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Fantasy Role Playing Games Fantasy Role Playing Games By Dr. Ron J. Bigalke Founder: Gary Gygax (primarily) through a society he founded called the “Castle and Crusade Society;” the games became derivative of strategy simulation war games Founding Date: 1975 on college campuses Definition: “FRP is magic, violence, and power. It is played mostly in the mind.”1 INTRODUCTION A fantasy role-playing game (FRPG) requires players to imagine themselves as characters (generally playing as a team) who are creating fantasy adventures. The game play can involve a variety of activities, such as battles, casting spells, finding treasure, and killing opponents. Game play develops according to predetermined guidelines and rules wherein gamers can use their creativity and imagination without restraint. The game play is less competitive (which means there are generally no losers or winners) and continues in a social environment wherein gamers work together. Consequently, the game play of each individual player affects the course and result of the game for the group. Gamers generally range in age from teens to early 30s and are sometimes described as above average in intelligence and both highly creative and imaginative. In the past, concerns regarding FRPGs focused almost exclusively upon Dungeons & Dragons and The Masquerade. Today, the computer role-playing games (CRPG) have become immensely popular rivaling non-digital FRPGs.2 FRPGs include many genres: comic book (Champions, DC Heroes), fantasy (Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest), generic (GURPS, Savage Worlds), historical (Boot Hill, Pendragon), horror (Call of Cthulhu, Kult), and science fiction (Cyberpunk 2020, Traveller). CRPGS also include many genres: action (Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Combat), adventure (Myst, Oddworld), horror (Resident Evil, Silent Hill), massively multiplayer online role-playing games (Final Fantasy, Guild Wars, World of Warcraft), simulation (Flight Simulator, The Sims), and shooter (Fallout, Max Payne, Uncharted). Due to the immense popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, fantasy is the most popular genre of role-playing games. Fantasy genre can include high fantasy where paranormal activity is commonplace, or low fantasy wherein there are few or no paranormal activities. This Profile addresses high fantasy Role Playing Games. Generally, CRPGs are derivative of non-digital FRPGs. The majority of CRPGs assign various attributes and levels (often numerically, as opposed to traditional bars and meters) to characters. The statistical character development of FRPGs has been almost universally adapted by CRPGs. The narration of CRPGs and FRPGs are similar because there is generally a story of a group of heroes who must work collaboratively to accomplish a mission. Various challenges must be overcome and enemies must be defeated in the quest. FRPGs have never been more popular. “Sales of role-playing games… grew 40 percent between 2014 and 2015, to $35 million in the U.S. and Canada.”3 Despite their popularity, concerns about FRPGs have come from both Christian and secular sources. Over thirty years ago, some extreme critics attempted to tie FRPGs to the larger “Satanic Panic” phenomenon of the 1980s. They accused D&D of somehow being complicit in an alleged epidemic of Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA). The supposed connection, however, was never successfully documented. Ultimately, the SRA stories themselves were largely discredited. Fantasy Role Playing Games, page 2 Many of the gruesome accounts of satanic torture, abuse and murder relied on questionable testimonies based on “recovered memories” later proven to be unreliable.4 Nevertheless, FRPGs remain controversial for other reasons – especially within the Christian community. Some Christians see FRPGs as harmless fun or even as beneficial for expanding one’s imagination and creativity. Other Christians have expressed caution about participation in games that include a high level of fanaticized violence, an occult or polytheistic worldview, and the use of magic and spellcasting.5 THE WORLDVIEW OF FANTASY ROLE PLAYING The virtual worlds presented in many of the most popular high fantasy RPGs create an alternate reality very different from the worldview of Christian monotheism. These fantasy worlds are often rooted in pantheism (all is God) or polytheism (many Gods) and feature a magical worldview dominated by gods, goddesses and sorcerers engaged in gratuitous violence, and occult practices such as spell casting. Myth and fantasy do not have to be considered dangerous or evil. Fantasy is an aspect of God’s creation. The fantasy worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien,6 C. S. Lewis,7 George MacDonald,8 and Charles Williams9 contain narratives of good and evil