,aprimer
fbrtheABCSoftheNewAge.ItisarecruitingtoolofSatan.Itcanalterthedailybehaviorofregularplayers.It
stimulatestheseamiersideofourimaginations.Itisanenormouslyattractiveandeffectiveescapeforpeople
frustratedwithlife.Formanyitbecomespure,obsessivefantasy,initsmostdestructiveform.Itisnolongeragame,
animaginativediversion,butasubstituteuniverseinwhichtheplayerpretendstobehisownGodandtomakehis
ownrules.
D&D
isnottheonlyproblemamongyoungpeople.Thestatisticsonteenagesuicide,however
misinterpretedinthemajormedia,areindicativeofwidespreaddissatisfactionanddisillusionmentamongouryouth.
Thisisthelargerproblemthatmustbedealtwith.Andthisproblemisoftenexacerbatedby
D&D.

Gamesreflect,aswellasreinforce,thefaithconsensusofaculture.Assuch,
D&3D
is
theperfectgamefortheNew
Age80s,providingtheselfindulgentescapismofdrugswithouttheharmfulphysicaleffects.Youcangetakindof
hallucinogenichighandstillmakeittothehealthclubforyourworkout.Takingawiderview,wemightsaythatFRPs
takemodernitytoitslogicalconclusion.SinceDescartes,modernmanhasretreatedfromthebrightlightofGods
creationintothedarkworldofhisownmindandimagination.Thoughhisworldisadungeonpopulatedbydragons,
demons,andmonsters,hesayswithMiltonsSatan,Bettertoruleinhellthantoserveinheaven!

Thankfully,asparentswecanprovideourchildrenwithwholesomealternatives.Wecanprotectthemfromthe
strangelymagneticallureofthedungeon.Wecanwinthewarfortheirheartsandmindsandsouls.

Ifonlywewould.

HowShouldWeThen
Play?