Does Dungeons and Dragons have a satanic background?

For decades now, people have been enthralled in the beloved game, Dungeons and Dragons, otherwise known as D&D. So why would anyone think it was satanic? Let’s talk about it.

D&D is a tabletop game invented in the early 1970’s where you get to create your own fictional character, and in a group setting, you team up with other players’ characters to build on top of a story created by a “dungeon master/DM” (someone who creates a campaign/storyline and leads your party through it.) to defeat villains and creatures that threaten your party.

For a while now, people have depicted D&D as satanic. In the 80’s, the supernatural themes of magic, witchcraft, and evil creatures brought fear of occultism to the public eye. This fear was called the “satanic panic”; it lasted through the 80’s and 90s. With this new wave of fear, people worried that D&D promoted those same ideas. This anxiety was induced by other forms of media, such as heavy metal music. Anger and harassment were directed towards D&D players, along with misleading accusations of ritualistic ideas.

The public began to spread anti-D&D propaganda. Books were written against it, leaflets were handed out, and even protests were held. Dark Dungeons by Jack Chick was a graphic novel that attempted to link the game to the practice of witchcraft. Churches handed out leaflets that demanded the game was linked to violence, murder, suicide, and other aggressive behaviors. Reports about the game were streamed on TV and other outlets, and there was widespread backlash.

All of these claims have been debunked, as D&D had brought so much fear into the public eye, scientific studies were held to investigate and report their findings on the effect of D&D. Many reports had shown that violent behaviors were anything but a result from playing the game. Dr. James Zimring produced a data analysis on the numbers of teenagers who played D&D and those who had committed suicide. His study revealed that D&D is more protective than harmful to adolescents, and had the opposite effect than the harsh claims had pinned it down for. While the satanic panic spread, D&D lovers fought to protect it and begged people to realize that it is just a game.

With that, I personally love Dungeons and Dragons, it allows me to expand creatively and be immersed in a world of fantasy. I believe it works as a fantastic escape from reality and a fun way to decompress while spending time with friends. I would encourage anyone to get into it.