Patricia Pulling

[Soldat_Louis]

Well, I thought I had to dedicate a thread to the main crusader against role-playing games and the founder of the infamous BADD (Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons, see their introductory letter (http://www.holysmoke.org/wb/wb0017.htm)) who died 10 years ago. Maybe because her anti-RPG crusade has many things in common with modern anti-video game crusades.

So, those who don't know her can have a look at her Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Pulling), and, more important, read the Pulling report (http://www.rpgstudies.net/stackpole/pulling_report.html) written by Michael Stackpole, who exposed her as she really was and ruined her crusade.

Note that the anti-RPG hysteria that occured in the 80's was a part of a larger "satanic panic" that also targeted heavy metal, rock, books and even day care centers (remember the McMartin case ?). And though I've already created a thread for Lyndon LaRouche and his cult, I can't help giving you a link to one of his pamphlets (http://www.skepticfiles.org/xhate/larouche.htm) that he wrote at that time. Right now, the Larouchites still consider D&D as "satanic" and mention it from time to time.

Back to Pulling, she also had things to say about the "satanic panic", as her crusade also targeted other segments of popular culture (such as heavy metal and black metal). And fantasy role-playing games are just a chapter of her book The Devil's Web: Who Is Stalking Your Children For Satan?, which was praised by Tipper Gore and a producer of 60 Minutes.

[Demontestament]

[The Dungeon Master’s] major responsibility is to create an adventure or dungeon for the characters. Books are available with prepared dungeons, but most DMs prefer to create the dungeons themselves. He must invent the scenery that the characters may encounter in the course of the adventure, the climate, the smells, the monsters and the treasure. This process can take from 36 to 48 hours of work. One woman has left her career to be a full-time DM; she is supported entirely by her D&D players

Ummm speaking as a DM it does not take me 36 to 48 hours of work to create anything in my campaigns, I jot down a few notes and what not mostly they are creature stats, treasure, special notes on traps and what not. The rest is in my head, reason is I play with people who have the tendency to kill anything someone would write up and go the total oppisite way they were supposed to go. So by keeping it in my head if something random happens I can prepare on the spot for it, kind of the pull it out of your ass DMing I was trained on. Hasn't failed me yet.

And if her son really did have a curse put on him in DnD, a simple Remove Curse spell or 10g to the local cleric would of cured that up right away. :D But is it me or does this sound a lot like Liz Wolley's campaign to stop MMORPGs because they cause people to kill themselves?

[KN]

Hah, I was thinking the same thing.

[Demontestament]

Hah, I was thinking the same thing.

The cure curse thing or the liz wooley thing?

[kurisu7885]

Is D&D really that fun? I mean, it seems kinda, slow.

[KN]

The cure curse thing or the liz wooley thing?

Hah, both actually

Is D&D really that fun? I mean, it seems kinda, slow.

I suppose you need to try it to really get why it's fun.

I haven't actually tried it yet.

[kurisu7885]

I suppose you need to try it to really get why it's fun.

I haven't actually tried it yet.Like Animal Crossing or The Sims. Explaining it sounds so incredibly dull, but then you try it, and can't stop.

[Hannah]

Is D&D really that fun? I mean, it seems kinda, slow.

It's fun if you have a good group. I prefer other game systems, personally, but tabletop rpgs are really all about getting together with a group of friends and totally geeking out.

[cyn1c42]

Is D&D really that fun? I mean, it seems kinda, slow.

Depends on your group and how homicidal your DM is

[Thefremen]

All we ever hear about is the crazies who go after George Bush, Video Games and Table-top games dragging along their dead kid's corpses. What about the people who blame space aliens working in cahoots with the government or bigfoot?

[Soldat_Louis]

By the way, I've got an important question to ask to fellow GP readers who play role-playing games :

I know that Michael Stackpole's Pulling Report (http://www.rpgstudies.net/stackpole/pulling_report.html), in which he exposed how much anti-RPG crusaders were frauds, contributed to discredit Pat Pulling and her organization BADD (not to forget Thomas Radecki). But what I don't know is : how did it happen ? I mean : were there public debates where Stackpole and others won over anti-RPG crusaders ? What is the chronology of events from the publication of the report to the dissolution of BADD ? What has Pulling done from this report to her death ?

And I'd have another question : is there a good book about the history of Role-Playing Games ?

Thanks in advance for all your answers.

[Jabrwock]

What is the chronology of events from the publication of the report to the dissolution of BADD ? What has Pulling done from this report to her death ?No idea. There's not much info about what she did during those 6-7 years.

And I'd have another question : is there a good book about the history of Role-Playing Games ?Don't know about a book, but here's a good web history, it's quite detailed, and begins with the first person to lay down "wargaming" rules for the amateur player, HG Wells... http://ptgptb.org/0001/history1.html

[kurisu7885]

All we ever hear about is the crazies who go after George Bush, Video Games and Table-top games dragging along their dead kid's corpses. What about the people who blame space aliens working in cahoots with the government or bigfoot?

Don't you remember, aliens are using mind control on Bush to keep video game production into full swing so they have a full supply of young troops for when they finally take over the earth!!! oh noes:eek: :rolleyes:

[Soldat_Louis]

Don't know about a book, but here's a good web history, it's quite detailed, and begins with the first person to lay down "wargaming" rules for the amateur player, HG Wells... http://ptgptb.org/0001/history1.html

Thanks for the link, but unfortunately I already know it. There exists a French translation of the site (http://ptgptb.free.fr/), which provides extra material, such as a translation in French of the Pulling Report. It's thanks to this site that I know about Pulling and the anti-RPG crusade.

[MachShot]

Don't you remember, aliens are using mind control on Bush to keep video game production into full swing so they have a full supply of young troops for when they finally take over the earth!!! oh noes:eek: :rolleyes:

Which is almost as a controversial discovery as the fact that the Global Warming Agenda was created to block impeachment of Cheney!1!!!!11!!!LaRouche is hillarious...

[Soldat_Louis]

I've just found on YouTube an old 60 Minutes about Dungeons & Dragons. Including its creators (Gary Gygax), and especially its detractors (among them Pat Pulling and Thomas Radecki). It was aired in 1985.

- Part one : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbcWKWp2UE4
- Part two : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lN0nrrynb8

Note that at the end of part two, there is a 1995 segment involving Dr. Radecki.

And let's not forget an old BADD pamphlet. (http://www.theescapist.com/BADDbook.htm)