How could they surround us? I had Mordenkainen’s Magical Watchdog cast!

Here’s a bit of April Fool’s day fun with some serious gratuitous name dropping, courtesy of Wizards.com. (And if you didn’t know what Errata meant, don’t feel so bad. I didn’t either.) And in case you missed it a while back, here’s an old interview with Stephen Colbert talking about his love of Dungeons and Dragons as a child.

Player’s Handbook & Monster Manual Errata

Before introducing 4th Edition, the members of the errata group thought it important to correct several fundamental issues that have caused ongoing problems in 3rd Edition. This final 3rd Edition errata document attempts to rectify those problems and also aims to increase accessibility to new players unfamiliar with Dungeons & Dragons but who are familiar with other games and cultural phenomena.

Page 203-204 – Bigby [Substitution]
All reference to Bigby become “Stephen Colbert.” All spells with “Stephen Colbert” in the name have “Doritos” as a material spell component.

Full text of blog post

And, because it makes me smile, here’s Stephen Colbert’s tribute to Gary Gygax.

Comments

  1. AmandaIvy says:

    Lol!

    I love that they gave Stephen (and some of their other references) recognition!

    I played my fair share of D&D in my late middle school/early high school days (before I’d ever watched TDS or TCR). Nerds unite!

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  2. One of the Heroes says:

    Wow! I enjoyed reading about Stephen’s D&D days. I hadn’t read that article before. I appreciate how open Stephen was about that part of his life.

    I have never played D&D but I grew up in the Bible belt. I remember the controversy surrounding this game. I heard all of the stories and information that Stephen mentioned in his interview. There was also a big movement to keep kids from seeing the movie ET because there was a scene in which the boys were playing D&D.

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  3. AmandaIvy says:

    @ One of the Heroes–

    I grew up in the Bible Belt too (NC), and even when we’d play at school (this was around 2002-2003, in public schools), some teachers even then would be against it and make us put it up, even if it were at the lunch table or whatever. I can only imagine what how bad it was when it first came out.

    I wasn’t aware there was an uprising against E.T. just because of one scene. That’s interesting.

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  4. One of the Heroes says:

    @AmandaIvy,
    Many people where I lived (GA) were very upset when this game first came out. I remember my brother and his friends having to play it in secret because they didn’t want the parents and teachers to know what what they were up to. All of this over a game!

    It sounds like there is still a powerful Bible belt type of influence in the South. Man, this discussion brings back memories of book censorship, science teachers who refused to teach about evolution or dinosaurs, crazy stories about satan worshippers, etc. Good Times! :-)

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  5. laughing at nothing says:

    **Message to JACOB**:

    30 minutes into the Olbermann Report (MSNBC), there is a a quick video clip of a monkey riding a minibike!

    The show will replay a few more times this evening and tomorrow, so maybe your mom could record it for you.

    Good night!

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  6. Laaaura says:

    Oh wow, I never read that article about Stephen’s D&D days. That was so cute! I’ve never played D&D before, but it actually does sound like a fun and interesting game.

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  7. Annie says:

    Er, can I just say that this title is referencing the best video ever? xD

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  8. laughing at nothing says:

    I learned something today. Although I’m familiar with having been an outcast in high-school, I never played D&D, not even minimally. I wish I had.

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  9. AmandaIvy says:

    @ laughing at nothing–

    It’s great fun! Lol. I haven’t played in forever, because if you’re not careful it can consume your life.

    Those of us that played though, at least those of us that only played in moderation, weren’t really outcasts, per say, but we were the kids that played D&D and wrote for the school newspaper and were involved in theatre, so we didn’t have much time. We were the multitasking uber nerds.

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  10. Lisa says:

    I never really played or knew much about the game, but the discussion of it being sort of taboo sort of reminds me some of the hoopla that ensued when the Harry Potter books started coming out, and how parents felt it was leading their kids to “the dark side”. My best friend actually feels that way…it’s kinda weird. It’s just a story…

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  11. Heidi says:

    I’m Gary Gygax’s daughter, and when the negative hype started around 1980 it was surprising and funny to me, my siblings and friends to hear my dad and his game referred to as evil, since we were raised in an very strict and religious household. My parents raised us as Jehovah’s Witnesses! (No I am not anymore!) My dad was later “disfellowshipped” as he smoked cigarettes and had long hair – taboo! He continued to read bible scripture often, especially in recent years. His favorite of late was Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

    Love you and miss you Dad!

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  12. One of the Heroes says:

    @Heidi,
    Thank you for your comment. Condolences to your family. Gary Gygax will be missed by so many.

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