They do exist.  You assume the urban legends are false.  We all know some truth resides somewhere.  If you role-played as much as I, eventually you’ll come across that one player that you swore didn’t exist.  Or you’re a player and you join a group once known only as legend…that’s right.  The nut-jobs.  The prime reason why RPG’s developed such a bad reputation originated first with the religious groups finding fire in the fuel of incidents of individuals playing these games snapping and taking out their family (which you should NOT do!).  I will not attempt to create a wake-up call to the arguments as to why RPGs and Dungeons and Dragons specifically do not influence and corrupt the innocent mind.  Many others offered better arguments more than a decade ago. I will not waste time here.  The truth is, these people do exist.  I encountered more than one myself--those that use the RPG as a venue for a mind wishing to lash out.  They existed before RPGs and will exist well after the last Monster Manual falls to dust.  They simply chose one of many roads available to express their vices.  These warped minds with problems best fit for psychologists and institutions don’t always follow the path of Mazes and Monsters.

      Some people addict themselves to Murder Mystery Night; some follow paintballing religiously, some recreate detailed medieval costumes and beat other similarly attired people.  All these acts use the same muscle.  Some take them too far… like stalking superstars, deluding a false sense of emotional connection.  These people subsist in every walk of life.  A madman uses his genius destructively; a genius uses his madness constructively.  I sat with players that sink into a character better than Pacino on a good day.  The moment the game ends, a snap of a finger, they resume normal life, never taking anything in the game personally.  I know of some great actors spurned form Role Playing (Mike Myers ring a bell).  Others fail to distinguish.

      It’s important to note that no RPG game can be blamed for these people’s actions.   They simply choose a path and decide to vent their hatred of the world--the same people who take guns to school and murder their classmates, the same people that massacre their coworkers (Oh how religious groups wished these folks played D&D).  We might not have played with these unsavory types…but we must acknowledge some will take this game too seriously.  Of course, the legends of the fella who attacked a waste truck with a broadsword and the group that locked themselves for a twelve-hour play and killed each other are false.  However, we must keep a keen eye on the lookout for the warning signs that a member or several members of the group may be going too far.  Bringing weapons to the game, revolving their life around a fictional character, and taking everything personally should send up flares to the other members.  The group must sit down and deal with the situation before it escalates out of hand.  The best thing is just removing them outright.  I write here on how to enjoy and maximize game enjoyment but I wrote it for those who realize in the same light that Star Trek isn’t real and the Tooth Fairy is simply a fable.  I wrote this for those who enjoy role-playing as they enjoy reading a good book and letting their imagination wonder—watching a movie and thinking, “what would I do in that situation?”  Also, the opinions and advice presented here is my own and are not endorsed by any game company.  So…please read on…and remember…it’s just a game.  Now excuse me, its now time for my daily Satan worship…

                                                                   Chris Tavares Dias