TheSatanicPanic InthefollowinginteractiveIwouldliketoexplorewhataconcernedparentwouldencounter wheninteractingwithanti-SatanismmediaandBADDideology.Thisstoryislooselybasedon realeventsthatoccurredatHeberCityHighSchoolinHeberCityUtah.Whilethestoryof Charlieandtheirparentisfictionalized,theephemerasurroundingthisstoryisreal.
Introduction Youareaparentofahighschoolagedchild,Charlie.Charlieisatthetopoftheirclass,andasa partofthe‘gifted’program,theywereinvitedtoparticipateinanafter-schoolgameofDungeons andDragons.Youhaveneverheardofthisgamebefore,butsinceitisrunthroughtheschool andaspartofthegiftedprogram,youtrustthatthereisnoharminlettingthemcontinuetoplay. Youlearnthereisgoingtobeaschoolboardmeetingdiscussingthemeritsofthisprogram.
Toattendtheschoolboardmeeting,turntothenextpage.
Attend the School Board Meeting
Attheschoolboardmeetingotherparentsbegintoprotestthisprogram,citingthatthegamehas linkstothedisappearanceofMichiganStateUniversityStudent,James“Dallas”Egbert.They alsohandyouapamphletthatdetailsmoreaboutthedangersofDungeonsandDragonstoyour child.
TolearnaboutDallasEgbert,turntopage3. Toreadthepamphlet,turntopage4.
Learn About Dallas Egbert Egbertwasa16yearoldcomputersciencestudentatMSU,andwasknownbyhisroommateto disappearwithoutanyindicationastowherehewasgoing.Whenhedidnotreturntohis dormitoryafteraperiodoftwodays,hisroommatedecidedtocontactthepolice.1 Theprivate detectivehiredtosearchforEgbert,highwaypatrolmanWilliamDear,hadatendencyforthe flamboyant,citinghimselfas“therealJamesBond.”2 Egbertleftasuicidenote,statingonlythat hewouldliketobecremated.ThisnotewasdiscoveredalongsidehiswritingonD&D,which causedDeartobelievethetwomustberelated.Egbertwasdiscoveredalive,butcommitted suicideayearlater.ThiseventsparkedthelargermovementagainstD&D,especiallybecause individualsbelievedthatitcausedharmtoEgbertandmanyotheryoungstudentswhosuffered thesamefate.
1Stuart,Michael.“MSUStudentReportedMissingforTwoDaysfromCaseHall.”TheState News,August24,1979,Volume73,Number123.
2Hall,Carla.“IntotheDragon’sLair.”TheWashingtonPost,November28,1984.
TolearnmoreaboutWilliamDearandhisinvestigation,turntopage6. Totalktoyourchild,turntopage8.
Read the Pamphlet
ThefollowingimagesareexcerptsfromPatriciaPulling'spamphlet Dungeons and Dragons: Witchcraft Suicide Violence marketedtowards"Educators,Librarians,Pastors,Policeand Parents.ThisseemstobeaselfpublishedmanifestofromBotheredAboutDungeonsand Dragons(BADD),andthereisnonotedpublishingdate.BasedonthetimewhenBADDwas active,wecanintuitthispamphletisfromthemid1980s.
TolearnaboutDallasEgbert,turntopage3. Totalktoyourchild,turntopage8.
Learn More About William Dear’s Investigation YouthenpickupacopyofDear’sbook,inwhichhepublishedhissideofthestoryinsearching forDallasEgbert.Inhisbook,hewrites:
Dallasmightactuallyhavebeguntolivethisgame,notjusttoplayit.DungeonsandDragons couldhaveabsorbedhimsomuchthathismindhadslippedthroughthefragilebarrierbetween realityandfantasy,andhenolongerexistedintheworldweinhabit. 3
Youworrythatyourchildisgoingtofalldownthewrongpath,andbecomeenticedtobelieve thattheactionsintheirgamemayaffecttheireverydaylife.Youreadastoryaboutoneyoung studentwholearnsaspellfromherDungeonMasterthatismeanttobewitchherfatherinto spending$200onDungeonsandDragonsparaphernalia.4
Totalktoyourchild,turntopage8.
3Dear,William.TheDungeonMaster:TheDisappearanceofJamesDallasEgbertIII.Boston: HoughtonMifflin,1984.
4Thisisafalsestory,createdbyChickPublicationstosowanti-DungeonsandDragons messagingtoconcernedindividuals.Thecomicinwhichthisstorywasoriginallypublished, DarkDungeons,wascreatedin1984.
Talk to Your Child Youfearthereisapossibilitythatyourchildcanlearnrecklessbehaviorthroughplayingthis game.Charliestatesthattheyenjoythegame,andthatthesestoriesareexaggeratedtalesthat rarelyhappentothemillionsofpeoplewhoenjoythegame.Youbarthemfromattendingthe club,andattendtheschool’sboardmeetingtoofficiallybantheclubfromconveningonschool grounds.
Toattendasecondschoolboardmeeting,turntopage9.
Attend a School Board Meeting Theboarddecidesonceagainthattheclubispermittedtomeet.5 Atthenextboardmeeting,you asktheparentsforanymoreinformationtheyhaveaboutthesubject.Theparentstellyoutoturn ontheTVtonighttoCBS.Theytellyouthereisgoingtobea60MinutesepisodeonDungeons andDragons,andthatthefounderofBADD,PatriciaPullingisgoingtoappear.
Towatch“60Minutes”Clip,turntopage10.
5Laycock,Joseph.DangerousGames:WhattheMoralPanicoverRole-PlayingGamesSays aboutPlay,Religion,andImaginedWorlds.Oakland,California:UniversityofCaliforniaPress, 2015.
Watch“60Minutes”Clip [CLIPHERE] Whilethisisonlyanimaginaryscenariocreatedtoshowwhatcouldhavehappened,thescenario isbasedoffofrealephemeraandturningpointsintheconversationaroundDungeonsand Dragonsinthepublicsphere.FormorereadingontheSatanicPanicrevolvingaround roleplayinggames,readJosephLaycock's Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds.Thistextwasinstrumental tothecreationofthisnarrative,andtheresearchconductedtofindthesesources.
