Dragonraid-Christian Role Playing Game

[Hexxenhammer]

I thought this deserved a thread seperate from the current Jack Chick and D&D thread.

In 1984, at the peak of D&D's initial popularity, a Christian RPG called Dragonraid was released. Some details here at Jonathan Tweet's website (he's one of the newest editions of D&D's creators).

Quote:

This is the fantasy Christian RPG (1984) where thinly disguised Christians beat heathens into submission to haul them back home, where the heathens convert. Opposing the Christians are monsters, thinly disguised sinners, such as alcoholics and people who believe in evolution. These creatures are not to be beaten into submission. Rather, they are to be killed without compunction, as they are irrevocably beyond God's mercy. In DragonRaid, I'd be a "selfo," a misguided, slay-worthy creature that tries to do good without accepting Christ. The game was a joyful indulgence in fantasy violence committed against fictional people with recognizable, real-world counterparts. It was about killing me.

Here is Dragonraid's current home:
http://www.dragonraid.net/index.php?topic=info

Quote:

DragonRaid is set in the parallel fantasy world of EdenAgain, and in that context the players are encouraged to role-play the real world as God sees it. This format allows for extensive allegorical teaching, flexibility in the testing of Christian knowledge, and a non-threatening environment for learning and practicing new behavior. The decision to present DragonRaid in a fantasy format was based on the popular appeal of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia and the enduring merit of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, both of which are classics of allegorical Christian fantasy literature. More than a decade of experience has proved the wisdom of that decision, as large numbers of young people have been brought to Christ and effectively discipled through playing DragonRaid.

It does not seem to teach the "why" of things. Questions are not encouraged. The players learn a bible passage, are then presented with a situation that has bearing on the passage, and are expected to act appropriately according to the passage.

Quote:

For example, in the first adventure (an easy-to-play introduction to the game system) the players meet a troll who wants to give them "gifts" which are really temptations to sin. The three temptations put before the players are gawking at bodies on the beach, buying all the clothes they could ever desire, and going to a music concert where there will be plenty of "pleasure potions" (drugs). The troll asks each person which of the three "gifts" they would like to have.

Just before encountering the troll, the LightRaiders had put Luke 9:23 into their own words and begun learning that every LightRaider must deny himself and follow the OverLord. Now the troll is offering them things which will take them off that course. While the LightRaiders are considering their response, a door behind the troll begins to blaze brighter and brighter with the initials O L M N (OverLord of Many Names) to communicate allegorically that they are not to take any of the troll's offers but rather to proceed through the door (i.e., "follow the OLMN"). Those who act wisely will escape the troll's trap; those who act foolishly, by accepting one of the troll's offers, will suffer the consequences and become "sin enchanted". Since the Raid Team's assignment cannot be accomplished without the whole team, the others must rescue the enchanted character. They accomplish this by giving their fallen team member counsel from the Scriptures until the enchantment is broken.

How ironic is it that a game created in response to the supposed satanic mind control of D&D reduces itself to christian brain-washing where its encouraged to just go along with the herd?

For a thoughtful essay about religion in role playing games, here is a piece by James Wyatt, D&D game designer and former pastor.
http://www.aquela.com/roleplaying/r&r/
Thoughts and comments?

[EdipisReks]

my 18th level Tiefling Bard (2nd edition, of course) could kick the crap out of any light raider. all levity aside, i think you are spot on with your analysis.

[Silicon]

Wow, that's AWESOME!!!


What a LAME sounding game! I love the "spellcasting" that is merely repeating bible quotes from memory, the longer the quote the more power! HAHAHAHA!

I think I know why it didn't take off.... SNOOOOOOZER.

[DangerousBeliefs]

Looks like they dust the site off every couple of years...

"DR at 2001 Redemption CCG National Tournament"

And...

DragonRaid Forums... 55 posts since July 2003... (including several test posts).

I'm guessing it never caught on....

[Hexxenhammer]

Check it out. I found a page that creates a Dragonraid character for you.

Quote:

Perhaps you have played one or more fantasy role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons before. Please note that in its most important aspects, DragonRaid is quite different from these games. Since DragonRaid is so different from anything you may have played before, you will need to listen carefully to these rules. Simulated adventure in a fantasy setting is unlike fantasy role-playing, and it is best to leave fantasy role- playing methods out of DragonRaid. There are some parallels, but until new players become familiar with DragonRaid, those of you with previous fantasy role-playing experience should try to forget the knowledge you have acquired, as it will only interfere with your enjoyment and benefits.

Read the page, press continue at the bottom, and look at your character....

I've got "Track Enemy" at 5 and "Persuade Foe" at 7. So I guess I track people down to annoy them with my "Merciful Compassion" of 4. Of course, my "Patience" is only a one, so I then try to kill them with my Sword skill of 5. But my Strength is only a 1, so good thing I've got my "Shield of Faith" 6 and "Boots of Gospel and Peace" 6. Rest assured if I kill you, I still Love you with a 9 rating.

