I am happy to report that I finally managed to win a used copy of DragonRaid, the evangelical Christian RPG released during the height of 80s anti-roleplaying hysteria. I anxiously await its arrival. Rest assured that I will be giving it a thorough read, unless I find its content absolutely unreadable - an unlikely prospect.If nothing else, it looks like the game's artwork is pretty good, and might even be useful to me as inspiration for a quasi-Crusader "order against chaos" campaign idea that is forming in the back of my head, this time sparked by thoughts about B/X D&D alignments, my current reading of the classic Keep On the Borderlands module, the historical narrative A Distant Mirror, the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, and Scott's new setting, the Ordained Dominion of Vologes.
After reading this post and your previous post about this game, as a Christian I feel like I need to say:
ReplyDeleteThis game leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and it does seem like the creators had brainwashing intentions. Unfortunately, the idea that you can trick, scare, or otherwise coerce people into following Christ has been around for thousands of years and many Christians still haven't figured out that these methods stand in stark contrast to those of the Christ we claim to emulate.
Thank you for your non-hostile approach to Christians, and please keep posting about this game. I doubt it will happen, but I'd love to hear that this game isn't as fundamentally wrong as it sounds based on your observations.
Josh: "Thank you for your non-hostile approach to Christians, and please keep posting about this game. I doubt it will happen, but I'd love to hear that this game isn't as fundamentally wrong as it sounds based on your observations."
ReplyDeleteI do intend to give the game a fair shake a full review. I just hope my own atheist opinions won't color it/offend too much.
I'd love to hear more about this one. I'll watch for the review.
ReplyDeleteIsn't this the RPG that requires the players to recall Bible verses to cast spells in game? Fails the "everything I need to play should be in this book, or derivable from it" simplicity test for me, I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteThat said, if Dragonraid is mechanically sound it *could* be good for an allegorical(ish) "Pilgrim's Progress"/"Paradise Lost" saga of loss, struggle and redemption. It's not like there's not precedent in the hobby for plundering these tropes for our own twisted ends. ;)
Recall bible verses to cast spells? Really?
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how many odd game mechanics there are out there...
Andreas Davour: "Recall bible verses to cast spells? Really?"
ReplyDeleteI've still only skimmed the box set's contents thus far, but yes, really.
I never understood the need to have a "christian" rpg in the first place, but if you actually use the bible or something like that in the game then it might actually make some sense.
ReplyDeleteIn a weird way.