I had been playing D&D for more than 30 years before I heard the term “Murder Hobos.”  A player in one of my games said that most adventure groups are like bands of murdering hobos that kill everything in their path and take what they want.  OK, I’ve played games where each encounter yielded treasure of some kind and it was the focus of the game.  Getting gear is one of the best things about adventure gaming and most video games have this element of collecting gear as you go along.  So, a group of heavily armed warriors come in to your town, kill a bunch of your friends, and leave with your gold and valuables.  Yes, it might be a town of Orcs that worship an evil Demi-Human deity and they might have live sacrifices every full moon, but today they are farming and feeding their families.  Then armed warriors for some weird Human god show up and slaughter the guards protecting your village.

Was he right? Was I thinking I was a heroic knight when, in reality, I was an invading enemy?  This idea changed the way I play and run games.  No more wandering adventures, to the ire to those who hate “Railroad” games.  I would brave the slings and arrows of the “Sandbox” crowd and only run games of higher purpose and with moral clarity.  My games focused and each scene and made each player problem solve during combat.  I wanted a cinematographic feel like an action movie, and I did my best to create dramatic lairs and fully developed adversaries.  Needless to say, most gamers hated my games, they wanted to be murder hobos, not peace makers or holy warriors. 

The 30-something gamers hated my “Railroad” approach, they wanted to be bad, but pretend to be good.  They would spend days crafting a heroic character with a well-defined back story and then throw it all away at the first chance to kill and take treasure.  They liked the idea of a good character, but when they played only chaos and evil came out.  I explained that I only run games of good characters because I dislike the themes of violent games where evil is being portrayed.  I explain that the action isn’t affected by my style of running a game, but the idea of being told what to do is infuriating to them.  They fight with me just to fight, I’m the enemy.  The fight is never face to face and always after a long lag. 

I feel the same way about why people march.  From a distance, marchers feel empowered to part of a movement and rush to join the crowd.  I ask the same question: What have you done to help the problem? What do you think marching will achieve? I’m told about how “the cops” or “the government” must change their policies to help those in need.  I like that idea, but like the “Murder Hobos” they come to town, take what they want and leave, never to act again.  From “Occupy Wall Street” to the protest marches against the police, individuals feel compelled to march for a cause.  The problem is that from local elections to a national Presidential election where Donald Trump won, minorities are not voting. More importantly, I’ve yet to hear about boycotts or support for businesses that are aligned with a positive world view.

And let’s be clear - marching in the streets at night allows the evil element of every city to thrive.  No longer are you supporting those in need of support. That crowd is there to punish and exact revenge.  Each protester and each marcher has a great backstory and a great character concept, but that ends when the hard work begins.  It turns ugly when someone in authority asks for respect and civil order for all citizens, not just the police or the protesters.  All hell breaks loose and out comes chaos and now calm supporters of a good cause became an angry mob and that turns law enforcement into armed guards protecting the town.  Are they Murder Hobos?  Maybe not, but the chaos allows the villainy to take place.  And the opportunity to get something for free that you could never afford could cause a normal person to become an opportunistic thief.  Now home with your new Gucci bag, aren’t you a thief? It didn’t start that way, but opportunity and events have allowed you to be able make off with a $500 handbag.  Do you question why you marched, or do you return the bag when things calm down?

Marching is a great way to show support, but it’s only the start. It is vital to have a focus, a goal, or an act.  To just show up and to never do anything in support of the cause makes you the equivalent of a “Accidental Murder Hobo.”  Take it from an old white guy, it only seems like a “Railroad” because of perception, and that a “Sandbox” still needs you to take a direction, so in the end you’re following a path.  If you understand the cause and you have a great desire to help, then do it! Focus on the act that make peoples’ lives better, not on getting revenge or justice.  Most times your vote is more influential than your presence in protest, so have an end game, and then act with purpose and intelligence.  Trust me, we can change the world! Please join me!