Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) was the original Role-Playing Game (RPG), and is still the most popular. It was created by Gary Gygax of TSR, Inc. in 1973 and has been the basis of hundreds of other games, books, magazines, etc. The game is played by a group of people, usually 3-7, where one person is the Game Master (GM), and the others are Player Characters (PC's). The PC's create imaginary characters, like wizards or gnomes, and the GM creates a make-believe world in which these characters have adventures in. The PC's characters have certain abilities and items they can use. The GM decides what obstacles, people, traps, monsters, etc. the PC's will meet, and the PC's decide what their character does in every situation. Dice are used to determine outcomes of actions and miniature figurines and models can be used, but most of the game comes out of the player's imagination

The average players of RPG's are males in their teens to early thirties. Players are usually of an above average intelligence, and are creative, analytical and tireless.

For the past 15 or so years D&D has been attacked by many Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians and other groups and individuals for having harmful effects on those who play it. Patricia Pulling Started BADD (Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons) after her son, Bink Pulling, committed suicide. She started a campaign to restrict availability of the game, by collecting newspaper reports and anecdotal accounts of suicides/criminal activities by players of the game. Many groups like this have formed, like the CCIN (Cult Crime Impact Network), and many books, magazine articles, and television series have been made on the subject.

RPG's have been accused of many things, including the teachings of demonology, witchcraft, voodoo, murder, rape, blasphemy, suicide, assassination, insanity, sexual perversion, homosexuality, prostitution, Satan worship, and necromantics

Scientists, psychologists and millions of gamers worldwide can't be wrong. D&D and other RPG's are harmless. They are just a fun pastime like computers or chess. But for some reason these games are wrongly accused of so many things.

Some of the basics below: