A Moral Campaign

[boatsnguitars]

I've introduced my Bible Study group to D&D in a pretty clever way. One day, we were discussing morality and I asked: Is Stealing Moral or Immoral? They all flatly said "immoral", then a few of them hedged a little and said, "If your child is starving, it's okay to steal bread".

This is what started the campaign. This is what I wrote:

You are riding in a carriage through the lush and vibrant countryside of the kingdom, surrounded by rolling hills and verdant forests. The sun is shining brightly overhead, casting dappled shadows across the winding road that stretches out before you. The sweet fragrance of blooming wildflowers and freshly cut grass fills the air, accompanied by the distant songs of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves.

As the carriage rolls along, you relax in the comfortable seats, enjoying the scenery and the cool breeze that blows through the open windows. The sound of horses' hooves rhythmically hitting the ground lulls you into a peaceful state, and you close your eyes, content in the moment.

Suddenly, the carriage jolts and tilts violently, throwing you off balance. You hear the panicked cries of the driver and the horses, and then the world around you turns upside down - and goes black. The next thing you experience, you are lying on the ground, disoriented and sore. You have been unconscious for an untold time. There are no others to be seen, the horses have run off.

As you slowly regain your senses, you realize you have no memory of the crash or your life before it. You look around and see that you are alone, with no memory of who you are or where you were headed.

With no other options, you start walking, hoping to find some answers and perhaps some help. After several hours, you come across a large farmhouse, surrounded by lush fields and pastures. The farmhouse appears to be in excellent condition, with freshly painted walls and a newly thatched roof.

As you approach the farm, you notice that there is no one around, but the farm seems to have been recently tended. Upon entering the farm house, you find cupboards stocked with food. There are no clues as to why the farm is empty, but the growl in your stomach refocuses your thoughts to your immediate needs. You ponder the implications of taking food from the farm and....

What do you do?

Any one care to play along? (To be clear, I intend this to be a debate, just in a more entertaining format).

[Miles]

I've introduced my Bible Study group to D&D in a pretty clever way. One day, we were discussing morality and I asked: Is Stealing Moral or Immoral? They all flatly said "immoral", then a few of them hedged a little and said, "If your child is starving, it's okay to steal bread".

This is what started the campaign. This is what I wrote:

You are riding in a carriage . . .
.
.
.
.
What do you do?

I wait for the owners to return, outside of the house.


.

[Purple Knight]

I don't see stealing as fundamentally wrong. We steal from other creatures; their meat, their pelts, their lives. It's pretty obvious that rights come from the government, even if the government doesn't think so. We agree not to steal from other people because it would wreck society.

That said, having some people bloated-rich and some people starving in the streets because the government will punish them if they steal... also wrecks society.

I agree with Miles and I'd look around for other food while waiting for the owners to come back. A farmhouse with grains is going to have things like rabbits around. Rats are edible. Though won't I look the fool if it turns out to be my house?

I'm certainly not going to let the stuff they have rot and myself starve.

What I would like to do, though I don't consider that a top priority, is figure out where the carriage, and thus my party, came from. I'd want to go back to where the carriage was and try to track it backwards.

[boatsnguitars]

You all wait patiently for days, hoping that the owners will come back. But as time passes, you begin to lose hope. You are able to catch a rabbit or two, and then realize that some of the food is going to rot if it's not eaten. One week later, two children - a boy and a girl of 5 and 7 years old - stumble upon the farm. They look scared and lost, and it's clear they haven't eaten in days.

The little one's eyes widen at the sight of the food, and he makes a beeline for the cupboard. But the older child hesitates and turns to you, "Wait, that's not ours, we should ask the adult."

The children seem to have no memory of who they are or where they came from, just like you. They are desperate and alone, and their stomachs are rumbling loudly. What do you do?

[Miles]

You all wait patiently for days, hoping that the owners will come back.

But as time passes, you begin to lose hope. You are able to catch a rabbit or two, and then realize that some of the food is going to rot if it's not eaten. One week later, two children - a boy and a girl of 5 and 7 years old - stumble upon the farm. They look scared and lost, and it's clear they haven't eaten in days.

The little one's eyes widen at the sight of the food, and he makes a beeline for the cupboard. But the older child hesitates and turns to you, "Wait, that's not ours, we should ask the adult."

The children seem to have no memory of who they are or where they came from, just like you. They are desperate and alone, and their stomachs are rumbling loudly. What do you do?

And you want to keep moving the goal posts because you don't like the answers.

Bye.

.

[boatsnguitars]

You all wait patiently for days, hoping that the owners will come back.

But as time passes, you begin to lose hope. You are able to catch a rabbit or two, and then realize that some of the food is going to rot if it's not eaten. One week later, two children - a boy and a girl of 5 and 7 years old - stumble upon the farm. They look scared and lost, and it's clear they haven't eaten in days.

The little one's eyes widen at the sight of the food, and he makes a beeline for the cupboard. But the older child hesitates and turns to you, "Wait, that's not ours, we should ask the adult."

The children seem to have no memory of who they are or where they came from, just like you. They are desperate and alone, and their stomachs are rumbling loudly. What do you do?

And you want to keep moving the goal posts because you don't like the answers.

Bye.

.

You've never played D&D have you? The idea is that I, the Dungeon Master, explain what is happening in the world you find yourself in and you make choices on the developments. I try to describe it enough for you to make choices, but also try to help you stay within the campaign. I can honestly say I don't care what you answer - burn the house down, eat the children, run into the woods, it's all up to you. It's a game. It's meant to be fun. In this case, it is meant to explore morals in a fun way - and, spoiler, there are going to be more people and scenarios coming.

Not sure why you feel I've moved the goal posts.

[Miles]

You all wait patiently for days, hoping that the owners will come back.

But as time passes, you begin to lose hope. You are able to catch a rabbit or two, and then realize that some of the food is going to rot if it's not eaten. One week later, two children - a boy and a girl of 5 and 7 years old - stumble upon the farm. They look scared and lost, and it's clear they haven't eaten in days.

The little one's eyes widen at the sight of the food, and he makes a beeline for the cupboard. But the older child hesitates and turns to you, "Wait, that's not ours, we should ask the adult."

The children seem to have no memory of who they are or where they came from, just like you. They are desperate and alone, and their stomachs are rumbling loudly. What do you do?

And you want to keep moving the goal posts because you don't like the answers.
Bye.

.

You've never played D&D have you? The idea is that I, the Dungeon Master, explain what is happening in the world you find yourself in and you make choices on the developments. I try to describe it enough for you to make choices, but also try to help you stay within the campaign. I can honestly say I don't care what you answer - burn the house down, eat the children, run into the woods, it's all up to you. It's a game. It's meant to be fun. In this case, it is meant to explore morals in a fun way - and, spoiler, there are going to be more people and scenarios coming.

Not sure why you feel I've moved the goal posts.

Probably because I've never played D&D and misunderstood what was going on. Mea culpa.

.

[boatsnguitars]

You all wait patiently for days, hoping that the owners will come back.

But as time passes, you begin to lose hope. You are able to catch a rabbit or two, and then realize that some of the food is going to rot if it's not eaten. One week later, two children - a boy and a girl of 5 and 7 years old - stumble upon the farm. They look scared and lost, and it's clear they haven't eaten in days.

The little one's eyes widen at the sight of the food, and he makes a beeline for the cupboard. But the older child hesitates and turns to you, "Wait, that's not ours, we should ask the adult."

The children seem to have no memory of who they are or where they came from, just like you. They are desperate and alone, and their stomachs are rumbling loudly. What do you do?

And you want to keep moving the goal posts because you don't like the answers.
Bye.

.

You've never played D&D have you? The idea is that I, the Dungeon Master, explain what is happening in the world you find yourself in and you make choices on the developments. I try to describe it enough for you to make choices, but also try to help you stay within the campaign. I can honestly say I don't care what you answer - burn the house down, eat the children, run into the woods, it's all up to you. It's a game. It's meant to be fun. In this case, it is meant to explore morals in a fun way - and, spoiler, there are going to be more people and scenarios coming.

Not sure why you feel I've moved the goal posts.

Probably because I've never played D&D and misunderstood what was going on. Mea culpa.

.

No worries. It's not a trap. I do have a plan in mind but it's not a "gotcha', it's a way to explore morality as we go. I will happily back off if it feels I'm imposing a certainmorality, or whatever. What I want to do is run through a D&D campaign, but kind of like the Trolley Car dilemma, offer alternatives to people. There is no wrong answer - in fact, D&D does one better. They make you decide if your character is moral, amoral or immoral and requires you to play the part - like a movie. I love D&D, and hope everyone sees the fun in it. It's role playing at its best!

In D&D, you can ask the Dungeon Master anything to clarify something. Anything. The DM may or may not give you the entire story but they will try to give you a better explanation of the situation to help you make your decision.

I promise, there are no "gotcha's". Play it as you want. Be the rogue, or the thief, or the noble paladin, or the jaded cleric. Be Jesus (which, I have to say, i've never seen anyone play in DnD.... something to consider). Be Sauron, Aragorn, Bilbo, Frodo, etc. Be any character you want and make your choices. No judgement.