characters. However, the morality and worldview in these writings are essentially Christian.10 Although FRP gamers often refer to parallels between these authors and their games, the differences are noteworthy. Most FRPGs affirm a dualistic worldview wherein good and evil coexist equally. The Christian worldview affirms the triumph of good over evil and the complete eradication of evil (a contrast to the worldview of Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc.). For example, Tolkien’s hero Aragorn makes statements consistent with a biblical worldview, “Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men.”11 FRPGs are not set in the context of the creator God, but often occur in a world governed by deities and demigods. The FRP games do not seem to exhibit an absolute morality, but good and evil appear fluid and subject to change according to the differing customs, habits, and moral standards of the games’ creatures. Though FRPGs may be influenced by the fantasy world of Tolkien’s middle earth, FRP defenders seem to overlook or rationalize the biblical worldview in his writings.12 Certainly, the fantasy worlds of Tolkien, Lewis, and others include mythological entities but a Supreme Being, who alone provides absolute morality, is always stated explicitly or an allusion is made implicitly. When one examines and compares most FRPGs with the fantasy writings of Tolkien, Lewis, MacDonald, and Williams, the differences of morality and worldviews are evident. Not all fantasies are godly. Christians should consider the possible effects of spending large blocks of times immersed in an unbiblical, polytheistic fantasy world participating in occult practices and violence by proxy though a virtual character or avatar. The worldview of FRPGs is generally polytheistic (belief in multiple gods) in contrast to a monotheistic universe (belief in the existence of only one imminent and transcendent God). The fantasy world is not complete without the existence of multiple gods. Indeed, the gods seem to influence the destiny of humanity who are often portrayed as mere pawns.13 A secular view of the history of religion imagines an ancient humanity evolving from pantheism and spiritism to polytheism, then monotheism. Biblically, the opposite is true. Worship of God has steadily degenerated from monotheism to polytheism. The Bible describes a uniform monotheism prior to the organized rebellion against God at Babel. As humans followed their sinful nature, they “became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Rom. 1:21). The organized, universal rebellion against God at Babel is clearly the beginning of idolatry; it was also a universal rejection which is evident in the fallen imaginations of humanity and their worship (1:19-25). The collective worldview of society has consequences – positive and negative. Nothing on the planet has impacted more people, as a culture and individually, than belief in the Fantasy Role Playing Games, page 3 existence and nature of God. The monotheistic and polytheistic worldviews are mutually exclusive. The essential beliefs of the worldviews regarding the world, God, sin, salvation, truth, ultimate reality, human nature, human destiny, moral authority, and the goal of history negate each other. Thus, Christians are to think based upon truth (cf. Phil. 4:8-9). The Bible teaches that only one God exists, who is immanent (personal) and transcendent (beyond his creation). Scripture reveals three distinct Persons in the Godhead – the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit – and these three Persons are one God. The god or gods of the FRPGs are often amoral which is why those games also have unbiblical views of creation, humanity, and life after death. The morality of FRPGs is pragmatic, with player’s decisions based upon the situation, and amoral, which is consistent with the pragmatism. There is great confusion concerning morality in FRPGs since game play involves magic, violence, and power. CRPGs depict graphic violence, illegal drug consumption, propaganda, profanity, and sexual themes. A type of evolution is essential to many FRPGs with gamers improving their characters as they evolve through various levels by means of collaborative play. In some cases, characters can even become gods or attain a divine level. Since FRPGs have rejected a theistic universe, wherein good is determined by the attributes of God Himself, there is no moral distinction between good and evil. Good and evil coexist in the FRP worldview as equal and opposite yet complementary forces. Thus, players can murder, mutilate, offer human sacrifices, rape, and steal without penalty. There is also the concern that games may supplant real-life with some players undergoing a distortion of reality on some level.14 The greatest concern with FRP is the occult magic element inherent
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