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Some of us are old enough to recall the first time that Dungeons & Dragons hit the shelves. We remember the cover art on the boxes, the old dice you had to color with crayons, the first hardback editions of the original "Advanced" version of the game. We can still see the first copies of Deities and Demigods that were pulled from the shelves because of unauthorized material. The old Bard class that required leveling up in three other classes prior to taking the first level is still a fond memory, as are the original rules for psionics in the very back of the PHB.

Most likely we can still recall the heat the game took, like the fact that distraught parents were trying to link the game with an unfortunate series of suicides and accidents. There were numerous claims by Conservative, Moral Majority and Christian organizations that stated the game led to Satanism, engaging in the occult and witchcraft. Lawsuits were levied against TSR, the publishers of the game at that time, and it seemed overnight the game became known as a tool for corrupting our youth into the Devil's Legions. The staff at TSR, in an effort to placate its adversaries and adherents to the belief that it was a recruiting tool for Satanism, edited and removed a large amount of printed material. The lawsuits (in large part) failed to prove any definitive link to the practice of Satanism, witchcraft or the occult despite the fact that so much of the game material is dedicated to such themes and subject matter.

Nonetheless, players of the game were getting labeled as devil-worshippers, witches and warlocks: books were getting pulled from the shelves, the toys disappeared and the TV show went off the air.

The game has seen four distinct editions over the last thirty-plus years and is currently in its fifth (actually called the fourth edition, since the fourth in chronological order was named 3.5) and has fielded many such claims over the last three decades. Much of the original material that caused such controversy (that was initially removed) has currently returned, thanks to the new publishers of the game: Wizards of the Coast. Materials such as spell-casting, sorcery, pagan deities, necromancy, demons and even using poison have not only returned, but have received a much more in depth treatment than before. Hasbro presently owns Wizards and has attempted to put a nicer, friendlier face upon the game and markets it with the same zeal as G.I. Joe and Mr. Potato Head. Even though some of the books released

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