Satanic cults, satanic play: Is dungeons & dragons a breeding ground for the devil?

This chapter describes fantasy role-playing games, and then examines three related claims about dangers of Dungeons & Dragons, most popular of the fantasy role-playing games: the direct link to satanism, the possibility of mind control, and the danger of excessive violence. Claims confronting fantasy gamers resemble satanic cult rumors spread by radical-right Christian organizations. Many groups attacking Dungeons & Dragons also are associated with fundamentalist Christian sects in the United States and Canada. For the vast majority of players, the "mind control" of the game has temporal limits to it, and is under the gamer's control. The most violent episodes in Dungeons & Dragons appear to occur in all-male groups. Female fantasy gamers are rare and considered by some male gamers to be an inhibiting force to fantasy play, especially where this play includes violent episodes such as the rape of a nonplayer character.