Description

Book Synopsis

Do demons and devils have free will? Does justice exist in Menzoberranzan? What's the morality involved with player characters casting necromancy and summoning spells?

Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy probes the rich terrain of philosophically compelling concepts and ideas that underlie Dungeons & Dragons, the legendary fantasy role-playing game that grew into a world-wide cultural phenomenon. A series of accessible essays reveals what the imaginary worlds of D&D can teach us about ethics, morality, metaphysics and more.

  • Illustrates a wide variety of philosophical concepts and ideas that arise in Dungeons & Dragons gameplay and presents them in an accessible and entertaining manner
  • Reveals how the strategies, tactics, improvisations, and role-play employed by D&D enthusiasts have startling parallels in the real world of philosophy
  • Explores a wide range of philosophical topics, including the nature of free will

    Table of Contents

    Abbreviations Used in the Text viii

    Introduction: A Game Like No Other 1

    Part I Lawful Good vs. Chaotic Evil 5

    1 Sympathy for the Devils: Free Will and Dungeons & Dragons 7
    Greg Littmann

    2 Paragons and Knaves: Does Good Character Make for a Good Character? 23
    J.K. Miles and Karington Hess

    3 Is Anyone Actually Chaotic Evil?: A Playable Theory of Willful Wrongdoing 35
    Neil Mussett

    Part II So Did You Win? Philosophy and D&D Gameplay 61

    4 Save vs. Death: Some Reflections on the Lifecycle of PCs 63
    Christopher Robichaud

    5 To My Other Self: Reflection and Existentialism in Dungeons & Dragons 72
    Rob Crandall and Charles Taliaferro

    6 Player-Character Is What You Are in the Dark: The Phenomenology of Immersion in Dungeons & Dragons 82
    William J. White

    Part III Crafting Worlds 93

    7 Imagination and Creation: The Morality of Fiction in Dungeons & Dragons 95
    Robert A. Delfino and Jerome C. Hillock

    8 Dungeonmastery as Soulcraft 106
    Ben Dyer

    Part IV Foray into the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance 119

    9 Menzoberranzan: A Perfect Unjust State 121
    Matt Hummel

    10 Who Is Raistlin Majere? 132
    Kevin McCain

    Part V The Ethics of Spellcasting 145

    11 Expediency and Expendability: An Exhumation of the Morality of Necromancy 147
    Matthew Jones and Ashley Brown

    12 By Friendship or Force: Is it Ethical to Summon Animals to Fight by Your Side in Dungeons & Dragons? 163
    Samantha Noll

    Part VI Dungeons & Dragons out in the Real World 173

    13 “Kill her, kill her! Oh God, I’m sorry!”: Spectating Dungeons & Dragons 175
    Esther MacCallum-Stewart

    14 Berserker in a Skirt: Sex and Gender in Dungeons & Dragons 189
    Shannon M. Mussett

    15 “Others play at dice”: Friendship and Dungeons & Dragons 202
    Jeffery L. Nicholas

    Contributors 217

    Index 223

Dungeons Dragons Philosophy

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    £14.36

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    RRP £15.95 – you save £1.59 (9%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Wed 10 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Christopher Robichaud, William Irwin

    5 in stock


      View other formats and editions of Dungeons Dragons Philosophy by Christopher Robichaud

      Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
      Publication Date: 02/09/2014
      ISBN13: 9781118397626, 978-1118397626
      ISBN10: 1118397622
      Also in:
      Politics, Philosophy & Society Philosophy

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Do demons and devils have free will? Does justice exist in Menzoberranzan? What's the morality involved with player characters casting necromancy and summoning spells?

      Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy probes the rich terrain of philosophically compelling concepts and ideas that underlie Dungeons & Dragons, the legendary fantasy role-playing game that grew into a world-wide cultural phenomenon. A series of accessible essays reveals what the imaginary worlds of D&D can teach us about ethics, morality, metaphysics and more.

      • Illustrates a wide variety of philosophical concepts and ideas that arise in Dungeons & Dragons gameplay and presents them in an accessible and entertaining manner
      • Reveals how the strategies, tactics, improvisations, and role-play employed by D&D enthusiasts have startling parallels in the real world of philosophy
      • Explores a wide range of philosophical topics, including the nature of free will

        Table of Contents

        Abbreviations Used in the Text viii

        Introduction: A Game Like No Other 1

        Part I Lawful Good vs. Chaotic Evil 5

        1 Sympathy for the Devils: Free Will and Dungeons & Dragons 7
        Greg Littmann

        2 Paragons and Knaves: Does Good Character Make for a Good Character? 23
        J.K. Miles and Karington Hess

        3 Is Anyone Actually Chaotic Evil?: A Playable Theory of Willful Wrongdoing 35
        Neil Mussett

        Part II So Did You Win? Philosophy and D&D Gameplay 61

        4 Save vs. Death: Some Reflections on the Lifecycle of PCs 63
        Christopher Robichaud

        5 To My Other Self: Reflection and Existentialism in Dungeons & Dragons 72
        Rob Crandall and Charles Taliaferro

        6 Player-Character Is What You Are in the Dark: The Phenomenology of Immersion in Dungeons & Dragons 82
        William J. White

        Part III Crafting Worlds 93

        7 Imagination and Creation: The Morality of Fiction in Dungeons & Dragons 95
        Robert A. Delfino and Jerome C. Hillock

        8 Dungeonmastery as Soulcraft 106
        Ben Dyer

        Part IV Foray into the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance 119

        9 Menzoberranzan: A Perfect Unjust State 121
        Matt Hummel

        10 Who Is Raistlin Majere? 132
        Kevin McCain

        Part V The Ethics of Spellcasting 145

        11 Expediency and Expendability: An Exhumation of the Morality of Necromancy 147
        Matthew Jones and Ashley Brown

        12 By Friendship or Force: Is it Ethical to Summon Animals to Fight by Your Side in Dungeons & Dragons? 163
        Samantha Noll

        Part VI Dungeons & Dragons out in the Real World 173

        13 “Kill her, kill her! Oh God, I’m sorry!”: Spectating Dungeons & Dragons 175
        Esther MacCallum-Stewart

        14 Berserker in a Skirt: Sex and Gender in Dungeons & Dragons 189
        Shannon M. Mussett

        15 “Others play at dice”: Friendship and Dungeons & Dragons 202
        Jeffery L. Nicholas

        Contributors 217

        Index 223

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