[bozothedeathmachine]

"Daddy says dice are wicked." -Rod (or was it Todd?) Flanders

[Silicon]

for anyone playing along, the door code is

0X 0
0 0 X
X 0 0


FRUSTRATING TRIAL AND ERROR.

[Ratman_tf]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hexxenhammer

Thoughts and comments?

It's fun to poke at the old satanic D&D craze, but I think it's all but faded away except from the fundy whackos like Chick who most Christians wouldn't even pee on if he was on fire to put out the flames.

And of course, as someone who's played a LOT of RPGs in his day, D&D is only one of many games, some of which have very little to do with magic or demons (Boot Hill, Star Trek, Cyberpunk 2020, etc...) yet they're all very similar in execution of play to D&D.

Oh, and Dragonraid sounds about as offensive to me as FATAL and RAHOWA. (You'll have to google if you're not familiar with those games, they're so horrid that I won't even link to them.)

[Marian]

Sooooo are they all chaotic good or what?

Does speaking in tongues have any special saves? (oh god the puns I can think of...)

[c4ts]

I'm so lucky Jack Chick and co. don't know about me. They'd use me as evidence to support their fears about role playing.

In a SoG LARP I played a raving atheistic Malkavian who did nothing but get into arguments about religion. That was fun, especially since I was just making stuff up as I went along for his rants, and I don't think any of it made sense. He also covered the walls of a Baptist church with high school biology posters, switched all the bibles with copies of Darwin's "On the Origin of the Species," and replaced all the stained glass with his own monkey designs during downtimes with the help of a gothy cult he controlled.

Better still, I once played a rogue named "God Jesus" in a Scarred Lands campaign. Mostly he drank a lot and stole things, until he got turned into a vampire at the end. I wonder how well he'd do in a DragonRaid campaign.

[Brian]

I played that game exactly one time, for mabye 20 minutes.
As a kid, around 17 years old I played some D&D. My friends uncle went all jesus freak. Did seminars at christ summer camps (paid), claimed to be road manager of Stryper, said he was a big druggie and reformed, blah, blah, blah.
So my friend and his brother shows up with the game. I remeber that I took the pleasure potions. Not for sarcastic reasons, in D&D potions were mostly good, so i wanted them. Then I failed by dice roll to climb up some damn thing. My friend had to say a prayer to get me up. He did. I got bored and played Nintendo.
If I remember right, the die looked like a star when you looked through it.

[Riddick]

Christians play Counter-Strike. It is a "Cash Prize" FPS game.

Total prize money is $100,000 for the July 28th, Dallas, TX Tournament.

The Summer 2004 CPL Championships info is here.

CPL => Cyberathlete Professional League

[Dorian Gray]

After playing EverQuest for two years, I couldn't go back to a game where you weren't capable of killing a god.

[Maledict]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dorian Gray
After playing EverQuest for two years, I couldn't go back to a game where you weren't capable of killing a god.

I've been playing EQ for five years - and have been at the end game for a long time....we do that on a regular basis

"What?! No gods to kill?! This is bullsh*t!! Who else is to drop teh phat lewtz?!"

[Hexxenhammer]

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian
I played that game exactly one time, for mabye 20 minutes.
As a kid, around 17 years old I played some D&D. My friends uncle went all jesus freak. Did seminars at christ summer camps (paid), claimed to be road manager of Stryper, said he was a big druggie and reformed, blah, blah, blah.
So my friend and his brother shows up with the game. I remeber that I took the pleasure potions. Not for sarcastic reasons, in D&D potions were mostly good, so i wanted them. Then I failed by dice roll to climb up some damn thing. My friend had to say a prayer to get me up. He did. I got bored and played Nintendo.
If I remember right, the die looked like a star when you looked through it.

Wow. A direct illustration of how in the game you cannot make any progress until you make the "right" decision (ie, whatever the GM interprets the bible passage to mean) or you do a lot of praying.

[Marc]

You cast spells by reciting bible quotes? Do we get to pick the quotes? I'm sure we could come up with some very special ones for the game.

[c4ts]

Now I want to play that game, but I've got to parody it in some way. Hmmm... if I replace bible quotes with Monty Python quotes and require the players to dress up as Hitler...

[Quester_X]

Quote:

Originally posted by c4tsNow I want to play that game, but I've got to parody it in some way. Hmmm... if I replace bible quotes with Monty Python quotes and require the players to dress up as Hitler...

Hilter! Hilter, not Hitler! If you open your big mouth one more time, it's lampshade time!

[DarkMagician]

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc
You cast spells by reciting bible quotes? Do we get to pick the quotes? I'm sure we could come up with some very special ones for the game.

Yeah, with the right quote, I can get a wife.

[Yahzi]

[QUOTEOh, and Dragonraid sounds about as offensive to me as FATAL and RAHOWA. [/b][/quote]
I doth googled; and many hours of rich amusement ensueth.



Thanks for the tips!