How to survive moral outrage

lessons learned from Dungeons and Dragons

When I first started playing Dungeons and Dragons when I was eleven years old, I hid this from my parents.

At the time there was considerable moral panic around the game. According to some, Dungeons and Dragons led people away from god. The game led people away from a righteous path. People campaigned to have Dungeons and Dragons banned.

Engaging in fantasy play it was said, would result in Satanism, Witchcraft, suicide, pornography and murder.

Yikes. I spent a lot of time running around pretending to be a chaotically neutral halfling thief. I have never to my knowledge been into worshipping Satan, encouraging suicide, pornography or murdering. As for witchcraft? Sure, I’ve sacrificed a goat or two to the wave gods in order to ensure a good surf season. Hey, who hasn’t.

While playing D+D, I developed a lot of really great skills. It’s a game based on cooperative problem solving, creative lateral thinking and dice rolls (probability and statistics)

But the cops, the self appointed moral au…