DragonRaid: The Christian Discipleship Game
Fantasy Parallelwelt DragonRaid bezeichnet sich selbst als "a Christian fantasy role-playing game designed for evangelizing and discipling young people". Wir haben das Material noch nicht komplett gesichtet¸ aber auf den ersten Blick wirkt das Spiel wie Propagandamaterial einer christlichen Sekte. Also bitte mit Vorsicht genießen!DragonRaid is based on the Adventure Learning System¸ a unique approach to Christian education which was developed more than ten years ago. Adventure Learning is a cross between simulation exercises and traditional role-playing games. In the Adventure Learning System¸ players go on adventures in their imagination¸ which is a lot of fun; but at the same time they are practicing Christian attitudes and behavior which they will need in real life. With the Adventure Learning System¸ teaching advances from mere intellectual exercise to behavioral practice¸ thus firmly establishing Christian values and making Christian responses to new situations almost automatic. DragonRaid is set in the parallel fantasy world of EdenAgain¸ and in that context the players are encouraged to role-play the real world as God sees it. This format allows for extensive allegorical teaching¸ flexibility in the testing of Christian knowledge¸ and a non-threatening environment for learning and practicing new behavior. The decision to present DragonRaid in a fantasy format was based on the popular appeal of C.S. Lewis" Chronicles of Narnia and the enduring merit of John Bunyan"s Pilgrim"s Progress¸ both of which are classics of allegorical Christian fantasy literature. More than a decade of experience has proved the wisdom of that decision¸ as large numbers of young people have been brought to Christ and effectively discipled through playing DragonRaid. Although¸ DragonRaid is set in an exciting¸ fun game-like setting¸ it goes far beyond a mere game in leading players to develop a biblical lifestyle through daily obedience¸ useful service to others¸ and the application of Scriptural principles to real-life situations. In DragonRaid¸ the participants role-play Christian characters in the land of EdenAgain¸ where they are known as LightRaiders. LightRaiders are members of the TwiceBorn who¸ together¸ courageously follow the call of the OverLord of Many Names and go into the Dragon Lands to combat and defeat evil. (The OverLord¸ of course¸ is Jesus Christ; since the Bible gives a variety of names to Jesus to show us His very many virtues¸ the title "OverLord of Many Names" is a fitting one.) In DragonRaid the LightRaiders always fight against dragons¸ which are allegorical representations of demons. The TwiceBorn also fight against Dark Creatures--wayward beings who¸ like the demons¸ do not get a second chance. Dark Creatures personify various evils; for example¸ trolls spread an unrighteous "power enchantment" and like to push people around to get their way. As a result of dealing with the power-hungry trolls¸ DragonRaid players come to realize some of the many ways in which a hunger for power can cause us to sin in our thoughts and behavior. Even little children can decide that they would never want to act like the ugly trolls. Unlike the TwiceBorn¸ who wage continual war against the evil dragons¸ the Once Born on EdenAgain are dragon slaves--i.e.¸ slaves to sin. But the Once Born are not to be killed¸ no matter how evil their behavior. Instead¸ the LightRaiders attempt to rescue the Once Born by telling them of the Great Rescue¸ which is the salvation purchased for them by the OverLord of Many Names. The Once Born who are thus rescued then join the ranks of the TwiceBorn¸ and may someday become LightRaiders themselves. DragonRaid WordRunes are verses and passages drawn from the Sacred Scrolls¸ which is our allegorical name for the Bible. A WordRune is a powerful saying from the Word of God. WordRunes take on applications related to the actual meaning of the Scriptures in real life. This is our vehicle for encouraging players to memorize Scripture¸ and it has proven extremely effective. In DragonRaid (as in most role-playing games) one person runs t