I think there are a lot of things that are better worked out through 'make believe'...I am heavily involved in live theatre, and have worked on a number of productions over the years that have contained themes that some have considered 'questionable'...I personally believe that it has all been worthwhile...

If we censor all of the negative acts and impulses from theatre/film/television, put an end to all of the role-playing fantasy games, destroy every last video game, and ban our children from playing any kind of backyard game with any conflict, how are we to learn where the lines are, and how to cope in any variety of situations, short of going through them ourselves for real, when the stakes are highest...

There is definitley such a thing as overindulgence, and things can get quite scary when the lines between reality and fantasy become blurred...You might well discover some disturbing things about yourself and your desires...I imagine that there is a certain amount of peril in any time of self-exploration - from role-playing to therapy to spiritual study...But it is still necessary if we are to continue to grow and reach our full potential...

Maintain a controlled environment and remember why you are playing, and any opportunity to spend a few moments in someone else's shoes or to re-evaluate your own should lead to a better understanding of how you'll tackle the 'real deal' when the game is over...

Wow, Dungeons and Dragons... I'm totally back to grade 10!

Anyways, I don't feel like there is anything wrong in it. But just as anything, too much of a good thing could be a bad thing. I am sure that as long as you and your friends have a good brain in your heads, it will be fine. If you start sending out mass emails trying to sell your Ring of Feather Falling with a +3 to dex, then I will start to get worried.

Good luck on your campaign!

i chill with computer geeks trekies, and jedis we will never grow up

"And a child shall lead them" -Isaiah

I named my Character Mad Monk in honor of my fave poster he makes me laugh.

As I've done a little exploring of D&D as Aramil (I know, but the kit made a really cool present under the tree several years back, and my hubbie is a great DM), I concur that it can be great fun, very creative and work out some thought-provoking issues. We do a lot of puzzle solving, and my son as Redgar gets to do most of the hack and slash, which is what a 15 year old wants, sigh. I wonder if sometimes we are still fighting against the Puritans and Oliver Cromwell - not only did he overturn the British Monarchy, but he also banned celebrations, Christmas, carolling, merrymaking and other outward signs of joy and happiness. Seems to me that we still have modern-day puritans/Scrooge saying that happiness and fun is sinful and should be banned. All in moderation, I say, and pass that 20-sided die!

In wow, I initially chose a troll shaman female, restoration spec'd. What this means is I heal, and can fight when alone, but in a group, I am generally a healer, mana supplier. (In other words, I am not the main priest, but, am doing top ups around, and ensuring the priests have what they need). This was an easy role for me.

I have switched to a rogue. damage dealer. sneak. pickpocket. combat spec'd. It is a challenge for me, and has taught me much, about myself.

Games allow one to see how the skills/talents that you deem important play out in a group. They can show you that you are more powerful when you form a team that compliments ones own skills.

Enjoy it, play around, see what you can learn about yourself & how you interact with others.

I played D&D way back when and I will admit that one of my favorite pastimes...to get away from it all...is roleplaying on MUSH. I have good characters and more evil characters. As with anything it is a game. I equate it with a form of theatre or storytelling. You're an actor taking on a role and trying and trying to determine how a certain character will react to situations. In much the same way a writer does with their characters in a story.

I wouldn't worry to much about people taking on an 'evil' personna unless you find it spilling into real life. Personally I found my attempts to play truly evil characters quite interesting and actually really hard. Even though it's make believe I would feel bad and guilty about doing things. Learned a lot about my internal make up along the way and can't quite see how this is a bad thing.

That said I have come across some people (very few) that seem to really, really enjoy it beyond what I would term to be fun and pretend. If this happens I would re-evaluate who you are playing with. If it gets creepy in any way...well you get the picture.