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Dungeons & Dragons, AKA D&D or DnD, is more than a role-playing game: it’s a cultural institution that for the last 50 years has indelibly shaped collaborative storytelling. In essence, it takes the idea of make-believe games, where players pretend to be somebody else, and adds a system of written rules contained in printed handbooks, guides and manuals.
D&D is what is known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game because it uses handbooks, character sheets, polyhedral dice and richly illustrated printed materials. It is set in a high-fantasy universe populated by elves, dwarves, orcs and humans, and complete with its own system of magic.
Though D&D has evolved over time, the premise has remained the same: it’s still a fantasy role-playing game, one that has enriched – and continues to enrich – the lives of millions.
Originally seen as a hobby for nerds, today D&D is a mainstream cultural phenomenon frequently referenced in films and TV series like Stranger Things and Community. There’s even a Dungeons & Dragons film, which came out in 2023.
Where it all began: the story of Dungeons & Dragons
In the beginning there was Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, two fans of wargames, strategy games where real or imaginary battles are reconstructed, often using miniature figurines. Before he met Arneson, Gygax and his childhood friend Don Kaye would get together to collect and paint miniatures, which they used to play wargames based on rules they made up themselves.
In the 1960s, wargamers were few and far between in Lake Geneva, a small town near Chicago. But that didn’t stop some from writing their own game rules, which they printed and circulated among fellow fans. In 1965, together with friends Mike Reese and Leon Tucker, Gary Gygax and Don Kaye founded the Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association (LGTSA), one of the very first wargaming clubs.
Small wargaming events were beginning to pop up, so in 1968 Gygax organised the first Lake Geneva Wargames Convention (AKA Gen Con): it was there that Gygax met Dave Arneson in 1969. They immediately bonded over their mutual love of medieval fantasy and the works of Tolkien.
A few years later in 1971, Gygax and Jeff Perren published Chainmail, a set of rules for medieval wargames which also came with a 15-page supplement for a Tolkienesque game setting. Now, thanks to Chainmail, gamers could play in a world which resembled that of The Lord of the Rings, and even chose mage as a character class.
The first seeds for what would become D&D were planted when Dave Arneson sent Gary Gygax an innovative set of rules in which gamers played as individual characters rather than commanding whole armies. Arneson used Chainmail as a starting point and added new aspects, such as character classes, experience points and levels.
In the autumn of 1972 came the game that changed everything. Arneson went to Gygax’s house to demonstrate a new boardgame called Dungeon! that he and David Megarry were developing. Arneson served as the game’s referee (a role that would eventually become known as Dungeon Master).
It was then that Gygax realised that playing a specific role, something which had never tried before, could be the core concept for a new type of game. With this in mind, Gygax and Arneson set up their own publishing house, Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), in 1973, and released the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974. The rest is history: TSR would become TSR Hobbies, eventually bought by Wizards of the Coast in 1997 (along with all the rights to D&D), which a few years later would itself be taken over by toy and game giant Hasbro in 1999.
The rules of the game: how to get started with D&D
Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing fantasy game based on storytelling. For a game of D&D, you first need to get a group of players together either in person or online. Players take on the role of a character, each with unique skills and motivations that influence their decisions and actions during the game. The ideal number of players is generally four or five, but the game can be adapted for smaller or larger groups too. Time to pick a role:
- One person acts as the Dungeon Master (DM): the DM applies the rules, narrates the story and controls the actions of all non-player characters (NPC) encountered by the players.
- All the other participants are player characters in the adventure. The character creation process can be long and complex. Fortunately, character building tools can be found online that speed up the process – these are great for beginners.
The game proceeds as follows: the DM describes where the players are and what’s around them, and then gives them a number of options. For example, if they’re in a tavern, the DM might say who’s in the room with them and how many doors there are. It’s then over to the players to decide what to do: which non-player characters to interact with, which door to go through, and so on.
The DM then tells the players what the outcome of their action is. If the action is simple, like walking across a room and opening a door, the DM may simply describe what’s on the other side. But if it’s something more complex, like trying to open a locked door or negotiate a booby-trapped corridor, the DM may roll a die to determine the outcome. In combat, there’s a more structured process, with players taking it in turns to engage the foe. The Dungeon Master neither helps nor hinders the players: their role is simply that of a narrator and facilitator, rather an ally or adversary.
The basic rules for D&D are available free online. But for the best beginner’s experience, it’s worth investing in the Essential Kit, which includes an introductory rulebook, an adventure book, six character sheets, dice and a map.
If and when you want to get serious, you can purchase the Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks. The fifth edition of these comprises:
- Dungeon Master’s Guide: this is aimed squarely at DMs, so if you’re just a player, you might want to skip this one. It contains everything a Dungeon Master needs for devising adventures, as well as optional rules, magic items and much more.
- Player’s Handbook: a complete guide to creating characters, it sets out rules for everything from backgrounds and skills to exploration, combat, equipment and spells.
- Monster Manual: inside you’ll find all the rules and details for the traditional D&D creatures. Another one aimed squarely at DMs.
Dungeons & Dragons editions: an overview
Five editions of D&D have been released since 1974, but the current publisher, Wizards of the Coast, only produces new material for the most recent edition. That said, many fans love playing with old editions. Official expansion books are available too, as well as myriad compatible materials from third parties. We can’t list them all here, but we can give you a whistle-stop tour of the key official releases.
1. Original Dungeons & Dragons (OD&D) – 1974
The first edition of D&D (often also referred to as “OD&D” or “White Box” by aficionados) was published by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) and consists of three white handbooks packaged in – you’ve guessed it – a white box.
2. Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set – 1977
The Basic Set was designed to make the game more accessible to new players, and includes simplified rules and an introductory adventure. A new version of the Basic Set was released in 1983. Known as Red Box, today original copies fetch a small fortune – for good reason: the box’s cover carries an illustration by Larry Elmore that’s become a classic of the fantasy genre.
3. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) – 1977-1979
In the first edition of AD&D, Gary Gygax reorganised the original rules into three books: Monster Manual (1977), Player’s Handbook (1978) and Dungeon Master’s Guide (1979). The idea was to offer a more complex and structured game-play experience.
4. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition (AD&D 2e) – 1989
The second edition of AD&D revised and simplified many of the original’s rules. It was created by a small team led by David “Zeb” Cook and was first new edition released after Gygax’s departure from TSR. AD&D 2e introduced new settings and adventure modules, and sought to make the game more coherent and accessible by getting rid of demons, assassins, half-orcs and other aspects that had previously brought the game bad publicity.
5. Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition – 2000
Developed by Wizards of the Coast (publisher of Magic: The Gathering) following its acquisition of TSR, the 3rd edition introduced the d20 System, a new game mechanics system based on a d20 (20-sided die). The result was more modern, streamlined and flexible gameplay.
6. Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition – 2003
Version 3.5 is a revised version of the 3rd Edition, with a slew of updates and corrections to the rules.
7. Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition – 2008
The 4th Edition introduced significant changes to game mechanics, placing greater emphasis on tactical combat and striking a fair balance between character classes. Some fans criticised D&D 4e for having become too board-game like at the expense of storytelling.
8. Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition – 2014
The 5th Edition made gameplay a more narrative and accessible experience by blending aspects of previous editions with new, simpler game mechanics. An instant hit with fans, it heralded a resurgence in D&D’s popularity, helped also by digital media and livestreamed games.
Printed D&D rulebooks: what’s inside
D&D 5e came out in 2014. It comprises three core rulebooks and is also available as a box set that includes the Dungeon Master’s Screen, which is used to hide notes and die rolls from players for maximum suspense.
The books are sumptuous publications that have been carefully designed for quick and easy reference by DMs during games. Here’s what you can expect:
- Each book is hard bound
- All three volumes are printed in the same 22 cm x 28.4 cm large format
- The page count for each book varies between 318 and 352 pages, all of which are printed in full colour on gloss paper and feature stunning illustrations
The impressive 320-page Dungeon Master’s Guide is an indispensable aid for compelling storytelling.
The 318-page Player’s Handbook is equally eye-catching and offers imaginative illustrations of the characters that gamers can play.
At a hefty 352 pages, the Monster Manual is the longest and most richly illustrated of the set. It’s worth buying for the illustrations alone.
All the rulebooks share the same page layout.
Text is bounded by 2-cm-wide upper, lower, inner and outer margins.
There are illustrations to be found on virtually every page. These often extend beyond the margins set for the text, and it’s not unusual to find spectacular full-page pictures.
As for text layout, each page has two columns separated by an alley of roughly 1 cm. Columns consist mostly of text but are often interrupted by sidebars and tables about characters, items and monsters. Here and there are pages with large tables full of statistics on, for example, weapons, their properties, how much they cost and how much damage they inflict.
It’s a tried and tested, easily reproducible structure that’s repeated page after page.
So there we have our by no means exhaustive overview of Dungeons & Dragons. We’ve only scratched the surface, but hopefully we’ve sparked an interest not only in playing the game, but in creating new worlds and new rules. And who knows, perhaps one day one of our readers will devise a new handbook for an engrossing fantasy role-playing game. A book that will inspire stories, friendship and imagination.